MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sky's daily flights to Punta Arenas December 15.

As of December 15 a third carrier, Sky Airlines will begin a daily flight to Punta Arenas from Santiago de Chile, announced Wednesday the company's Commercial Manager Sergio Briceño during a courtesy visit to the city's Mayor Jaime Jelincic.

"We did a south Chile and Patagonia market research a year ago and we simply didn't make it effective because we lacked the aircrafts", admitted Mr. Briceño who together with other Sky Airlines executives made the official presentation of the company in Punta Arenas and the new regional managers, Ms. Ana Karelovic and Octavio Casas.

Mr. Briceño also apologized for the absence of Jürgen Paulmann, Sky Airlines CEO, who is currently in United States participating in a Latinamerican air carriers meeting "to coordinate regional alliances".

Sky Airlines currently has a fleet of ten Boeing 737/200 Advanced that have a 124 seats capacity and plans in the near future to begin regular flights overseas although it already operates with charters in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

"We have arrangements with overseas operators for charters over Antarctica and we're talking with Dap to coordinate efforts in Ushuaia, Puerto Williams and King George Island", revealed Mr. Briceño.

Sky's cheapest return fare to Santiago has been established at 118,342 Chilean pesos including boarding tax. An extra 10,000 pesos will be charged for changing the ticket's date. (Lan's cheapest fare is 132,242 Chilean pesos).

The second cheapest fare to Santiago and back will cost 170.342 Chilean pesos and the Punta Arenas/Puerto Montt/Punta Arenas fare, 103.342 Chilean pesos.

The US dollar in Santiago's exchange markets this week fluctuated between 590/600 Chilean pesos.

Mr. Briceño said the company will be recruiting between 15 and 20 people to staff Punta Arenas office and the airport crew.

However ticket booking is already available in most Punta Arenas travel agents.

Asked about this week's authorization for Aerolíneas del Sur to operate in Chile, beginning in Punta Arenas as of next December Mr. Briceños said Sky's policy supports fair and open competition, including foreign owned air carriers in the domestic market.

However, "since Aerolíneas del Sur is indirectly subsidized by the Spanish government as well as the Argentine government because it belongs to the Aerolineas Argentinas-Austral consortium under control of Spanish world tourism operator Marsans, the least we can expect is reciprocity, that is that Chilean carriers can also operate in Argentina".

This week the Chilean Civil Aviation Council after much lobbying finally granted Aerolíneas del Sur authorization to operate in Chile's domestic and international market.

Following the authorization Aerolíneas del Sur announced plans to begin flying to Punta Arenas next December 6, meaning this summer three airlines will be operating in Magallanes Region virtually putting an end to Lan's privileged situation as the only carrier to the extreme south of Chile.