🌎 Argentina Leads Santiago’s Routes to Three Countries
Business aviation activity between Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCEL) and Argentina, Brazil, and the United States was dominated by neighboring South American countries. Avi-Go data show that during the 81 days from June 20, 2026, to September 8, 2026, SCEL recorded a total of 140 flights to and from the three countries, including 73 arrivals and 67 departures. Argentina ranked first with 67 flights, followed by Brazil with 53 and the United States with 20. Operator activity was relatively dispersed: Aerocardal completed 8 flights, Acm Air Charter 7, and Ingenieria SIMA SA, Inversiones Punta Brava SA, and Servicios Aéreos Forestales Ltda. 6 each, with a maximum difference of only 2 flights among the leading operators.
Impact: Argentina and Brazil accounted for a combined 120 flights, representing 85.7% of the three-country sample. Demand for cross-border business aviation support services at SCEL was therefore concentrated primarily on South American routes. The top five operators completed a combined 33 flights, with no single operator achieving a high level of concentration, indicating that charter demand was distributed among multiple operators.
Recommendation: SCEL ground handling and charter service providers can develop separate procedures for traffic rights, immigration, and ground support based on the actual traffic flows of 67 flights to and from Argentina and 53 to and from Brazil. Going forward, they should closely monitor changes in flight volumes for Aerocardal and Acm Air Charter, as well as whether the 20 flights on U.S. routes show sustained growth.