Flybondi and the government of Santa Cruz announced this Tuesday (22) that the ultra low-cost airline will start operating regular flights to El Calafate, its first destination in that province.
The city will be connected to Buenos Aires from August 1st with 4 weekly flights (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) in Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a capacity for 189 passengers, offering 1,512 seats per week.
“Connectivity is an important axis of the public transportation policy and from the provincial government, we always seek to have a greater number of flight offers” highlighted the Minister of Production, Commerce, and Industry, Silvina Córdoba the Undersecretary of Transportation of Santa Cruz, Rolando Davena.
El Calafate will be Flybondi’s sixth destination in Patagonia after San Carlos de Bariloche and Neuquén (2018), Trelew (2019), Ushuaia (2022) and Comodoro Rivadavia (which will also start in August).
“For months we have been making arrangements with the municipalities of El Calafate and El Chaltén because we are committed to working together in pursuit of greater supply and connectivity; and today we can happily announce that Flybondi will add our province to its air routes, being the first step to realize new frequencies and new destinations within the province of Santa Cruz” concluded the Minister.
Tickets will start to be sold from March 22nd, at a promotional rate of ARS 5499 final (taxes and fees included) per leg.
“Reaching a new province is always a reason for joy and celebration for all of us at Flybondi. We are very excited to add Santa Cruz to our federal connectivity network, and El Calafate as a destination,” said the company’s CEO, Mauricio Sana.
Schedules
| Flight | From | Departure | To | Arrival |
| FO 5550 | Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE) | 07:55 | El Calafate (FTE) | 11:15 |
| FO 5551 | El Calafate (FTE) | 11:55 | Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE) | 14:50 |
Provincial officials were negotiating the landing of a new airline in El Calafate (FTE) and/or Río Gallegos in the last months.
El Calafate (FTE) was one of the most demanded destinations during the summer, with occupancies of 95% from Buenos Aires.
According to data obtained by Aviacionline through ANAC Argentina, between Buenos Aires (Aeroparque and Ezeiza) and El Calafate, 97,311 passengers were mobilized during the summer season, which meant a recovery of 91.21% compared to the same period of 2019 when there were 106,681 travelers.
During the summer season, Aerolíneas Argentinas operated 32 weekly flights in Boeing 737-800, Airbus A330-200, and Embraer 190 aircraft; and JetSMART five weekly flights in A320.
