The Government of Chubut and the concessionaire London Supply announced the expansion of the Almirante Marcos A. Zar International Airport terminal, which serves Trelew. The project aims to increase the terminal’s space to add more flights and airlines.
The airport director, Fabio Orellano, revealed to local media that the concessionaire is finalizing the details to launch the tender and officialize the start of the construction work, scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2025.
The goal of the expansion is to increase the capacity from 200 to 400 passengers per hour in the boarding, pre-boarding, and arrivals areas. This upgrade will enable the airport to simultaneously accommodate two aircraft with up to 189 passengers each. Orellano stated that part of the infrastructure is already in place, which would require less work for the expansion.
More flights in Trelew
The municipal government seeks to make Trelew a more competitive airport for the region following a challenging 2024. This year, Flybondi stopped operating flights to the airport, focusing instead on neighboring Puerto Madryn (PMY), located 65 kilometers away. Furthermore, Aerolíneas Argentinas discontinued flights from Córdoba and ceased operations on the Atlantic Corridor (which connected Trelew with Bahía Blanca, Comodoro Rivadavia, and Mar del Plata).
According to the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) of Argentina, from January to October, Trelew Airport received 225,824 passengers, a decline of 3.31% compared to the same period in 2023 and an 18.9% decrease versus 2019.
To reverse this trend, Orellano stated that negotiations are underway for the return of Flybondi, while discussions about the potential arrival of jetSMART in 2025 with up to one daily flight are also advancing. The executive is negotiating incentives to attract one or both airlines to Trelew.
Currently, Trelew receives three daily flights from Aerolíneas Argentinas from Buenos Aires using Embraer 190, Boeing 737-700, 737-800, and 737 MAX 8 aircraft. From October to March, two weekly flights operate to El Calafate and three weekly flights to Ushuaia with Boeing 737-800 and MAX 8 aircraft.
