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Menzies Agunsa Aviation expands presence in Chile with JetSMART at 16 airports

24/10/23

Menzies Agunsa Aviation has announced a significant contract win with South American airline, JetSMART to deliver full ground services at the carrier’s network of 16 airports across Chile.

The new five-year contract will see Menzies Agunsa Aviation deliver passenger, ramp and cabin cleaning services for the ultra low-cost carrier, handling more than 28,000 turns in the first year, with significant annual growth anticipated each year thereafter. The contract, in partnership with Menzies’ joint venture partner in Chile, Agencias Universales SA (AGUNSA), reaffirms the company’s commitment to growth in the Central and South American region, and represents a significant expansion on its operations within Chile.

Supporting JetSMART’s operations across Chile, Menzies Agunsa Aviation will deliver ground services at the airline’s primary base of operations at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), the country’s busiest international airport. Menzies Agunsa Aviation will also oversee the airline’s secondary hub at Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), along with Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (ANF), El Loa Airport (CJC) and La Florida Airport (LSC), and the remaining eleven airports in the JetSMART network.

Founded in 2016, JetSMART Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline with domestic operations in Chile, Argentina and Peru. It operates more than 70 routes throughout South America with services to Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In July 2023, it marked its 7th anniversary by announcing it had transported more than 20 million passengers in South America. It has ambitious plans for growth, with 100 million passengers and 100 aircraft by 2028.

This is the first contract for Menzies with JetSMART, building on its portfolio of Indigo Group airlines, which currently includes Frontier Airlines, Lynx Air, Volaris and Wizz Air.

Philipp Joeinig, CEO, Menzies Aviation, said: “We are delighted to welcome JetSMART to our portfolio of Latin American customers, and another major airline of the Indigo Partners Group. This latest win represents a significant milestone for Menzies and an important step in our strategic expansion in this vibrant region. We are excited to work with JetSMART in 16 new locations in Chile, providing safe, secure, and high-quality services for the carrier and its passengers, while helping to harness the untapped potential of the region’s aviation industry.”

Estuardo Ortiz, CEO, JetSMART, said: “The experience and trajectory of Menzies in ground handling and passenger services, coupled with its technical prestige in different global markets, and the support of a local operator like Agunsa, enable us to generate significant operational cost efficiencies, to continue offering our passengers a safe, reliable, and affordable service; to support our ULCC model and ambitious growth plans”.

Fernando Rodriguez, CEO, Agencias Universales SA, said: “We are very excited about the Menzies Agunsa Aviation and JetSMART partnership, which reflects and reassures our commitment to providing the highest quality ground services in Chile’s aviation sector and our commitment to the country connectivity. We appreciate JetSMART´s confidence in our company and look forward to enhancing the passenger experience and supporting their growth.”

Menzies’ growing operations in Chile complements its existing operations in six other countries in Central and South America including Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama.

The full list of airports served by Menzies Aviation for JetSMART in Chile includes: