Flybondi, Argentina’s ultra-low-cost airline, has received its eighth aircraft, a Boeing 737-800NG with a seating capacity of 189 passengers. This jet registered LV-KEH, has boosted the airline’s fleet size, and it is currently the second-largest operator in Argentina by fleet size, behind only Aerolneas Argentinas.
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A new ULCC aircraft for Argentina
Flybondi said earlier this week that it has acquired a Boeing 737-800NG, which will join the airline’s fleet when the administrative formalities of registration and certification are completed. The plane’s registration will be LV-KEH. Flybondi intends to expand its fleet to 10 aircraft and obtain two more jetliners by the end of the year. Furthermore, it is already planning a fleet increase for the first months of 2023.
The plane landed at Ezeiza International Airport this week after a journey from Blytheville, Arkansas (where it was kept) with a layover in Guayaquil, Ecuador. According to ch-aviation statistics, Flybondi is leasing this jet from FTAI Aviation.
This jet will be used by Argentina’s ultra-low-cost airline to fly commercial flights in and out of the South American nation. As of October 2022, Flybondi has booked around 341 weekly flights, including 21 weekly services to Rio de Janeiro (GIG, 14 flights) and So Paulo Guarulhos (GRU, seven flights), its only two foreign destinations.
Expansion of the Flybondi fleet
Flybondi is currently expanding its fleet. The airline declared an investment and expansion strategy in Argentina ten months ago. Flybondi has since incorporated four aeroplanes and over 500 workers for diverse positions such as pilots, cabin crew, ramp personnel, and professional office staff. Similarly, Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn, El Calafate, and Comodoro Rivadavia have been added to its domestic network.
The Aeroplane
This jet, which Flybondi has gotten, is not brand new. The plane, registered LV-KEH, is 12.04 years old. Garuda Indonesia ordered the aircraft in December 1999 and acquired it in 2010. Garuda Indonesia flew the 737-800NG until 2022, clocking up around 28,168 flight hours.
The average age of Flybondi’s fleet is 14.1 years. All of Argentina’s jetliners are leased from various leasing firms, including three from AerCap, two from Constitution Aircraft Leasing, and two from Macquarie AirFinance.
The airline is mostly domestic, with a market share of around 18% of domestic passengers in Argentina and 5% of foreign passengers. Flybondi now serves 17 domestic cities (Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Corrientes, Córdoba, Jujuy, Mendoza, Neuquén, Posadas, Iguaz, Salta, Santiago del Estero, Trelew, Tucumán, Puerto Madryn, Ushuaia, El Calafate, and Comodoro Rivadavia) and two foreign cities (Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo). Flights to Florianopolis will resume in December.
Flybondi Website: Flybondi.com
