Executives from the International Airport of Rosario (AIR) facilitated a series of meetings with representatives from Paranair, JetSMART, and Azul. AIR aims to attract back airlines that previously operated at the airport and add new ones.
AIR suffered a significant setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the national government lifted restrictions aimed at preventing the virus’s spread, many airlines that operated at the Islas Malvinas Airport in Rosario (ROS) did not return, like Azul, Flybondi, JetSMART, and LATAM.
The President of the AIR Board, Mr. Esteban Bretto, stated: “We have focused on identifying the destinations and countries most demanded by the region’s inhabitants and companies, and as a result, we have arranged a series of meetings with airline representatives to analyze the viability of each request.”
Rosario’s Golden Era
The Islas Malvinas International Airport in Rosario once boasted a wide range of domestic and international flights before the pandemic. Destinations such as Recife in Brazil, Lima in Peru, and Santiago de Chile were part of the airport’s schedule by late 2018.
This led to a traffic peak of 847,855 passengers in 2018, of which 70% corresponded to international flights. These have been proven hard to recover after the pandemic. In 2023 Rosario moved 150.547 international passengers and 342.930 domestic passengers.
Azul began operating in Rosario in March 2018, offering a non-stop route to Recife in the northeastern region of Brazil. The route had a weekly flight using Airbus A320 neo aircraft. Additionally, in July of the same year, it inaugurated the Rosario-Porto Alegre route, which was operated with Embraer E190 aircraft and had three weekly flights.
The Brazilian company transported 50,065 passengers between 2018 and 2020, the year it stopped flying to Rosario. The average occupancy rate was 87%.
JetSMART commenced operations at AIR ROS in October 2019 with two weekly flights to Neuquén. In November of the same year, it added more services from Rosario to Mendoza and Iguazú, both with two weekly flights.
After the pandemic, the Argentine ultra-low-cost carrier resumed operations in Rosario for the 2021 winter season. JetSMART transported 35,000 passengers during the short period it operated at AIR ROS.
LATAM Airlines had a strong presence in ROS, operating direct flights to São Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; and Lima, Peru.
Flybondi briefly operated in Rosario in 2019-2020. The airline operated flights to Tucumán, Salta, and Iguazú from Rosario Airport, suspending its operations in the largest city in the province of Santa Fe in November 2020.
Present
Copa Airlines and Gol are the two international companies currently operating from Rosario. Gol operates flights to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro three times a week for each destination, while Copa Airlines does the same to Panama with six weekly flights.
Aerolíneas Argentinas has the greatest presence in Rosario, with nine domestic destinations. The national flag carrier flies to Buenos Aires, Salta, Iguazú, Mendoza, Reconquista, Mar del Plata, Bariloche, Calafate, and Neuquén.
Mar del Plata is considered a seasonal route, mostly operated during the summer seasons. Meanwhile, during the winter seasons, Aerolíneas Argentinas has added flights to San Martin de los Andes and Ushuaia.
