Beyond Buenos Aires: Top International Routes from Argentina’s Provinces

The recent data from Argentina’s National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) reveals a strong recovery in the country’s international flight market, contrary to what is happening in the domestic segment. The latest report highlights significant progress in international connectivity, especially from cities in Argentina’s provinces, although traffic levels are still below those recorded before the pandemic.

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Key tourist destinations like Mendoza and Bariloche have shown promising recovery trends, outperforming other cities like Córdoba and Rosario, which are more focused on outbound traffic. Currently, fifteen international routes operate regularly or seasonally from Bariloche, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, and Salta. This number will increase during the summer season with the addition of six new routes, two of which will be available year-round.

The main international routes for the first half of 2024 in Argentina’s Provinces

In the first half of 2024, 701,359 passengers traveled on international flights to airports within Argentina (other than Buenos Aires) representing a 10.97% market share. This figure marks a 72% recovery compared to 2019 levels.

Córdoba and Mendoza continue to lead in terms of passenger numbers, with the former handling more outbound traffic, while Mendoza receives more foreign tourists. Rosario is slowly consolidating its position as the third most important hub, with expectations to solidify this status by early 2025.

Salta has also re-emerged, driven by LATAM’s return, and there are plans for Copa Airlines and Paranair to resume their connections. Bariloche closes the group of the top five cities, with seasonal flights, although permanent year-round connections with Chile and Brazil are expected to be established in 2025.

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From	To	Passengers	Load Factor	Airlines	Change (2019)
Mendoza	Santiago	138,068	78%	Aerolíneas Argentinas, jetSMART, LATAM, SKY	-17%
Córdoba	Panama City	101,256	91%	Copa Airlines	74%
Mendoza	São Paulo	68,455	83%	Aerolíneas Argentinas, GOL, LATAM	87%
Rosario	Panama City	51,634	91%	Copa Airlines	3%
Córdoba	Lima	50,002	86%	LATAM	-13%
Córdoba	Santiago	47,369	80%	LATAM	-58%
Córdoba	Madrid	42,377	88%	Air Europa	123%
Mendoza	Panama City	39,230	89%	Copa Airlines	23%
Córdoba	Rio de Janeiro	32,101	82%	Aerolíneas Argentinas, GOL	-39%
Mendoza	Lima	29,293	73%	LATAM	-24%
Rosario	Rio de Janeiro	21,322	74%	GOL	-50%
Salta	Lima	19,317	73%	LATAM	-20%
Bariloche	Santiago	14,043	74%	SKY	191%
Córdoba	São Paulo	13,965	77%	Aerolíneas Argentinas, GOL	-66%
Córdoba	Florianópolis	9,916	75%	Aerolíneas Argentinas, GOL	11%
Rosario	São Paulo	9,149	73%	GOL	-74%
Mendoza	Rio de Janeiro	3,951	80%	Aerolíneas Argentinas	164%
Córdoba	Asunción	2,944	60%	Paranair	-72%
Bariloche	Montevideo	2,617	84%	Aerolíneas Argentinas	New
Salta	São Paulo	2,282	80%	Aerolíneas Argentinas	New
Santiago	Ushuaia	2,068	72%	LATAM (charter)	-47%

New routes and what’s missing?

The second half of 2024 brings notable developments, including the recovery of six routes and the entry of new airlines on existing routes, expanding the available offerings.

• From Bariloche (BRC)
  • New airline: Santiago (SCL), Chile, LATAM arrives.
• From Córdoba (COR);
  • New airline: Florianópolis (FLN), Brazil, Aerolíneas Argentinas resumes.
  • New route: Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic, new route by Aerolíneas Argentinas.
  • New route: Salvador (SSA), Brazil, Aerolíneas Argentinas resumes.
• From El Calafate (FTE)
  • New route: Santiago (SCL), Chile, new route by SKY Airline.
• From Rosario;
  • New route: Florianópolis (FLN), Brazil, Aerolíneas Argentinas resumes.
  • New route: Lima (LIM), Peru; LATAM resumes.
  • New route: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; new route by Aerolíneas Argentinas.
  • New airline: Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Brazil; Aerolíneas Argentinas resumes.
• From Tucumán;
  • New route: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; new route by Aerolíneas Argentinas

Despite these additions, significant gaps still exist. São Paulo is one of the key destinations without a connection to other cities in Argentina’s provinces, except for Bariloche, Salta, and Mendoza, which benefit from Brazilian tourist traffic.

Argentina’s provinces heavily relies on LATAM and Copa Airlines for most international routes, with Aerolíneas Argentinas and GOL playing secondary roles. Looking ahead to 2025, it is expected that Paranair and SKY may introduce new routes and destinations.

 

Compared to 2019, the number of connections remains lower, with several routes previously canceled due to Argentina’s economic context at that time. There is still uncertainty about whether this situation will change in the short term, as high airport fees and taxes on international flights remain a significant concern. According to the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), these fees can represent up to 110% of the base fare.

At the end of 2023, an initial agreement was reached to reduce airport fees in Salta and Puerto Iguazú, aligning them with neighboring countries to attract new airlines. The Argentine government has also indicated that the PAIS Tax (which applies to purchases in dollars) could be reduced or eventually eliminated, which would have a tangible impact on air ticket prices.