The Government of Santa Cruz announced that Flybondi will begin operating at the Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) in Río Gallegos starting February 3, with six weekly flights. It will be the twentieth domestic destination for the Argentine low-cost airline.
For Río Gallegos, this means having two airlines once again after the closure of LATAM Argentina in 2020. Currently, Aerolíneas Argentinas is the only carrier operating nine weekly flights using Boeing 737-800 and MAX 8 aircraft with 170 seats, offering a total of 3,060 seats.
The Governor of Santa Cruz, Claudio Vidal, stated that «for years, other airlines were not allowed to operate in Río Gallegos. Today, we don’t have more than two flights a day. That’s why we are betting on companies that can help the people of Santa Cruz have more opportunities.»
Flybondi will add another 2,268 seats per week with its Boeing 737-800 aircraft, configured with 189 seats, flying to Buenos Aires. However, these flights will operate at Ezeiza (EZE).
The provincial government reported that it has agreed to secure seats through the Social Services Fund to guarantee transportation for patients with urgent medical needs to Buenos Aires. In a statement, they declared this would reduce costs to the provincial government by 75%.
Additionally, subsidies will be provided to offer tickets at limited availability for 60,000 Argentine pesos per leg or 120,000 round trip for the low season from April to May.
