The Chilean ultra low cost airline JetSmart started domestic flights in Peru this week. The first frequency of the Peruvian subsidiary took place this Tuesday, 14, on the Lima-Arequipa route.
The first stage of operation comprises 13 internal routes, nine of which depart from the capital Lima: Arequipa, Cusco, Piura, Trujillo, Tarapoto, Talara, Juliaca, Iquitos and Cajamarca.
In addition, JetSmart will fly the Arequipa-Cuzco, Arequipa-Trujillo, Arequipa-Piura and Arequipa-Tarapoto interregional routes.
“This is a milestone in the Peruvian aviation industry. We are the first ultra low cost airline to bring a modern aviation model to the country, where you can get cheap tickets with high quality service. This is an important step in our vision to transport more than 100 million passengers and 100 aircraft by 2028,” said Estuardo Ortiz, CEO of JetSmart.
According to him, the airline has a goal of transporting 1 million passengers in its first year of operation. Currently, JetSmart serves destinations in six South American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Chile, where it is headquartered.
Of these, Argentina is the other market where it has a subsidiary and which has taken over Norwegian Air’s operations. The company expressed its desire to have a division in Brazil, the continent’s largest aviation market, but factors such as the economic crisis and bureaucracy have delayed the project.
Its parent company, Indigo Partners, also owns WizzAir (Hungary), Volare (Mexico) and Frontier (USA). The group has invested heavily in new Airbus aircraft, including the ultra-long-range A321XLR variant, which made its maiden flight on Wednesday, June 15.
Currently, JetSmart’s fleet includes 17 A320 jets, six of which are the A320neo version.
