The Argentinian government has published Decree 599/2024, which regulates access to the country’s commercial aviation market, the entry of new operators - including foreign carriers looking to operate ninth-freedom flights within Argentina - and the optimisation of airport services.

Among the changes introduced in the policy and promoted by the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation (Ministerio de Desregulación y Transformación del Estado) led by Federico Sturzenegger are:

  • the country’s transport secretary has been entrusted with the task of overseeing the introduction of a permanent regulation for capacity and frequencies for national and international air services based on IATA’s Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines;
  • while a permanent regulation is introduced, a transitional regulation will be in force until October 31, 2025;
  • the authorities have been instructed to guarantee principles of the free market and free competition, and create the necessary regulatory environment to avoid monopolistic conduct by carriers, airports, ramp service operators or any other provider in the system;
  • open skies policies, including the approval of new foreign companies and the introduction of eight- and ninth-freedom flights are authorised under strict reciprocity conditions; and
  • the transport secretary has been instructed to regulate a simplified authorisation procedure for charters provided in aircraft with up to 19 seats.

“The Argentinian air sector regulations have not been renewed for more than 70 years,” the government said in a statement. “In order to transform transport and civil aviation, they need to be updated. That is why more decrees are planned for the reform of the Aeronautical Code, the repeal of laws that cause monopolies, the implementation of an open skies policy and changes in the functions of public bodies.”

Among these future changes is the planned privatisation of state-owned carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas (AR, Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery), a project proposed by current president Javier Milei but shelved by the chamber of deputies and the senate.

In a statement to ch-aviation, Aerolíneas Argentinas said the regulatory changes and new rules introduced to the commercial aviation market will be “both, for Aerolíneas and for the other companies competing in our country, a challenge and an opportunity.” It added that as competition increases, the carrier’s motivation to improve its service and be more productive and efficient will grow.

Flybondi (FO, Córdoba International) previously told ch-aviation that the upcoming decree regulating the commercial market in Argentina was a long-awaited measure. JetSMART Argentina (WJ, Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini) was not immediately available.

This year, Argentina has signed open skies agreements with Canada, Panama, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. More are set to come, the government announced.