08/11/2020 - 19:27
- Clarín.com
- travels
The strong impact of the economic crisis on tourism worldwide caused by the coronavirus pandemic leads to constantly recalculate the losses and recovery of each of the items involved. In the case of the airline industry, the latest statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) indicate that air travel is recovering more slowly than expected and that it will not be possible to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 .
In an Argentina where there are no regular domestic or international flights, uncertainty grows . Especially in the last days in which, although there is no official regulation yet, it has been pointed out that it is possible that flights will continue to be restricted after September 1.
“The National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) has not yet authorized the restart of flights. In April they gave the date of September 1 so that the airlines can sell. But even today these flights are not authorized. Yesterday the Minister of Transport Mario Meoni estimated that it could be in about 60 more days, ”says Pablo García Rodríguez, specialist in commercial aviation and editor of AviacionNews. "In short, they will end up canceling it and it will be possible to fly on another date."
In addition to the closure of LATAM Argentina announced in mid-June, other airlines began to recalculate their operations in the country .
The first to do so was Air New Zealand : very early, in April, it announced its departure from Argentina.
Air New Zealand aircraft. Already in April the company announced that it would not resume the route between Auckland and Buenos Aires. Photo: AP Photo / Mark Baker.
Last week, Emirates - based in Dubai - “suspended” its return to the country. This means that for now it does not return and will return when “it is commercially and operationally feasible”.
"Officially, there are no other announcements to leave Argentina," says García Rodríguez. Although it does mark the twists and turns that occur in the absence of certainties. For example, Alitalia scheduled and announced two weekly flights on the Rome - Buenos Aires route for September. However, it has just announced that it preventively suspends those flights to Ezeiza pending an order from ANAC regarding the date of resumption of regular international flights to and from Argentina.
"With reduced schedules, it is clear that LATAM Brazil, Azul, Gol (confirmed since October) will return," says the specialist and adds that Aeroméxico, Air Canada via Chile, Iberia, Air Europa, Level (the low cost announced special flights that later canceled), Air France and KLM scheduled services for September.
British had scheduled four weekly flights since September and Lufthansa since October. American Airlines has already canceled its flights between Ezeiza and Los Angeles, so the return will only be from Miami, Dallas and New York, while Delta had proposed 3 weekly services for September, returning daily in October and United spoke of October with flights newspapers.
Turkish maintains its flights between Istanbul and São Paulo (Brazil), but the extension to Buenos Aires does not yet have an official return date, while Qatar and Ethiopian did not schedule the return, although they maintain their operations -reduced- in Brazil.
Emirates announced that for now it will not resume its flights between Buenos Aires and Dubai. Photo: REUTERS / Toby Melville
Another unknown is that of the flights between London and Ezeiza of Norwegian Air Shuttle: they are not scheduled but there was no official announcement about their exit from the market.
"All local airlines sold for September, so their flights are already in the systems, as well as foreign airlines that for some time have been promoting their flights in their countries of origin and in Argentina as of the magic 1 of September, ”says García Rodríguez.
We will have to wait for an official definition that brings a bit more certainty to an industry that seeks to recover in the middle of the pandemic.
