Quick Links South America has some structural differences from most developed airline markets The South American market is less conducive to legacy airlines Management decisions cannot be ignored It appears that almost anywhere you go in Latin America multiple low-cost airlines might want to fly you there, with the budget airlines of South America standing out as some of the world's most successful carriers. Legacy airlines in South America have struggled significantly more over the past few years than their full-service competitors, with airlines like Aerolíneas Argentinas facing financial difficulties amid serious competitive pressures from low-cost airlines. Get all the latest aviation news from Simple Flying! Thriving low-cost airlines exist across the continent The story is the same across the continent.
In Argentina, Aerolíneas Argentinas has struggled amid downward price pressures from airlines like JetSmart and Flybondi that offer rock-bottom prices. In Colombia, flag carrier Avianca faces challenges from young and ambitious low-cost airlines like Wingo and the latest JetSmart subsidiary, JetSmart Colombia. In Brazil, legacy carrier LATAM faces heavy competitive pressures from innovative low-cost airlines like Azul.
In Chile, SKY Airlines, which was the first to operate under a low-cost business model in the country, also joins JetSmart as a low-cost challenger to LATAM. At the end of the day, low-cost airlines in South America are on the rise, and they are pushin.
