Sociedad Uruguaya de Aviación eyes Airbus fleet for launch

Sociedad Uruguaya de Aviación (Montevideo Carrasco) has revealed its plans to launch a new flag carrier in the South American country, based at Montevideo Carrasco and to operate with a fleet of up to ten Airbus-manufactured aircraft within the next three years. On January 29, founder and chief executive Antonio Rama sent a letter to Uruguay’s president, Luis Lacalle Pou, to inform him that Sociedad Uruguaya de Aviación (SUA) was formally established as a Uruguayan company. He added that the new airline had a “solid and proven business plan, backed by ample financial resources, aimed at significantly improving Uruguay's connectivity with the region and the world.” This plan includes having a fleet of six Airbus aircraft within the first 18 months, increasing to ten aircraft within the first three years. SUA also expects to establish an MRO facility and the region's first Full Flight Simulator Level D, in collaboration with the European manufacturer. In 2002, Rama was behind the foundation of U Air, a company that lasted until 2005 and operated with a fleet of F100 aircraft. Earlier this week, Uruguay’s transport undersecretary, Juan José Olaizola, said in a video that the government had met with an undisclosed regional investor group to analyse the possibility of launching a privately owned flag carrier in the country.<br/>