On Monday, May 23, Aerolíneas Argentinas operated a one-time-only flight between Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) and Bilbao International Airport (BIO) in Spain. The Argentine State carrier employed an Airbus A330-200 to handle this route, covering over 10,300 kilometers (6,418 miles) in around ten hours. But why did Aerolíneas Argentinas fly to Bilbao in the first place? Let’s find out.
Flying to Bilbao
Aerolíneas Argentinas currently operates daily commercial flights to Madrid (its only open destination in Europe in May 2022). Nonetheless, the airline also services charter flights from time to time.
Earlier this week, the Argentine carrier operated the flight AR1974 from Buenos Aires to Bilbao. Onboard an Airbus A330-200 registration LV-GIF, the flight left at around 03:05 UTC and landed in Bilbao at 15:54 UTC.
This charter service carried the Argentinian football squad to Europe. Argentina is set to face Italy on Wednesday, June 1. Both countries will meet at Wembley Stadium in a match between the Euro 2021 and the Conmebol Copa América winners.
The Argentine squad is training in Bilbao before flying again to London in the next few days, as reported by several media sports.
It is the first time Aerolíneas Argentinas flies to Bilbao. In the past, it has also operated services (both scheduled and charter) to Madrid, Barcelona, and Santiago de Compostela, according to local media outlets.
This Airbus A330-200 of Aerolíneas Argentinas flew between Buenos Aires and Bilbao earlier this week. Photo: Getty Images.
Aerolíneas Argentinas’ aircraft
This flight was operated onboard a nearly six years old Airbus A330-200. The aircraft, registration LV-GIF, has CF6-80E1A4 engines manufactured by General Electric. It can carry up to 267 passengers in a two-class configuration. It has 243 economy seats and 24 business seats.
LV-GIF is owned by Aerolíneas Argentinas, unlike many other aircraft which are leased. The Argentine State carrier took delivery of the jetliner in November 2016, and it is currently valued at around US$26.6 million, according to data by ch-aviation.
After carrying the Argentine football team to Bilbao, the aircraft stayed overnight in the Spanish city before flying back to Buenos Aires on May 24. That same day, it flew from Buenos Aires to Miami, (flight AR1302) and today it is operating the service back from Miami to Buenos Aires (flight AR1305)
Aerolíneas Argentinas currently has a fleet of nine A330-200s, including seven active and two inactive aircraft. Moreover, the State carrier expects to receive one additional unit this year. Last month, Aerolíneas received its ninth A330-200. Adding this new long-haul aircraft is part of the airline’s plans to restore the size of its fleet back to pre-pandemic traffic levels. We recently spoke with Aerolíneas’ CEO, Pablo Ceriani on this subject.
From time to time, Aerolíneas Argentinas operates charter flights. Photo: Getty Images.
Aerolíneas Argentinas is operating several charter flights lately. Earlier this month, the airline announced its plans to have at least six charter flights between Argentina and Qatar, via Italy, to carry football fans to the FIFA World Cup.
The first flight will take place on November 19, departing from Ezeiza at 15:25. Due to the distance between Buenos Aires and Doha (around 8,288 miles or 13,338 kilometers), Aerolíneas Argentinas will operate these charter flights with a stopover in Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport (FCO). The stopover will last one hour before departing again towards Doha. The flight time will be around 19 hours, said the airline.
Pablo Ceriani, Aerolíneas Argentinas’ CEO, said,
“This charter service is a great opportunity to create additional revenue, and it is also very special because it feeds the Argentinian’s football passion.”
Have you ever flown onboard an Aerolíneas Argentinas flight? Let us know in the comments below.
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