MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Air traffic at 12 month high in April

Chile's air traffic reached an historic high this past April, with 54,000 domestic passengers and 68,000 international travelers. The 680,665 passengers flying in April represent a 22 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

With April's booming numbers, air traffic reached a high of 3 million passengers in the first quarter of 2007, which is 15 percent more than in the same quarter of 2006. This is the largest recorded increase since 1995. The most popular destinations for Chilean flights are Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, and Madrid internationally, and Puerto Montt, Antofogasta, and Concepción domestically. "There are changes occurring in the air travel market due to new fares, greater competition, and more diversity in special deals. More than taking market shares away from competitors, this has added benefits for passengers," said Jorge Frei, general secretary of the Civil Aviation Authority (JAC). LAN continues to lead the national market. Sky follows with 17 percent and Aerolíneas del Sur is third with 9.4 percent of the market. Still, Aerolíneas del Sur places second, with 17.2 percent participation, in the five routes for which the three top companies compete. The Santiago Times