Aerolíneas Argentinas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aerolíneas Argentinas

Founded	14 May 1949; 76 years ago (1949-05-14)
Commenced operations	7 December 1950 (1950-12-07)
AOC #	AISF117C
Hubs	Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Ministro Pistarini International Airport
Focus cities	Córdoba Airport Rosario Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Aerolíneas Plus
Alliance	SkyTeam SkyTeam Cargo
Subsidiaries	Aerohandling Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo JetPaq S.A. Optar S.A.
Fleet size	82
Destinations	58
Parent company	Government of Argentina
Headquarters	Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Key people	Fabian Lombardo (president and CEO)
Revenue	US$ 1.33 billion (FY 2019)
Net income	US$ –603.15 million (FY 2019)
Total assets	US$ 1.6 billion (FY 2019)
Total equity	US$ –213.9 million(FY 2019)
Employees	10,230 (FY 2019)

Aerolíneas Argentinas is Argentina's main airline. It is owned by the state and is the largest airline in the country. It was created in 1949 by combining four smaller airlines. The airline officially started flying in December 1950.

In 1990, a group led by Iberia took over the airline. Later, in 2001, Grupo Marsans bought it. After facing big money problems, the airline was taken back by the Argentine government in 2008. Aerolíneas Argentinas joined the SkyTeam airline alliance in August 2012. Its cargo part, Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo, joined SkyTeam Cargo in November 2013.

Aerolíneas Argentinas and its former partner, Austral Líneas Aéreas, fly from two main airports in Buenos Aires. These are Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and Ministro Pistarini International Airport. For flights within Argentina and to nearby countries, they use planes like the Embraer 190 and Boeing 737-700, -800 and MAX 8. For longer flights across oceans, they use the larger Airbus A330-200.

History of Aerolíneas Argentinas

How the Airline Started

An Aerolíneas Argentinas DC-4 at Ministro Pistarini International Airport, around 1958

The story of Aerolíneas Argentinas began in 1929. A French company called Aéropostale started flying mail between Buenos Aires and Asunción. They used small planes and later expanded their routes to Patagonia. Famous French pilots, like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, flew for them.

Over time, Argentine pilots took over. A part of Aéropostale, called Aeroposta Argentina, was formed. In 1947, the government owned 20% of this airline. Aeroposta grew, adding Douglas DC-3 planes and flying further south.

At the same time, three other airlines were operating in Argentina. These were ALFA, FAMA, and ZONDA. They all faced financial difficulties. To solve this, President Juan Perón decided to combine them. On May 14, 1949, they became one state-owned company. This new company was officially named Aerolíneas Argentinas. The four original airlines stopped flying on their own by December 31, 1949.

Early Flights and Jet Age

An Aerolíneas Argentinas de Havilland Comet 4 at Idlewild Airport in 1965

Aerolíneas Argentinas started flying on its own on December 7, 1950. Even before that, in February 1950, they bought five new Convair planes. Soon, Douglas DC-6 planes joined the fleet. These were used for a new weekly flight from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt, Germany, in late 1950.

Later, Douglas DC-4s were added. New routes opened to cities like Santiago de Chile, Lima, and São Paulo. By March 1953, the airline flew over 35,000 miles of routes. They used DC-3s, DC-4s, DC-6s, Convair-Liners, and Short Sandringham flying boats. In 1954, the company carried almost 300,000 passengers.

Aerolíneas Argentinas was a leader in South America. In 1959, they became the first airline outside the UK to order the De Havilland Comet jet. This made them one of the first airlines in the world to use commercial jet planes. The first Comet arrived in Buenos Aires on March 2, 1959. Comet flights to New York City began in May 1959.

Aerolíneas Sud Caravelle at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Buenos Aires in 1972

In the early 1960s, the airline's fleet included Comet 4s, Convair 240s, and Douglas planes. They also ordered F-27s. The airline added Avro 748 planes in 1962. The Caravelle jet also joined the fleet in April 1962.

By 1965, the airline had almost 6,000 employees. They bought Boeing 707-320B planes in 1966. These were used for flights to Europe and the United States. In 1969, they started working with Lufthansa for flights between Germany and Argentina.

A Boeing 707-320B at Frankfurt Airport in 1976

By 1970, Aerolíneas Argentinas had a fleet of Boeing 707s, Caravelles, and HS-748s. They also ordered Boeing 737-200s. Later, they added 727s, 737s, and 747s. In the mid-1970s, the Fokker F-28 joined the fleet. This made Aerolíneas Argentinas the first South American airline to use only jet planes.

In January 1977, the new 747s started flying to Frankfurt, Madrid, and Rome. A special flight happened in June 1980. It was the first scheduled flight over the South Pole, connecting Buenos Aires with Hong Kong via Auckland.

An Aerolíneas Argentinas Boeing 747-200B on approach to London Heathrow Airport in 1979

In 1971, a law gave Aerolíneas Argentinas the sole right to fly international routes from Argentina. This made it the official national airline. The law also gave the airline 50% of the domestic flight market.

In 1980, the government also bought Austral, another airline. This led to some problems, like pilot strikes in 1986. Other airlines took advantage of this. During the Falklands War in 1982, the airline was not allowed to fly over British airspace.

By March 1985, Aerolíneas Argentinas had almost 10,000 employees. Its fleet included Boeing 707s, 727s, 737s, 747s, and Fokker F28s. The airline flew to many cities around the world, including New York, Paris, and Rome. Flights to Sydney started in 1989, and flights to London resumed in 1990.

Privatization and Challenges

The idea of selling the airline to private companies began in the late 1980s. In 1990, a group led by Iberia bought 85% of Aerolíneas Argentinas. This sale was part of a bigger plan by the Argentine government to sell state-owned companies. The goal was to reduce the country's large debt.

Even though the airline was making money before the sale, the privatization process was complex. The new owners faced challenges, and the airline started to lose money. Iberia later reduced its ownership in the airline. Other companies, like American Airlines, also became involved.

By March 2000, Aerolíneas Argentinas had over 5,000 employees. Its fleet included Airbus A310s, A340s, Boeing 737s, and 747s. The airline flew to many international and domestic destinations.

An Aerolíneas Argentinas MD-88 on short final to London Gatwick Airport in 2002

In 2001, Aerolíneas Argentinas faced a very difficult time. It had to ask for protection from its creditors (people it owed money to). Many flights were stopped, and most of its planes were grounded. The Argentine government even had to help pay salaries.

Later in 2001, a group called Marsans bought 92% of the airline. They promised to invest money to restart flights. The airline slowly recovered and started making a profit again in 2003.

Back to State Control

In May 2008, the Argentine government decided to take back control of Aerolíneas Argentinas. They bought 99.4% of the airline from Grupo Marsans. The remaining 0.6% was owned by the employees.

An Aerolíneas Argentinas Airbus A340-300 on short final to Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport in 2012.

When the government took over, about 40% of the airline's planes were not flying. The Argentine Congress voted to make the airline state-owned again in September 2008.

In 2011, the airline finished its financial reorganization. The government also announced a plan to reduce the airline's losses. This included looking at routes that were not making money and updating its fleet.

By 2013, the number of passengers carried by Aerolíneas Argentinas had grown a lot. It increased by 57% since 2008. The airline's income also grew, and its losses decreased. The fleet grew from 26 to 63 planes, and the average age of the planes became much younger.

Between 2008 and 2021, the Argentine government provided over $8 billion USD to support Aerolíneas Argentinas.

Future Plans for Privatization

After Javier Milei became president of Argentina in 2023, he announced plans to privatize the airline again. His idea is to give shares of the airline to its workers. He also wants to stop government support for the airline. Unions have expressed their disagreement with this plan. In December 2023, President Milei issued a decree to start this process. He also plans to allow more competition in the airline industry.

How the Company Works

Ownership and Other Companies

As of 2014, Aerolíneas Argentinas is fully owned by the government of Argentina. It has several other companies that work with it. These include Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo (for freight), Aerohandling (for ground services), JetPaq S.A. (another cargo division), and Optar S.A. (a tourism company).

The airline and its related companies operate from two main airports in Buenos Aires. Aeroparque Jorge Newbery is used for domestic and regional flights. Ministro Pistarini International Airport is mainly for international flights. In 2020, Aerolíneas Argentinas and its subsidiary Austral merged. Austral's planes and staff became part of Aerolíneas Argentinas.

As of December 2019, the airline and its subsidiaries had 10,230 employees.

Key People

Fabian Lombardo is the current president and CEO of Aerolíneas Argentinas. He took on this role in 2024.

Headquarters

The main office of Aerolíneas Argentinas is located at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires.

Where Aerolíneas Argentinas Flies

Airline Alliances

An airline alliance is a group of airlines that work together. This helps them offer more routes and benefits to passengers. In November 2010, Aerolíneas Argentinas started the process to join SkyTeam. Delta Air Lines helped them with this.

In August 2012, Aerolíneas Argentinas became the first South American airline to join SkyTeam. It was the 18th member overall. Its cargo division, Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo, joined SkyTeam Cargo in November 2013. It became the 12th member of that alliance.

Codeshare Agreements

A codeshare agreement means two or more airlines share the same flight. This allows them to sell tickets on each other's flights. Aerolíneas Argentinas has codeshare agreements with these airlines:

Aerolíneas Argentinas Fleet (Planes)

Current Fleet

An Aerolíneas Argentinas Airbus A330-200

Aerolíneas Argentinas, after merging with Austral, uses the following aircraft as of October 2023:

Retired Fleet

Aerolíneas Argentinas historical fleet

An Airbus A310-300 landing at Mexico City International Airport in 2007

A Boeing 747-400 on short final to Madrid-Barajas Airport in 2009

A Boeing 737-200 at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in 2009. A number of aircraft of this type had been leased from Pegasus Aviation in 1999.

An HS 748 at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in 1972.

Aerolíneas Argentinas has used many different types of aircraft in the past. Here are some of the planes that are no longer part of their active fleet:

New Planes and Updates

An Aerolíneas Argentinas Boeing 737-800.

Airbus A330-200 economy class cabin

Aerolíneas Argentinas started updating its fleet in 2009. They leased 10 new Boeing 737-700s and bought two more. These planes replaced older Boeing 737-200s and MD-80s. The new planes were the first ones bought by the company in 17 years.

In October 2009, the airline looked for more Boeing 737-800 planes. These would add to their fleet and replace older 737-500s. In November 2010, they agreed to lease ten more 700-series aircraft.

By November 2012, the airline was thinking about new planes for long-haul flights. They considered the Airbus A350-900 and the Boeing 787-9. They also planned to add leased Airbus A330-200s in 2013 for routes to cities like Bogotá and Miami. These would partly replace the Airbus A340-200s by 2016.

In April 2013, Aerolíneas Argentinas leased six Boeing 737-800s. Deliveries started in November 2014. In May 2013, they leased four more of the same type. In October that year, they announced a deal to buy 20 more 737-800s.

In November 2013, they signed an agreement with Airbus to buy four more Airbus A330-200s. These planes were delivered starting in March 2015.

In November 2017, Aerolíneas Argentinas became the first airline in Latin America to receive a Boeing 737 MAX 8. This new plane flew its first passenger flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza.

Airline Look (Livery)

In June 2010, Aerolíneas Argentinas changed its look. They updated their logo and plane design to be more modern. The new logo uses light blue and grey colors. The planes now have the colors of the Argentine flag (light blue and white) along with grey. Their partner airline, Austral, also adopted this new look.

Safety Record

According to the Aviation Safety Network, Aerolíneas Argentinas has a good safety record. The last time the airline had a fatal accident was in 1970. As of June 2023, the company is considered one of the safest airlines in the world.

See also

In Spanish: Aerolíneas Argentinas para niños

• Transport in Argentina