MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

JetSMART launches Recife-Ezeiza route

The carrier's offer adds to Gol's biweekly flights to Aeroparque

JetSMART Airlines launched its first direct flight from Recife to Buenos Aires on Tuesday, marking the carrier's entry into Brazil's Northeast region and expanding its international routes in South America's largest country to ten services, across five cities (Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, Nova Iguaçu, São Paulo, and Recife).

The budget airline aims to transport over 57,000 passengers on the Recife-Buenos Aires (Ezeiza: EZE/SAEZ) route within its first year. Using Airbus A320 aircraft seating up to 186 passengers, JetSMART allows passengers to customize their fares. A one-way ticket costs around R$800 (US$146.56) including taxes.

This new five-hour flight is expected to boost tourism and cultural exchange between Argentina and the Brazilian Northeast, providing a direct connection that many Argentines previously lacked when traveling to Recife.

While the company is focusing on the success of this new operation, its Commercial Manager, Verónica Marambio, indicated a desire to further expand direct international flights in Brazil as their fleet grows. “These are low-cost fares, where consumers can customize the price, for example, depending on whether or not they need to check baggage. This flight, which lasts more than five hours and connects Recife to Buenos Aires, can be found on the jetsmart.com website for around R$ 800 for a one-way ticket, including taxes,” she explained.

The Recife-Buenos Aires route is not entirely new, as Gol has been operating two weekly direct round-trip flights between Recife and Buenos Aires' Aeroparque (AEP/SABE) since April. JetSMART's new service four days a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) will add to the direct connectivity options between the two cities.

“We currently have 49 aircraft, and as we increase the number of planes, we want to offer more international flights in Brazil, especially those that directly connect cities with other capitals without the need for domestic connections. Our focus is to continue expanding direct connectivity between important cities in the country, such as Recife,” Marambio also pointed out.

“Recife is a tourist market that has been consolidating itself considerably for Argentines. However, unfortunately, most arrive in this part of the Northeast via a connection. But Argentines, especially those from Buenos Aires, fly to Recife as their final destination to visit its tourist attractions. With this, we hope to facilitate this reception and enable more Pernambuco residents to fly directly to the Argentine capital, which is very important in terms of culture and business,” she further noted.

JetSMART is also considering connecting the capital of Pernambuco with other countries, Marambio admitted. “We are constantly evaluating new routes, and confirmation of this is that this year alone, this is the third international route we have launched in Brazil.”