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Week of August 10, 2006 |
Airline to add Miami-Buenos Aires nonstop flights Eric KalisLAN Argentina will join American Airlines and Aerolineas Argentina in offering non-stop flights between Miami and Buenos Aires starting Tuesday. LAN Argentina will begin its international operations with a 10:15 p.m. non-stop flight from Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires scheduled to arrive at Miami International Airport at 6:05 a.m. Wednesday (8/16). The return flight will leave Miami at 9 p.m. Wednesday and arrive in Buenos Aires at 6:40 a.m. the next day. To accommodate a travel route growing in popularity, LAN Argentina will add Boeing-767-300 aircraft to its fleet. According to the airline's Web site, initial fares for a Miami-Buenos Aires round-trip will be priced at about $650. It will be offered three times weekly. "This new step constitutes a very important moment for the growth of the company in the (US)," said Damian Scokin, CEO of LAN Argentina. LAN Airlines, parent company of LAN Argentina, offers service to 29 North American destinations and several European and South Pacific countries. Citing statistics that indicate tourism in Argentina has doubled in the past five years, mostly from North America and Europe, Jack Lowell, vice chairman of Codina Realty, said LAN Argentina should prosper by attracting leisure and business travelers. There is a large community of Argentineans in Miami who travel home frequently, he said. "This seems like perfect timing for LAN Argentina to set up in Miami," Mr. Lowell said. "I have only flown the airline once or twice, but I was very impressed with the service." Another reason the airline should have considerable success, Mr. Lowell said, is a longstanding labor dispute between Aerolineas Argentinas management and employees that has hindered the airline's ability to compete with American Airlines. LAN Argentina will have to contend with American, which has enjoyed so much success on its twice-daily non-stop flights between Miami and Buenos Aires that the airline will upgrade its planes from Boeing 767 to 777 for more capacity, said Martha Pantin, corporate communications manager for American Airlines. The aircraft, to be introduced in September, is the largest in the airline's fleet. American is the only airline to offer Boeing 777 service to Buenos Aires. "The addition of Boeing 777 aircraft to and from Miami adds another dimension of convenience and comfort for passengers and more cargo capacity for shippers," said Sergio Hurtado, American's manager in Argentina. |
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