This is a genuinely exciting development for those traveling between the United States and Buenos Aires…
Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) expanded for long haul service
Up until now, all long haul flights to Buenos Aires have operated to Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), which is a ways outside the city, especially given how bad traffic can be in Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires has a second airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), which is considered to be the “downtown” airport. Historically the airport has only handled regional flights, including flights within Argentina, as well as flights to nearby countries.
One of the main reasons that the airport has historically only served regional flights is due to the runway length. The airport’s runway was only 2,100 meters (~6,890 feet), not long enough to handle a fully loaded long haul aircraft.
Fortunately in the past few years, the airport has undergone a runway expansion. The runway has been extended by 500 meters (~1,640 feet), to 2,600 meters (~8,530 feet). Furthermore, the runway’s width has also been extended by 20 meters (~66 feet).
This extension makes it possible for some fully loaded wide body aircraft to operate from here. While you shouldn’t expect any Boeing 747s flying from the airport anytime soon, the airport can now handle the Airbus A330. That’s leading to an exciting development…
Aerolineas Argentinas adds flights to Miami & New York
With the runway at Buenos Aires’ “downtown” airport having been extended, we’re seeing some new service to the airport. As of August 2023, Aerolineas Argentinas will be transferring some of its flights to the United States from EZE to AEP. Specifically:
- Aerolineas Argentinas will fly 3-4x weekly from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Miami (MIA)
- Aerolineas Argentinas will fly 3x weekly from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to New York (JFK)
These flights will be operated by Airbus A330-200 aircraft, featuring 272 seats, including 24 business class seats and 248 economy class seats.
Buenos Aires Aeroparque has limited slots, so I’m curious to see if US airlines try to operate service from the airport as well. Regulatory approval aside (and I’m sure that could be arranged through negotiations for reciprocity), the biggest challenge will be getting an aircraft capable of taking off from the airport without having to compromise on payload.
Delta also flies A330-200s, so the airline could presumably also operate these flights in terms of takeoff performance.
Bottom line
Buenos Aires’ downtown airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), has just undergone a runway expansion. The runway is now long enough for select wide body aircraft to depart without major payload restrictions. As a result, Aerolineas Argentinas will be launching some flights from the airport to both Miami and New York.
This is a change that I’m sure many will appreciate. Not only is the airport much closer to the city of Buenos Aires, but there’s also plenty of opportunity to connect from the airport.
What do you make of Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque now serving long haul flights?
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