Argentina's Aerolineas to Add New Flights to New York and Madrid-Chairman

Aerolineas Argentinas will add new flights to New York and Madrid as the government-controlled carrier seeks to ramp up sales outside its home country and boost income in an effort to beat back persistent operating losses. The chairman of Argentina's namesake airline said he expects income to hit $1.7b in 2020, in line with the previous year, thanks to the sale of nearly 13m tickets. "If we can carry out our growth plan, the company's deficit will gradually be reduced," said Pablo Ceriani, who took over as chairman of the company's board in December under incoming Argentine president Alberto Fernandez. Aerolineas has an operating deficit of $570m. The airline, which currently flies four times a week to New York, will add an additional flight there in May, and another in July. It will also boost flights to Madrid from seven to 10 in July. Increasing tourism within Argentina is also part of the company's growth strategy, along with strengthening its operations throughout the region, Ceriani said.<br/>