MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

LAN Argentina begins Miami flights December

Lan Argentina announced the beginning of an international service between Miami and Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 1, 2005.

The non-stop overnight flight will depart Miami International Airport daily at 8.15 pm and arrive at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport at 7.05 am the following morning. The return flight will depart Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport daily at 10.15 pm and arrive at Miami International Airport at 5.25 am the following morning.

"We are happy to announce the launch of LAN Argentina's first international operation. Our daily non-stop flight linking Miami and Buenos Aires will be an opportunity to offer our passengers and cargo customers a highly valuable and competitive service with the highest standards of quality, safety and service that distinguishes all LAN Alliance airlines," said Paul Petrelli, General Manager of LAN Argentina.

LAN Argentina operates out of Buenos Aires with three daily flights to Cordoba; two daily flights to Mendoza, Bariloche and Iguazu; and two weekly departures to Comodoro Rivadavia and Rio Gallegos. In addition, LAN Alliance member airlines operate in Argentina from Buenos Aires with eight daily flights to Santiago, one daily non-stop flight to Lima, and two weekly non-stop flights to Quito and Guayaquil. The alliance member airlines' services to Santiago also include two weekly flights from Cordoba, one daily flight from Rosario, two daily flights from Mendoza, and two weekly flights from Bariloche. Additional flights from October through March 2006 will depart from Ushuaia, stopping at Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt.

Another Lan subsidiary, LAN Peru, will be coordinating marketing and scheduling with American Airlines. The deal became possible following American winning antitrust immunity from the federal Department of Transportation.

American was granted immunity for an alliance with Lan Airlines of Chile in 1999 and sought the same permission with LAN Peru so all three carriers could work together. Henry Joyner, American's senior vice president of planning, said the goal was to let travellers fly conveniently between the United States, Peru and Chile.

Both Peru and Chile have so-called Open Skies agreements with the United States, allowing each other's carriers more access to the other nation's markets.