The Government confirms that Aeroparque will once again have regional flights and Gol pica en punta

Luis Ceriotto

10/08/2020 9:53 AM

• Clarín.com

• Economy

Updated 10/08/2020 9:53 AM

The reopening of the Metropolitan Airport

, and sources in the sector take for granted that it will be operational again

, which was for

of this year.

But the Minister of Transport,

, confirmed that after the reopening, flights to and from countries in the region will return and the Brazilian airline

has signed up to be among the first to want to land at the Buenos Aires airport.

"Together with (the head of ANAC)

, we met with Ambassador

and authorities of the Gol airline to discuss the work in coordination between Brazil and Argentina and future operations of the company between both countries," tweeted the Wednesday Meoni.

The meeting was held on Monday and, according to Transport spokespersons, "they spoke about the regional operations that Aeroparque will carry out when the works are finished. Gol

."

Gol is an airline founded in 2001 under the "

modality

that in a few years became number two in the huge domestic market in Brazil.

By the middle of the last decade, after having absorbed the disappeared Varig, it began to fly to countries in the region and disembarked in Argentina.

The Brazilian airline also has a charter that distinguishes it from other foreign airlines: it

, with which it maintains a

, which is when the airlines advance in their commercial integration.

And although the commercial air policy depends administratively on the Ministry of Transport and the ANAC, a good part of the policy for this sector is decided by the Presidency of Airlines, under

and from the Senate office occupied by

, a reference for Ceriani and former head of Airlines. 

Aeroparque is under construction and has no date to return to activity at the moment.

Photo Rafael Mario Quinteros

Since March, regular passenger flights, both international and domestic, have been canceled due to the pandemic.

But through authorizations for "special" flights, little by little routes with weekly frequencies to Argentina are being reestablished.

The European Air France-KLM, Iberia, Air Europa and Lufthansa, as well as American Airlines and the Airlines itself already have authorized flight schedules.

And

"There was talk about Gol's interest and desire to resume the operation to Argentina,

than they had before," transportation spokesmen added.

"They have very good prospects for passengers both from Brazil to Argentina and from Argentina to Brazil."

Return from regional flights

The Metropolitan Airport was enabled for the first time for regional flights in 2010. Until then it had been exclusively for domestic flights, with the sole exception of flights to and from Uruguay.

When it was opened for regional flights, the only one authorized was Aerolineas Argentinas, which gave the company that then headed Mariano Recalde an advantage over its international competitors, whose passengers had to disembark in Ezeiza.

But soon after, the government of Cristina Kirchner had to give in to pressure from the Brazilian airlines, which threatened to apply reciprocity treaties and not authorize Aerolineas flights from Aeroparque to land in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Pressure from Brazil also worked in favor of LATAM (at that time, LAN Argentina), which was the first to demand the use of Aeroparque for regional flights.  

Flights are canceled due to the pandemic Photo Rafael Mario Quinteros

That "regionalization" was closed in 2017

by the Macri government, due to the saturation that, it was alleged, occurred in Aeroparque with the sharp increase in domestic flights.

However, there was still a reduced schedule of regional flights.

A year earlier, also in the Macri government,

.

Despite the political change, the current leadership of Aerolineas very actively fires the agreement with the Brazilian airline.

"Already before the pandemic, work was being done on deepening the alliance with Gol,

said sources from Aerolíneas.

"We have a shared code and the regionalization of Aeroparque

. It is not the same for traffic coming from Brazil to reach Ezeiza, than to arrive at the airport that connects with the entire network of domestic flights. ".

NE

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