South America carriers update: JJ to JFK/RG to Luanda

[jiml1126]

Aerolineas Argentinas

Subsidiaries
will unveil its Chilean carrier Aerolineas Austral Chile in April.

The Chilean subsidiary will use B737-200 on Domestic routes, and B747-200 from AR for International flights.

Aerolineas Argentinas also invested subsidiary with $9million in Bolivia (Aerolineas Austral Bolivia), Paraguay (Aerolineas Austral Paraguay), and Uruguay (Aerolineas Austral Uruguay). AR hopes to secure 70% of Pluna eventually. If Uruguay plan failed, it'll set up its own airline in Uruguay.

Fleet
744: Currently 1 in service (ex-AC). 2 to be delivered between May and September, 1 in Jan 2005

343: 1 to be delivered in June

313: 1 to be delivered in October

732: replaced by 8x 735 and 2x M83, and goes to Aerolineas Austral Chile

Southern Wind
2 ex-VARIG 732 delivered in Dec 2003

TAM
-New Routes to New York to be opened this year
-Paris gets extra frequencies
-Plans to double international route network
-More South American Destinations to be added along with Paraguayan subsidiary TAM-Mercosur

VARIG
-Rio Sul and Nordeste absorbed to VARIG Group completely
-11 Embraer RJ145 on lease to be returned, # of fleet to decrease to 85, compared to 144 before 2001.09.11
-4th ex-LX MD11 and 2 772 to join the airline
-New Routes: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Beijing, Munich, and Luanda

[PP-VRA]

I was going to start a new topic about this so I'm going to use this one if jiml1126 doesn't mind

Varig to increase offer between Rio and Frankfurt

From April 5th Varig will increase it's offer of seats between Rio and Frankfurt replacing the current 767-300/ER for the MD-11, which carries 12% more passengers, with 49 business class seats, and 12 first class ones which is great news for business travelers.

The company also informed that the flights to Johannesburg will begin at April 3rd with the MD-11. Beacuse of the codeshare that RG and SA have there are now 8 weekly flights between South Africa and Brazil (4 with SA and 4 with RG).

Source: Panrotas (Portuguese only)

[PP-VRA]

Jim does the TAM route to JFK start at GIG or GRU ?

Also where did you get the info on Varig's route to Luanda? Didn't hear anything about this...

And finally the frequency to Paris will increase to how many flights per week?

[jiml1126]

Got the info from Flight International's special report on South American carriers (23-29MAR2004).

It says VARIg is seeking to relaunch Luanda.

No idea whether TAM will fly GIG-JFK or GRU-JFK.

Jim does the TAM route to JFK start at GIG or GRU ?

Also where did you get the info on Varig's route to Luanda? Didn't hear anything about this...

And finally the frequency to Paris will increase to how many flights per week?

[PP-VRA]

Got the info from Flight International's special report on South American carriers (23-29MAR2004).

It says VARIg is seeking to relaunch Luanda.

No idea whether TAM will fly GIG-JFK or GRU-JFK.

Jim does the TAM route to JFK start at GIG or GRU ?

Also where did you get the info on Varig's route to Luanda? Didn't hear anything about this...

And finally the frequency to Paris will increase to how many flights per week?

Thx Jim

[Cubana]

Aerolíneas Argentinas announced the name of its Chilean branch: Aerolíneas del Sur (Southern Airways). Just my two cents.

[Flying High]

Jim does the TAM route to JFK start at GIG or GRU ?

Also where did you get the info on Varig's route to Luanda? Didn't hear anything about this...

And finally the frequency to Paris will increase to how many flights per week?

How many Angolan immigrants are there in Brazil???

[PP-VRA]

Jim does the TAM route to JFK start at GIG or GRU ?

Also where did you get the info on Varig's route to Luanda? Didn't hear anything about this...

And finally the frequency to Paris will increase to how many flights per week?

How many Angolan immigrants are there in Brazil???

I don't have the numbers here but I can assure you that there are many(specially at Rio and São Paulo). it will be the second flight between Brazil and Angola (DT already has a weekly flight with a 743 to GIG)

[mtorello]

The last updates at AR are:

2 x week A313 EZE-FTE-USH-EZE
5 x week MD88 EZE-FTE-USH-EZE
5 x week A313 EZE-LIM-EZE
2 x week MD88 EZE-LIM-EZE

A 744 was included on some of the 13 x week EZE-MAD-EZE

For TAM, I know that they are operating through TAM Mercosur (PZ) EZE-CWB (Curitiba) on F100 at morning and CWB-EZE at nigth.
I don't have any information about their international network.

[Aeroposta]

Some additions and/or corrections about AR:

Indeed, they intend to get 2 MD-83 (which are said to come from Finland so I guess they are looking for both ex-Flying Finn MD-83s). However, these two planes would go to Austral, not to AR. There are also rumours that AU might begin flying international routes to neighbouring countries.

Furthermore, there will be a few changes in AR's timetable from June on:

1) New twice-weekly flights (each) EZE-BOG-CCS-EZE and EZE-CCS-BOG-EZE, using the A310, while the current flights to CCS (via VVI using MD-80s) will be stopped.

2) EZE-VVI will be replaced by a daily 737 EZE-COR-VVI flight plus a twice-weekly EZE-VVI flight (also using 737s).

3) The twice-daily EZE-COR-MDZ feeder-flights will also end. Passengers to COR will use the new VVI flights, while MDZ-bound passengers will connect at COR (there will be twice-daily AEP-COR-MDZ flights).

4) Flights to LIM will go back to MD-80s except for two days per week where the A310 will operate the flight. EZE-FTE-USH-EZE will remain unchanged.

5) There will be a sixth daily EZE-SCL flight.

6) There will also be an additional Sunday-only flight to GIG, using the A310.

This can all be looked up at Amadeus and on AR's website timetable.

[mtorello]

Thanks Aeroposta for the updated information. Seems that some of the services will start next June.
Do you think that the extra services for A313 (BOG-CCS) require an extra A313?

[U2]

Very nice update Aeroposta!!!
I would say no need for extra 313...
Fourth fligth EZEGRU also!!!
And NQNCRD 3 per week!!!
Hey, what about MEX?

[U2]

By the way.
Question to argentinians guys: Is SW still flying to Miami?

[mtorello]

U2, I heard that SW didn't operate EZE-MIA a couple of times during the last week. On another hand I check it on their web page and didn't find flights to MIA. O know that they cover the international flights to MAD and MIA with 2 767 but they sent back one of them a couple of weeks ago, so I think that they don't have aircraft to use on the EZE-MIA leg.

Aeroposta. Do you have any information from AR about EZE-MEX. I heard that AR had plans to extend the EZE-LIM to EZE-LIM-MEX.

[mtorello]

U2, about the 3 x week NQN-CRD, do you know the complete route of that flight? May be MDZ-NQN-CRD.
Time ago, SW uses to fly SLA-COR-MDZ-NQN-CRD-RGL-RGE, CRJ200. It hadn't a good load factor