MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Aerolineas Argentinas opens “Atlantic Corridor” linking Buenos Aires, Comodoro and Ushuaia

Aerolineas Embraer 190 receives the traditional water cannons ceremony when it arrived at Mar del Plata airport

Aerolineas Argentinas inaugurated on Monday the “Atlantic Corridor” which will have daily flights between Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Bahía Blanca, Trelew, Comodoro Rivadavia and Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.

 Transport minister Guillermo Dietrich said that the Argentine flag carrier has experienced a great boost “with a federal outlook and with the arrival of new low cost private companies it will be so much easier for Argentines to fly and connect”

The flight took off from Ezeiza at 09:30 Monday and made its first call at Mar del Plata. Aerolineas Commercial Manager Diego Garcia said that the Atlantic Corridor will represent concrete benefits for several industries among which fishing, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and oil industries, plus tourism.

Garcia added that the Ezeiza, Mar del Plata, Trelew, Comodoro Rivadavia link will have four weekly flights, and the other option including Ushuaia three, “which is additional to the already existing South, North and Oil corridors operated by Aerolineas, and which don't necessarily call at Buenos Aires”.

Speaking about the performance of the renewed Aerolineas, García said the company has 340 daily flights, it transported 11.2 million passengers with a 9% increase during 2016. Of the total number of flights 71% are in the interior of Argentina with Cordoba becoming the second most important hub.

The inaugural flight was 80% booked and reservations are “very encouraging” added García. The 45 minute flight in an Embraer 190, carried 92 passengers and was received by Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires Province top officials.

From the Atlantic resort, the flight headed for Bahía Blanca where it landed at midday and then on to Puerto Madryn, while the Trelew airport undergoes upgrading.

In Puerto Madryn the Chubut province Tourism Secretary underlined the significance of the flight, which ends “our isolation, before we had to drive 600kms to Bahía Blanca or 400kms to Comodoro Rivadavia to catch a plane to Buenos Aires, now we have a direct line to Ezeiza”.

Finally at 15:30 the Aerolineas Argentinas first Atlantic Corridor call reached Comodoro Rivadavia. In regular operations the flight should be returning from Comodoro at 15:30, with calls at Trelew, Bahia Blanca and Mar del Plata, arriving in Buenos Aires 20:30.