The Peruvian government, through the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC), issued Directorate Resolution No. 1175-2023-MTC/12 on November 27, authorizing Flybondi to operate flights between Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) serving Lima.
According to the resolution, the airline is allowed to operate up to seven weekly flights using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, each with a capacity of 189 seats. This allows for a weekly offer of 2,646 seats on this route.
At the beginning of 2023, Flybondi had outlined an international expansion plan that faced delays due to the macroeconomic situation in the region and delays in the delivery of Boeing 737 aircraft. The airline currently operates 15 Boeing 737-800s and is awaiting the delivery of two more aircraft.
During that period, the Argentine airline mentioned Lima, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia as possible destinations.
Currently, Flybondi’s only international market is Brazil, where it will operate daily flights to São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU), four daily services to Rio de Janeiro/Galeao (GIG), and triple daily flights to Florianópolis (FLN) this summer.
4905158-rd-n-1175-2023-mtc-12Lima-Buenos Aires, a Market Increasingly Dominated by Low-Cost Carriers
When Flybondi begins operations, it will become the fifth airline to operate flights between Lima and Buenos Aires, and the third Argentine airline on this route. Currently, the route is served by:
- Aerolíneas Argentinas from Buenos Aires/Aeroparque (AEP), with daily flights, which will increase to 10 weekly flights in April 2023, on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with a capacity of 170/189 passengers.
- LATAM to Buenos Aires/Ezeiza, with 20 weekly flights on Airbus A319/A320ceo aircraft.
- LATAM to Buenos Aires/Aeroparque, with daily flights on Airbus A320ceo aircraft.
- JetSMART Argentina from Buenos Aires/Ezeiza, with daily flights on Airbus A320ceo with a capacity for 186 passengers.
- SKY Airline Perú to Buenos Aires/Ezeiza, with four weekly flights, on Airbus A320neo and A321neo with capacities for 186 and 238 seats.
Combined, these four airlines offer a total of 45 weekly flights, equivalent to 6-7 flights daily, and provide more than 7,700 weekly seats.
According to ANAC Argentina, between January and November 2023, a total of 578,638 passengers were transported between Buenos Aires (Aeroparque and Ezeiza) and Lima, with an average occupancy of 85%. This route ranks as the fifth most important international route for both Peru and Argentina, according to ANAC and DGAC Peru.
