Pluna to Launch Operations in Chile

South American operator Pluna Líneas Aéreas Uruguayas revealed earlier this month that it will inaugurate scheduled passenger flights within Chile during the first quarter of 2012, taking advantage of the Open Skies agreement between Uruguay and Chile. Pluna already offers flights to Santiago from its Montevideo base as well as a seasonal link from Florianopolis.

The carrier will initially base a couple of its Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets in Santiago to offer daily flights to Calama, a city and commune in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, and Concepción, capital of Concepción Province, the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants. It also plans to serve the port city of Antofagasta as a stop on its flights to Calama.

An estimated 6.6 million O&D passengers flew internally in Chile last year, a market that is currently dominated by LAN Airlines with a 66.3 per cent share and Pluna’s three proposed destinations in Chile will place it in direct competition with the national carrier. LAN currently offers almost 80 flights per week to Antofagasta, 50 a week to Calama and 65 a week to Concepción. All three routes are also served by PAL Airlines and SKY Airline.

This will not be Pluna’s first foray into the Chilean domestic market. The airline previously operated flights between Santiago and Punta Arenas in as a continuation of its route from Montevideo.