The new flight is possible thanks to the local airport’s new ground lighting system, and offers a very convenient schedule for visitors looking to take advantage of the full day.
San Martin de los Andes, July 3, 2017. With a brand new flight that landed in Chapelco at 9:15 pm yesterday, Aerolineas Argentinas debuted the Aviator Carlos Campos airport's new ground lighting system, which allows aircraft to approach and land at night. The flight, which had departed Aeroparque at 6:55 pm, offers a very convenient schedule for those who want to take full advantage of the day.
In addition, during the winter season, Aerolíneas Argentinas will offer 42% more seats than in the winter season 2016, with daily double flight from Buenos Aires and three at weekends. Moreover, these services operate with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which allows increasing the seating capacity to 170 passengers, each flight.
The announcements were made as part of the inaugural flight, which arrived in Chapelco on the evening of Sunday, July 2, with the visit of the flag carrier’s president, engineer Mario Dell'Acqua, who was welcomed by provincial and municipal authorities, representatives of the tourism sector and media.
As part of the efforts to strengthen connectivity with Chapelco, Aerolíneas also signed an agreement with the management company del Cerro -Nieves del Chapelco-, to work on promotional and publicity actions in the mountain, with benefits for members of the Aerolíneas Plus frequent flyer program.
"Today we keep the promise made so that Chapelco can receive night flights. We had undertaken the work to rebuild the runway, complying with the times established and now we are taking the last step. Thanks to the new infrastructure and new airfield lighting, Argentine Patagonia has from now on a better airport, more modern, with the possibility to receive a greater number of tourists. This is part of the Revolution of the Airplanes, which aims to foster the growth of Aerolíneas Argentinas, allowing more and more Argentines to fly, "said Guillermo Dietrich, Minister of Transport of the Nation.
For his part, Mario Dell'Acqua, president of the Aerolineas Group said, "We are pleased to continue working with the community of Chapelco to improve connectivity. We took an important step last year with the new satellite navigation system, which allowed us to lower cancellations from about 25% in 2015 to only one cancellation so far in 2017. We now offer more seats so that more people can come to enjoy this such special place, making the most of the day ".
In 2016, Aerolíneas Argentinas inaugurated a satellite-based approach system that allows operating even in adverse weather conditions and low visibility levels, which represents a substantial improvement for the connectivity with Chapelco. Before that, the Chapelco airport limitations to operate with conventional procedures caused that in 2015 one out of four flights scheduled to Aviador Carlos Campos airport were canceled or delayed.
The new apron was developed by an interdisciplinary team of Aerolíneas Argentinas professionals, composed of pilots, fleet managers, dispatchers, engineers, technicians, mechanics and airspace designers, among others, becoming a real milestone in the application of satellite navigation based approach procedures.