Aerolineas Argentinas aims to restore full pre-pandemic capacity next year once it clears a back up in aircraft maintenance.

The airline is operating roughly 70% of its pre-pandemic capacity, Aerolineas Argentinas CEO Pablo Ceriani told the Aviation Week Network this week during the IATA Annual General Meeting in Doha (DOH).

Ceriani said he hopes the carrier will restore 90% of its pre-pandemic capacity by the end of 2022. He explained that the airline is experiencing a bottleneck in aircraft heavy maintenance because of the pandemic, noting roughly 15 aircraft will need to complete that type of maintenance between the end of this year and the beginning of next year.

Aviation Week’s Fleet Discovery database shows Aerolineas Argentinas has 58 aircraft in service, including seven Airbus A330s, its long-haul option.

Domestic demand in Argentina remains strong, Ceriani said. Domestic demand is higher “than the offer we have and the competition has,” he added. “There is room for everybody.”

Ceriani believes demand will continue to be strong this year, but he is unclear about 2023. “We will see what happens next year with the economy and a recession that could be happening in the world,” he said.