Aerolineas Argentinas Opens new flight routes and enlarge your fleet

With the start of flights Rio Iguazu and Mendoza-Santiago de Chile and the increase in circular flights called "Federal Corridor", Aerolineas Argentinas last week reinforced its strategy of linking domestic and international destinations without the need of compulsory Buenos Aires. This allows the airline not only decentralize, but also to reduce their costs by offering cheap flights to new destinations. On Friday of last week the company reopened the route Santiago-Mendoza had left in 1999 - with a daily flight, while on Tuesday began with three flights daily between Puerto Iguazu and Rio de Janeiro. In both cases these flights begin in Buenos Aires and call at Iguazu and Mendoza before becoming international. The idea is that these two flights will join the circular flights, called "Federal Corridor," which now will become daily. New Riders join, Cordoba, Bariloche, Iguazu and Salta-Mendoza-Cordoba, Cordoba turning into a national hub. There will be for three aircraft. By September the company plans to open a service, sources said, to begin offering air tickets from Cordoba and Mendoza to San Pablo.

On the other hand, the national flag airline confirmed the end of the B747 fleet and the arrival of more A340.

Just over a month, from airlines, sedated of the decision taken by management to discard Airlines B747 fleet, now consisting of three planes 400 version to cover only the Buenos Aires-Madrid route. It was said that the union of pilots, for those who are a symbol B747, had not been informed "official" decision. Now everyone is informed, but resists and APLA may even give battle. Two of the planes would go in the second quarter of next year, so the crew believe there is time to negotiate while the third has two years left on his contract. By contrast, this week could be signing-there are people in Hong Kong examining the plane, leases of three A340, former Cathay, which come painted in September and October but configured with three classes, which changes would be made later. Teams do not necessarily come to replace the B747 (420 seats), although the A340 (350 seats) would be chosen for the route to Madrid. There is a fourth A340 in ILFC, currently flying for Air France, which would have offered but for now there is nothing closed.

As an aisle fleet company already has 14 of the 20 Embraer 190 in Austral (the other six come the end of the year), and 14 B737-700 in airlines. Two own, 10 leased to GECAS in 2009 and 2010 and two of ILFC to a contract of 10 (two will come between October and December and the rest in 2012). Instead, would not have advanced funds are not and even talk of delays in payments to loss-in a deal for 10 B737-800 with six tenants. If realized this operation, which involves new and used aircraft, they would be entering in 2012 and 2013.