MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina asks for the resumption of flights to the Falklands with stopover in Rio Gallegos
The flights were halted for reasons beyond Argentina's control, the note said Argentina has requested the resumption of flights between the mainland and the Falkland Islands twice a month after the service carried out by LATAM Airlines was halted amid COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
The flight would depart from Punta Arenas in Chile and stop over at Río Gallegos, en route to Mount Pleasant.
Argentina's Foreign Ministry reportedly submitted a formal note to the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, Malvinas Secretary Guillermo Carmona announced Tuesday.
Argentina stressed that the interruption of air services due to COVID-19 was “beyond the control of the Argentine government, and” stemmed from the international context caused by the pandemic.
But after “almost two years” and with flights having returned to normal worldwide, the administration of President Alberto Fernández considered it “necessary and timely” to resume “the aforementioned regular air service, which would meet both the needs of the inhabitants of the islands and the inhabitants of the mainland, especially that of the relatives to visit the graves of their loved ones who have fallen in the [1982] conflict.”
“In order to deepen the connection with the Islands, since 2020 has the Argentine Government been proposing to the United Kingdom the reestablishment of direct regular air services between the Argentine mainland and the Malvinas Islands operated by Argentine companies,” the diplomatic document went on.
Argentina also recalled that ”during the month of December, the Argentine government offered two humanitarian flights from the Argentine mainland, with a national flag carrier, to the Malvinas Islands to address the air disconnection situation, in order to transport residents of the Malvinas Islands who needed to travel to other destinations to attend to personal formalities or visit their relatives (particularly Chilean residents, especially affected by the air restrictions),“ which had been turned down, due to which a ”lack of connection between the Malvinas Islands and the mainland persists.“
Argentina insisted the regular flight from Punta Arenas to the Falkland Islands with two monthly stopovers in Rio Gallegos was provided for ”in the Joint Declaration of Madrid of October 19, 1989, as well as in the Joint Declaration and Exchange of Notes of July 14, 1999.”
According to those treaties -Argentina claimed- the question of the flight is a matter to be dealt with exclusively between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
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Read all commentsWhy would we want regular flights to import a load of dirty covid-ridden Argies into the Falklands and ruin the glorious 40th anniversary of our Liberation? What's wrong Ferny, are you running out of lies to tell your people about why you can't access “your” land for your tasteless monkey dictatorship's annual celebration of invading a peaceful country to try and steal it back from 150 years of peaceful settlement? You and kentucky fried batface are just as bad and mad as Poo Tin.
Mar 01st, 2022 - 11:23 pm +5The pressure is mounting. Just four months to the victory celebrations and Argentina has not been able to railroad our plans.
Mar 02nd, 2022 - 11:36 am +5If our elected government respects the islanders they will not contemplate any restarting of flights that include Argentina.
The Argentines have since 1999 abused the islanders in every way by visiting here on the pretences that they are visiting their war dead when really they are spying on us and then using that info in their propaganda campaigns against us.
The reality is that Argentina says we dont exist yet they want Britain to give them access.
I say we do exist and our MLA,s should uphold our rights to exist and tell the British Government that we run the Falkland islands affairs and that untill Argentina drops its claim and recognises us as a people, Argentina can go to hell.
Our country has survived these past two years without Argentine interference so it is proof that we dont need them.
As for international flights, is it not time that the international air authorities told Argentina they have no right to control over flights that deny only the Falkland islands such passage.
We should not give into their demands period unless these changes are made.
Why should flights between the South American mainland and the Falkland Islands be operated by Argentine airlines?? Most South Americans living on the islands are Chilean, and the Islanders are, for obvious reasons, not so interested in going to Argentina.
Mar 02nd, 2022 - 10:54 pm +3Commenting for this story is now closed.
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