Airline tickets: deputies and senators of the JxC call for the elimination of fare bands

The legislative blocks of Together for Change, both in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Chamber of Senators, have presented a battery of projects for eradicate the system of tariff bands provided for by the laws governing domestic flights.

The tariff bands have been restored with a decree of the Executive Power, published on 24 December, which states that the lack of a minimum threshold and a maximum ceiling for cabotage tariffs generates “disastrous” situations for airlines.

The main affected by this measure are the only two competitors they have today Argentine airlines in the local market: the “low cost” JetSmart and Flybondi. The two companies expressed their rejection of the decree. In Flybondi’s case, he also presented an appeal for protection.

The presentation to Congress was made by the Senator from Mendoza Marian jury and the deputy from Buenos Aires Hernan Lombardi, which represent the benches of JxC. The projects are not limited to calling for the abolition of the tariff bands, but also calling for the creation of an “air-commercial emergency table” in Congress. They also ask for a summons from the Minister of Transport, Alessio Guerrero.

With regard to the bands, the legislator proposes to modify two laws, the Aeronautics Code (17,285) and Commercial Air Transport (19,030), in the articles in which they refer to the tariff bands.

The presentation was made simultaneously in both chambers and in their remarks the lawmakers said the reason was “a lower supply of flights, an excessive increase in ticket prices and the risk of continuing with the closure of airlines“.

They also noted that “in the next few days the controversial decree of Alberto Fernández fixing the tariff bands for air tickets will expire”, since the 180 days established meet this month.

The measures they propose are:

• Creation of an air emergency table composed of the National Minister of Transport, ANAC, the Regulatory Body of the National Airport System (ORSNA), together with senators from the Infrastructure, Housing and Transport Commission, and representatives of all the companies that supply regular national air transport services.

•  Elimination of fixed minimum fares on airline tickets through the amendment of the Air Force Code. This will allow airlines to offer airline tickets at lower cost than they currently do.

•  Request for the repeal of Decree 879/2021, which entrusts the Ministry of Transport with the determination of the maximum tariffs and tariff bands.

•  Convocation of the Minister of Transport, Alexis Guerrera, to the Congress of the Nation.

“Measures like these notoriously harm users and affect employment sources, mainly in the interior of the country. For this we ask the national government to immediately repeal the bands, for having shown that it is a regulation that threatens the activity” Jury said .

“The measures taken by the government disrupted the commercial air transport system. There are fewer frequencies than ever, fares are very high and airports have been closed. It is necessary to rapidly re-establish an aero-commercial strategy that connects the different Argentine destinations in the transport of both tourist and business passengers and in regional development ”, added Lombardi.