MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lan Chile confirms 11 charter flight cancellations.

Lan Chile refused to qualify the Argentine government's decision to close its airspace to Chilean charter flights to the Falkland Islands.

"We continue to operate normally with our regular flights (to the Falklands) since Argentina's restrictions regarding air space only affect charter flights", Lan Express General Manager Pedro Pablo Errazuriz said in the company's main offices in Santiago.

Lan Chile is the only airline which weekly flies from the South American continent, Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile, to the Falklands, with additional non regular flights during the summer season.

"We're not going to comment the Argentine government's measure, what we can indicate is that eleven charter flights were not authorized, while five did get approval in November, December 2003", added Mr. Errazuriz pointing out that the eleven non authorized flights were scheduled between November 2003 and next March.

When asked about economic losses because of the Argentine decision, Mr. Errazuriz insisted that the company's main interest was to deliver a safe and efficient service to passengers. "The other aspect does not involve us".

Argentina decided to close its air space to third flag charter flights with Falklands' destination until the United Kingdom authorizes regular flights by Argentine commercial airlines to the Islands.