On November 28, SKY Airline began its flights between São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU), Brazil, and San Carlos de Bariloche (BRC), with a stopover in Santiago (SCL), Chile. This marks the first time the Chilean airline operates a route taking advantage of sixth freedom rights in Argentina.
The sixth freedom of the air allows an airline to transport passengers or cargo between two countries other than its home country, with a stop in its own country. In other words, an airline from country «A» can fly from country «B» to country «C,» passing through its home country «A» along the way.
The advantage for passengers is that they do not have to disembark and change planes in the Chilean capital, as this is a direct flight. It is worth noting that a direct flight is not the same as a non-stop flight, a topic we addressed in another article a few years ago
Previously, the airline offered connections during the winter season between Bariloche and Brazil (Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro), with the stopover in Santiago sometimes lasting more than two hours.
The flights will be operated between November 28 and March 30 on Airbus A320neo aircraft configured for 186 passengers, providing a total of 24,800 seats during this period. The company will resume the same route in June 2025.
SKY’s flight schedule to Bariloche
- São Paulo – Santiago flight H2 651 GRU 08:50 – 13:10 SCL / Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
- Santiago – Bariloche flight H2 651 SCL 14:10 – 16:05 BRC / Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
- Bariloche – Santiago flight H2 652 BRC 17:05 – 19:00 SCL / Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
- Santiago – São Paulo flight H2 652 SCL 20:00 – 23:50 GRU / Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
During 2024, which included the summer and winter seasons, SKY transported 27,315 passengers to Bariloche with an average occupancy rate of 71%.
Starting December 6, LATAM will launch its operations between Santiago and Bariloche, offering three weekly flights until March 2025, with a total of 17,400 seats for the season.
