MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas charter ban, “no policy change” insists Argentina

Air cruise or air charter, Austrians are calling in the Falklands

Argentina's charter flights policy towards the Falkland Islands “remains intact since established in November 2003”, and from then on “no non regular flights, from third flag commercial airlines, between third countries and Islas Malvinas have been authorized”, reports Friday the Buenos Aires press quoting Foreign Affairs ministry sources.

Earlier in the day the Argentine press had reported an alleged "change of policy" regarding charter flights to Malvinas, which the Ministry was quick to deny through the official news agency Telam. "This is the current (Argentine) policy on the issue since the United Kingdom's attitude in the matter has not been changed either". The flight to which press reports refer "takes off from Argentine continental territory, not from a third country, to the Malvinas Islands and therefore it is covered by the exchange of notes agreement" pointed out San Martin Palace sources. The "exchange of notes" agreement was subscribed by Argentina and the UK on 23 February 2001 and refers to "private sea and air navigation between Argentine continental territory and the Malvinas". Buenos Aires press reports said "Argentina had authorized the first flight between continental territory and the Malvinas since 2003, when the ban had been imposed". The report continues saying that it's "a charter flight from an Austrian flagged airline which will be carrying between forty and sixty Austrian and German tourists to Malvinas next November 20". But according to the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry the Austrian airline requested authorization from Argentina to take off, over fly and land in Argentine territory, which was granted since it's a scheduled flight contemplated in the agreement. "This same kind of flight the United Kingdom persists in denying to the next of kin of the fallen in Malvinas who are longing to inaugurate the Monument in the Argentine Cemetery at Darwin", added the source. On November 3 of 2003 Argentina proposed negotiations with the UK for the establishment of regular flights between Argentine continental territory and the Malvinas Islands, "but so far no agreement has been reached on the issue". On that same day Argentina banned authorization for non regular flights by third flag airlines between third countries and the Malvinas Islands. This however has been no impediment for the regular flight operated by Lan Chile which links Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile and the Islands, with two monthly calls in Rio Gallegos, or for sanitary or emergency evacuation flights. Actually the news was first published in the Falkland Islands Penguin NewsFriday edition reporting that "Austrian Airlines 737-800 is to bring between 40 and 60 Austrian/German passengers to the Islands on November 20 (from Argentina) as part of a South American tour originating in Vienna". "This is the first charter flight the Falklands government has allowed to arrive in the Islands from Argentina since 2003, when Argentina refused charters permission to cross its airspace". Penguin Newsadded that "Councilors say the Falklands' policy has not changed, but that Argentine policy may have". Speaking on Falkland Islands Radio, Cllr Mike Summers commented: "It's the Argentine policy to deny charter flights to the Falklands, not ours, and if their people want to run tourists to the Falklands using foreign registered aircraft, that's fine by us." Cllr Janet Robertson agreed. She told Penguin News:"It's not an Argentine carrier - we have no reason to object to an Austrian carrier coming here. "From the information we've had we are confident that it is an ordinary chartered flight made to the Falklands from Argentina".