JetSMART Perú (JZ, Lima International) has formally applied for an Operating Licence (OL) and Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) in Peru to commence domestic operations in the country, parent JetSMART (JA, Santiago de Chile) said in a statement.
The start-up filed its applications with the Peruvian civil aviation regulator (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil - DGAC) on April 26, 2021.
"During the pandemic, we’ve been looking for growth opportunities, and we believe the Peruvian domestic market is one of them. It is time to start our certification process as a domestic carrier in Peru. We hope the market recovery will accelerate during the second half of 2021, and in 2022," JetSMART's Chief Executive Estuardo Ortiz said.
The Chilean LCC has been serving Peru since 2017, albeit exclusively on international routes from Santiago de Chile. It currently connects the Chilean capital with Lima International, Trujillo Carlos Martinez de Pinillos, and Arequipa at highly reduced frequencies. The Indigo Partners-backed group also has an Argentine unit, JetSMART Argentina, which operates domestic flights in Argentina in addition to services to Chile, and has indicated intentions to enter Colombia with a new carrier.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the Chilean and Argentinian units of JetSMART combined operate eleven A320-200s and nine A320-200Ns with a further fifty-six A320-200Ns, seven A321-200Ns, and twelve A321-200NY(XLR)s on firm order from Airbus.
As previously reported, Jetsmart Airlines Peru S.A.C. was incorporated on January 29, 2021, and formally registered on February 17, 2021.
