The president of Aerolineas Argentinas responded to Macri: shrinking or privatizing the company “is not a possible option”

This week, former President Mauricio Macri considered that if Aerolíneas Argentinas is not viable, “it must be privatized.” Speaking to the LN+ channel, he explained that the State cannot continue to “bank” USD 700 million a year to support the flag airline.

This Tuesday, the president of Aerolíneas Argentinas responded to him through his Twitter account. “Obviously Mauricio Macri is very used to driving by private plane and thinks that is what the commercial air industry is all about in our country. Perhaps some governor of your space can explain to you what it means in economic terms for your provinces,” he began.

“The arrival of the plane in a province means tourism, investment, connectivity, economic development with a federal sense. It means thousands of jobs and the possibility of receiving foreign visitors who overwhelmingly enter the country through Buenos Aires,” Ceriani argued.

In his response, Ceriano warned that leaving connectivity, both internal and international, free of connectivity to the private economic equation involves too high a risk, “the consequences of which we already know. The pandemic also left us with a lesson in that regard: the strategic importance of the flag airline,” said the president of Aerolíneas Argentinas.

The director recalled some events in the commercial air market that occurred during the administration of former President Macri. “The industry model that Macri is proposing is so unworkable that it didn't even make it work for his family airline. Avianca, after buying the Macri group's aircraft company and receiving authorization to operate 16 routes, canceled its operations in June 2019,” he said.

He also cited as an example of the commercial aviation policy of the previous government the case of the Latam company and the low-cost Norwegian. “Latam left the country during the pandemic, after losing $300 million a year during 2018 and 2019. Andes, during macrismo, reduced its fleet by half and after a few months it stopped operating. Norwegian flew just over a year and in December 2019 closed its operations,” he explained on his Twitter account.

However, he highlighted the situation of private companies that are still in the domestic flight market. “Flybondi and JetSMART, the sole survivors of the 'aircraft revolution', today represent almost 30% of the cabotage market, exponentially increased their number of passengers, operate from the best airport in the country and both announced growth in their fleet,” he said.

“We find the discussion about the airline deficit healthy, we work every day to improve their productivity and efficiency. We have a recent historical experience that made it possible from its growth and expansion, without forgetting its social role. To reduce it, to privatize it, to despise it is not a possible option for us. The challenge is to continue to improve, expand supply, increase operations, increase revenue from new business opportunities, to be the vehicle for the entry of foreign exchange country”, concluded Ceriani.

Finally, the president of Aerolíneas Argentinas stressed that they are in dialogue with all Governors and various sectors of the industry, but that any discussion must have a floor in agreement: “Aerolíneas is Argentina and represents a fundamental tool for the country.”

KEEP READING: