Argentina airlines: high potential, but a tangle of obstacles

Argentina's aviation market is a study in contrasts. The more liberalised stance of President Mauricio Macri has resulted in a flood of interest by new operators, and in 2018 Flybondi debuted as the country's first fully fledged LCC, followed by Norwegian Air Argentina's market entry as a second low cost operator.

Those airlines, and other Latin low cost start-ups are also working to enlarge their presence on international routes to and from Argentina, even as currency pressure has depressed international demand in the back half of 2018.

But opportunities for growth in Argentina are undermined by infrastructure constraints, economic uncertainty and mounting union opposition. As new airlines work to expand in the country during 2019, they will need to craft strategies to face those challenges in order for Argentina to reach its potential.