Airlines in the Lufthansa Group have begun notifying passengers of temporary schedule changes on routes connecting Brazil and Argentina due to runway maintenance at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). According to an Aero Magazine report published on 13 July, ITA Airways will cut its Rome–Buenos Aires frequency from ten to seven weekly flights between 24 October and 11 November, with westbound legs operating via Rio de Janeiro/Galeão for refuelling. SWISS International Air Lines, meanwhile, will truncate its twice-weekly Zurich–São Paulo–Buenos Aires service at São Paulo/Guarulhos from 27 October to 11 November, suspending the final GRU–EZE sector entirely during the works. The measures coincide with Argentina’s peak spring travel period and Brazil’s corporate budgeting cycle, prompting travel-management companies to scramble for alternatives via Córdoba or Montevideo. Although the maintenance window falls outside the current 24-hour news scope, the airlines’ formal notices this week mean corporate mobility planners must react immediately. Passengers already ticketed will be re-routed or offered refunds; however, capacity on LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas is expected to tighten, driving up fares. Cargo belly-hold space will also contract, a concern for high-tech exporters relying on just-in-time deliveries between São Paulo and Buenos Aires’ pharmaceutical cluster. The Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) says it is liaising with Argentina’s EANA air-navigation authority to secure additional slots at secondary airports if demand surges. Travel departments should advise employees to monitor flight-status updates closely and verify whether existing multi-segment trips require Schengen or U.S. transit visas when re-routed through Europe or North America. On the upside, the diversion through Rio Galeão may open new code-share opportunities that could persist after the works, potentially giving Brazil’s under-used international hub a longer-term traffic boost once the maintenance dust settles.
Source: Aero Magazine
