Air Transport
Though traditionally more expensive when compared with the other means of transportation, air travel is becoming increasingly common due to more competitive prices. Every provincial capital has its own airport, and there are many others, particularly in tourist areas such as Bariloche and El Calafate (see list of airports in Argentina). Most companies have several daily flights to the most popular destinations, and daily or less frequent flights to other destinations. Since 2003, the Ministry of The Interior and Transport has overseen numerous construction works throughout the country's airports, ranging from the building of new terminals to extending the lengths of runways and improving radar systems.
The national flag carrier is AerolÃneas Argentina’s, which was re-nationalized from Iberia in 2008 with the government citing mis-management under the Spanish firm. Under government ownership, the airline has renewed much of its fleet and tripled its size, with passenger numbers increasing significantly. Along with other international carriers, the airline handles most of its international flights from Ministro Pistarini International Airport.
Even though Buenos Aires is the most important flight hub, for both economical and geographical reasons, there are flights between important cities, such as Córdoba, Rosario and Mendoza. Following the re-nationalization of AerolÃneas Argentinas, most domestic routes are handled by its subsidiary Austral which has a fleet of 22 new Embraer aircraft which operate from the subsidiary's hub in Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Buenos Aires' domestic airport.
Argentina had a total of 1,138 airports (including airstrips) in the country in 2013, the 6th highest in the world.
