Brazil airline Azul launches first flight to Argentina since 2020

Brazilian airline Azul is going back to Argentina this year for the first time since pandemic-related travel disruptions forced the carrier to suspend its routes to the neighboring country in 2020. On June 30, Azul will launch a seasonal route connecting the Viracopos airport near Sao Paulo to Bariloche, a major winter destination in Argentina's Patagonia region that will be served by four weekly flights, it said in a statement on Tuesday. Argentina is a top international destination for Brazilians and travel to that country has been on the rise. Its extremely weak peso amid a major economic crisis made it cheaper for Brazilians to visit, with Argentine government data showing 1.27m Brazilians traveled to the country in 2023 through November, up 75% from the previous year. Rival Gol recently also bet on seasonal flights to Argentina to meet high demand, with routes connecting Brasilia and Belo Horizonte to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo and Florianopolis to Cordoba during the summer season. "The new route is aimed at providing customers with another destination option for their July holidays," Azul manager Vitor Silva said, noting the company is "strong in domestic flights but continues to invest in new international destinations." Azul in December announced the purchase of seven Airbus A330neo wide-body aircraft to "significantly" expand international flights, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.<br/>