Future Skyteam member Aerolineas Argentinas has plans to develop Cordoba airport as its first regional hub outside the Argentine capital.
The South American airline currently uses the two Buenos Aires airports Ezeiza and Aeroparque as hubs.
It now plans to start more flights between Cordoba airport, in central Argentina, and regional destinations, starting with four new routes.
From this summer (Argentine winter) Aerolineas will fly from Cordoba to Buenos Aires Ezeiza daily, and to Iguazu, Salta and Bariloche four-times weekly.
According to Max Campos, Aerolineas’ head of sales and marketing for the UK and Ireland, further expansion at Cordoba is likely.
Developing its routes from Cordoba recognises “the importance of this Provincial Capital, as the second largest city in Argentina”, said Campos.
“As part of our new Business Plan, we want to contribute to the social and economical development of Argentina.”
He told ABTN there was a strong possibility the airline would also add more flights to Brazil from Cordoba.
“Brazil is quite important in Latin America,” he said, “and is becoming more important worldwide. We are already flying to more destinations in Brazil from Buenos Aires.”
The new routes will be made possible by the delivery of new aircraft to the airline.
Aerolineas has received nine new Brazilian-made Embraer-190 aircraft, for domestic flights, with a further 11 to be delivered by the end of the year.
For medium- and long-haul flights, the airline already has 13 Boeing 737 aircraft, and plans to introduce more by the end of 2011.
Aerolineas, which is set to join the airline alliance Skyteam in 2012, will also start flights to Quito in Ecuador and New York this year, with Paris or London also a possibility.
www.aerolineas.com.ar www.skyteam.com