The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) is pleased to welcome JetSMART as a new member airline, a company founded in 2017 in Chile with an Ultra Low Cost model that is expanding its presence in the Latin American region, offering flights at low cost aboard its modern fleet.
And it is that JetSMART recently acquired an Airbus A321neo aircraft, which will allow it to expand its range and regional capacity with 240 seats. In addition, this modern aircraft contributes to the airline's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, since it emits 25% less CO2 and can operate with biofuels.
This model will be the backbone of the Ultra Low Cost, which expects to incorporate three more aircraft in 2022. In the future, JetSMART's plans include creating a fleet of 125 aircraft by 2029, strengthening its position in Latin America.
“The Latin American and Caribbean region has more than 600 million inhabitants, an extremely wide territorial extension, with a diverse geography that merits the use of air transport. JetSMART plays a key role in efforts to continue bringing essential air transportation to more people, bringing opportunities through tourism to more places in the region, and generating socioeconomic development. JetSMART's expansion plans will accelerate these initiatives, which also have a focus on sustainability and efficiency, further reducing the average age of the modern fleet that operates in our region. We are very excited to add JetSMART to ALTA's initiatives and encourage the exchange of expertise among the diversity of our members”, comments José Ricardo Botelho, Executive Director and CEO of ALTA.
“At JetSMART we have come to South America to offer ultra-low prices with new planes to connect more people and contribute to the development of aviation in the region. And therefore we are happy to join ALTA to contribute with our Ultra-Low-Cost vision to continue developing aviation in the region and solve the challenges we have as an industry. JetSMART enters a very important stage, introducing the first A321neo to our fleet, resuming growth and with the goal of reaching 100 million passengers and 100 aircraft in 2028. Already with 12 million passengers, we hope to contribute to building sustainable aviation in the region together with the other ALTA partners and resume the growth we had prior to the pandemic”, highlights Estuardo Ortiz, CEO of JetSMART Airlines.
JetSMART currently has 70 routes in total, 29 domestic routes in Chile, 17 in Argentina, and 13 in Peru. Part of its strategy is based on expanding the air network, directly connecting two airports other than those of the capitals, known as interregional or interprovincial routes. JetSMART is the largest operator of this type of route within Chile. In addition, this new ALTA member operates 11 international routes between Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Uruguay.
With the arrival of JetSMART to ALTA, the association brings together 43 airlines that represent around 80% of the passengers transported by commercial aviation in the region.