The government has canceled an air link to the Malvinas Islands carried out by the company TAM

The national government canceled an air route to the Falkland Islands that the Brazilian company has achieved TAM.

through the Decree 112/2023published this Tuesday in the Official Bulletin, Alberto Fernandez repealed Decree No. 602 of August 30, 2019, by which it had authorized Tam Airlines SA to operate scheduled international air transport services for passengers, cargo and mail, using large aircraft, on the routes: San Pablo – Malvinas Islands – San Pablo; San Pablo – Córdoba – Malvinas Islands – San Pablo and San Pablo – Malvinas – Córdoba – San Pablo.

The need to increase the frequency of flights to the islands arose from a claim by the islanders themselves, who wanted to have more contact with the mainland, and because flights to London are very expensive. While for the Argentine government, it meant a plan to bring the islanders closer to Argentina, without giving up the claim of sovereignty.

By the aforementioned decree, “the aforementioned Brazilian flag company has been authorized, for reasons of general interest, to exercise the traffic rights on the Córdoba – Malvinas Islands and Malvinas Islands – Córdoba cabotage sections”. The operation was framed in the “Regular Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the Argentine Republic and the Government of the United States of Brazil”, approved by Law No. 13.920, the final act of the “XVIII Meeting of consultation on air transport services between BRAZIL and ARGENTINA” of March 22, 2001 and the “Minutes of the consultation meeting between the aeronautical authorities of the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC and the FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL” of October 19 2006, “which constitute the bilateral framework agreement governing commercial air relations between the two countries”, explained the executive power.

At that time, a weekly flight had been organized from Guarulhos International Airport, São Paulo, Brazil. That once a month they stop – on the outward and return journey – at Ambrosio Taravella airport, in Cordoba. During their stay in the Malvinas, the landing was organized at the international airport of Mount Pleasant, on the island of Soledad, located 60 kilometers from Puerto Argentino, the capital.

The aforementioned air service started operating in November 2019 and was subsequently suspended in March 2020. In this framework, in the decree bearing the signature of the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs cafe santiago and the Minister of Transport, Diego Giulianothe government of Alberto Fernández explained that “the priority” with regard to the national air link policy with the Malvinas Islands “is the resumption of direct regular flights from the Argentine mainland, and for this reason it has been decided to leave without effect the authorization granted by Decree No. 602/19″ cited above. under review,” the executive said.

A few weeks ago, the government succeeded in restoring flights to the Malvinas from Punta Arenas, Chile, with a monthly stopover in Río Gallegos, a route that had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was announced by Guillermo Carmona, Secretary of Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic at the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “The Argentine government has managed to restore the Punta Arenas-Río Gallegos-Malvinas flight despite British reluctance, he proposed direct Malvinas-Argentina mainland flights and canceled the flight to San Pablo that Foradori had compromised without the approval of Congress”.

“We will continue to promote an effective and constructive bond between the Malvinas and the Argentine mainland in favor of all those who inhabit our soil,” the official said on this occasion.

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