RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After almost eight months of being closed, the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Airfield, the second most important airport in the country, will reopen on March 15th, according to the Argentine government. Only 2 km from the center Buenos Aires, the airfield is of strategic importance for the metropolis.
Several airlines, including Aerolíneas Argentinas, are already promoting their flights from this hub. Historically, the Aeroparque airfield has been the domestic hub for Buenos Aires. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it only had one international destination – Uruguay.
In 2019, the Airfield had over 11.5 million domestic passengers, leading the 40 most important airports in Argentina, according to local stats.
Buenos Aires is known for having three different airports. The Jorge Newbery Airfield mainly served as a domestic connector; the Ezeiza International Airport serves as the gateway for international travelers; and El Palomar International Airport, a former military base, was used by low-cost carriers.
The COVID-19 pandemic shifted everything, though. The current Argentinian government forced the low-cost carriers out of El Palomar. It also closed Jorge Newbery temporarily.
Nevertheless, the Jorge Newbery airfield did finish 2020 as the most important domestic airport in the country. It received 2.27 million passengers, an 80% decrease compared to the previous year. It was the only Argentinian airport to surpass the million mark of domestic travelers in the year.
On August 1, 2020, the Argentinian government began repairs on the historic airport, including repaving the runway while the airport remains closed. The width of the runway will be increased by 20 meters and its length extended by 615 meters.
Once the repairs are done, the runway would have a length of 2,715 meters and 60 meters wide, allowing it to serve as an alternative for international flights. It will allow aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330 to land.
According to local reports, the costs of the renovations at the airfield will be approximately US$62 million.
Argentinian domestic airlines are already preparing for the reopening on March 15th.
For instance, Aerolíneas Argentinas is already planning the international connectivity it will launch from the Airfield. According to local media, like Diario Hoy, Aerolíneas has scheduled flights to Lima (Peru), São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Montevideo (Uruguay), and Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia). Aerolíneas will also operate its regular domestic flights.
At least one of the low-cost carriers in Argentina, JetSmart, will also operate from the airfield. According to local media, Jetsmart will fly only domestic routes from this airport.
Meanwhile, low-cost Flybondi will continue operating from Ezeiza International Airport. But, in the long run, Flybondi will shift its domestic flights to Jorge Newbery.