JOY Airline, a regional carrier based in Jujuy, is beginning ticket sales for scheduled flights to Buenos Aires and Córdoba, though its end-of-September or early-October launch target still depends on final certification.
JOY plans 12 weekly flights between Jujuy and Buenos Aires and seven between Jujuy and Córdoba, using 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 jets, a format suited to thinner regional markets. The airline is betting that a smaller aircraft and a provincial base can make work routes that are difficult to serve with the larger jets used by Argentina’s biggest carriers.
For passengers in Jujuy, the Córdoba route may matter most: a nonstop link removes a trip through Buenos Aires for travelers not heading to the capital, potentially saving several hours.
The Buenos Aires route serves a different purpose. Jujuy’s Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Puna draw visitors from across the country and abroad, and more direct air service can make the province easier to add to a longer Argentine itinerary.
Company representatives have discussed future routes as the fleet grows, but the immediate test is whether Jujuy, Buenos Aires and Córdoba can generate enough demand to sustain the initial schedule.
The first CRJ-200 arrived in Argentina in July, and a second is expected this month. The airline is waiting for final certification from the National Civil Aviation Administration, or ANAC, before it can begin regular commercial operations. The company has targeted the end of September or the first days of October for its first flights, so ticket sales do not by themselves mean the service has begun.