Cheap Flights to Argentina Will Be Available Soon

Talia Avakian
Updated
There will be over 100 new routes to and from the county next year.

Travelers will soon be able to take advantage of more competitive fares to South America as Norwegian Air has been granted authorization to start operating 152 new routes from the country starting next year.

Argentina’s Ministry of Transportation granted the budget carrier a 15-year authorization to operate domestic and international flights from Argentina on Monday, Dec. 11, giving fliers more low-cost options to look forward to.

While the airline has yet to announce what flight prices will look like, they plan to operate flights to roughly 73 domestic destinations in the South American country, and to 80 different international destinations around the globe in 2018.

Norwegian Air plans to offer direct flights from locations like Buenos Aires to U.S. hubs that include Los Angeles and New York and to international destinations like Istanbul.

They’re also interested in cities that include Dallas and Honolulu in the U.S., and Johannesburg in South Africa, Ole Christian Melhus head of the airline’s operations in Argentina, told Bloomberg in an interview earlier this year.

The move is part of a $4.3 billion investment the airline is putting towards operations in South America, giving it access to other airports in major Argentinian cities that include Mendoza and Cordoba, according to the publication.

Flight prices from Argentina can be pricey due to factors that include high operating costs and state-mandated minimum prices, according to Quartz, while a lack of low-cost carriers in the area allows the state-run Aerolineas Argentinas to maintain a monopoly on air travel.

Related: Norwegian Air Just Got U.S. Approval, and That Could Mean Cheaper Flights to Europe

Norwegian Air will follow the likes of budget carriers like FlyBondi, which got approval to start operations in Argentina this summer, with plans to launch its service by the end of the year.

“We want to connect Argentina with the world and, at the same time, bring the world closer to Argentina,” Melhus said in a statement.

The airline plans to have a fleet of more than 60 aircraft in Argentina within the next five to 12 years, and will operate flights both on the Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 787-Dreamliner aircraft.