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| Founded | September 2016; 8 years ago (2016-09) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | January 26, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-01-26)[1] | ||||||
| Operating bases | Buenos Aires–Aeroparque | ||||||
| Focus cities | Córdoba | ||||||
| Fleet size | 19 (as of December 2024) | ||||||
| Destinations | 23 (as of December 2024) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires,Argentina | ||||||
| Key people | Mauricio Sana (CEO) | ||||||
| Website | http://flybondi.com | ||||||
FB Líneas Aéreas S.A., operating asFlybondi, is aultra low-cost airline inArgentina. The airline, the first of its kind in the country, operatesBoeing 737-800 aircraft from its bases inBuenos Aires andCórdoba. The company slogan isLa libertad de volar ("The freedom of flying" inSpanish).
In 2024, Flybondi has received much criticism domestically and abroad for its tendency to have frequent cancellations and large or unannounced delays, and it has been ranked as the 3rd worst airline byFlightAware.[2]
Speculation about the creation of a new airline began in the first half of 2016, shortly after the inauguration of PresidentMauricio Macri, who promised to open up Argentina's skies with the implementation of more modern laws and the reduction of bureaucracy to facilitate the creation of new airlines, since until then, the South American country was one of the most bureaucratic and restrictive in the world in terms of air transport policy. In this context, speculation indicated that theIrishultra low-cost carrierRyanair was working to create a subsidiary in Argentina through Declan Ryan and the Irelandia Aviation group, which was behind the creation of two other low-cost airlines inLatin America,VivaAerobus in Mexico andViva Air in Colombia.[3][4][5]
In June 2016, the Argentine newspaperLa Nación, citing sources close to Irelandia Aviation, mentioned the possibility of acquiring the airlineAndes Líneas Aéreas to transform it into the ultra-low-cost airline planned by the group, just as the Brazilian group Synergy Aerospace, controlling shareholder ofAvianca Holdings and owner ofAvianca Brasil (Oceanair), did with Macair Jet, which becameAvianca Argentina.[6][7][8]
The creation of Flybondi, Argentina's firstultra-low-cost airline (ULCC), was announced in September 2016 by a group of Argentine businessmen, supported by funds from big names in the aviation industry, such as Michael Cawley, member of the board ofRyanair, Montie Brewer, former CEO ofAir Canada and Robert Wright, founder ofBritish Airways Citiflyer Express and shareholder and former non-executive director atWizz Air, as well as Argentine Gastón Parisier and Swiss Julian Cook, founder and former CEO of Switzerland'sFlyBaboo. Together, the investors would have contributed US$ 75 million with the aim of starting operations in 2017.[9][10][11][12]
Bondi is the name given to urban public transport buses inArgentina. As an ultra-low-cost airline, the company's intention was to make it as popular and accessible as a bus. Therefore, Flybondi literally means flying bus. The initial idea was to call it Air Bondi, but on the recommendation of an advertising agency, due to the risk of conflict with the name of the European aircraft manufacturerAirbus, it was decided to use the prefix fly instead of air.[13]
In October 2016, the airline revealed its initial plans, intending to fly toComodoro Rivadavia,Córdoba,El Calafate,Mendoza,Neuquén,Resistencia,Puerto Iguazú,Río Gallegos,Salta,San Carlos de Bariloche,Tucumán andUshuaia with a fleet of six aircraft. And although it was considering bothAirbus andBoeing narrobody models, according to co-founder Julian Cook, Flybondi's preference would be theBoeing 737-800.[14]
On December 5, 2016, during the first public hearing held in 11 years by the Argentine Ministry of Economy for airlines to request new routes, Flybondi defined as its main base of operationsEl Palomar Airport, located 18 kilometers fromBuenos Aires, requesting to fly to and from the aerodrome that, until then, served as an air base for theArgentine Air Force.[15][16][17]
On March 16, 2017, Flybondi co-founder andCEO Julian Cook officially announced the choice of theBoeing 737 for the new Argentine airline's fleet, announcing that they would be configured with 189 seats in a single-class layout.[18] And in May of the same year, he announced the signing of the lease agreement withSMBC Aviation Capital for his first aircraft, with plans to lease nine more later that year.[19]
Flybondi's first aircraft, theBoeing 737-800 registration LV-HKS (MSN 33821) named Nelson, was officially delivered on December 2.[20][21][22]
The airline's inaugural flight fromIngeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport inCórdoba toCataratas del Iguazú International Airport inPuerto Iguazu took place 26 January 2018.[1]
The first routes were launched from its base atCórdoba International Airport in January 2018, to the cities ofMendoza,Bariloche andPuerto Iguazú. In February 2018, the airline was the first civilian airline to operate fromEl Palomar Airport nearBuenos Aires, where it established a new base and began flights toSalta,Neuquén, andTucumán.[23]
Flybondi went international on December 17, 2018, with flights between El Palomar in the Greater Buenos Aires area and the Paraguayan capital Asunción.[24]
In July 2019, the airline announced that it would start flights between Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. The flights started operating 11 October 2019, departing from the airline's main base at Buenos Aires' El Palomar Airport toGaleão Airport inRio de Janeiro.[25]
On December 5, 2024, Flybondi received an ultimatum from theNational Civil Aviation Administration of Argentina to present a plan to reduce cancellations after 70 flights were canceled that past weekend, leaving over 12,000 stranded, compounded with years of frequent cancellations.[26] This came across much larger criticisms for Flybondi's tendency for large, unannounced delays, being ranked the 3rd worst in the world for delays by FlightAware.[2]
As of November 2024[update], Flybondi operates or has operated to the following destinations:
| Base | |
| Future | |
| Terminated |
As of November 2024[update], Flybondi operates the following aircraft:[28]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320 | 2 | — | 180 | All wet-leased fromAvion Express | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 17 | — | 189 | Two wet-leased fromAlbaStar Fourstd for Maintenance | |
| TOTAL | 19 | — | |||
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The following aircraft were formerly operated by Flybondi:[28]
| Aircraft | Number | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | 5 | 189 |
| Total | 5 |
