Air Comet Becomes Chile’s Second Largest Domestic Carrier

Air Comet Chile, known until recently as Aerolineas del Sur, is now the largest domestic carrier after LAN Chile, with 18 percent of the market. The figure represents a 10 percent increase in market-share in just under a year.

The airline has proved popular thanks to a strong focus on customer service. Policies such as extensive catering on all flights, more leg-room, and a small business class section on low-cost flights are believed to be an important part of their success.

In addition, Air Comet, of which Air Comet Chile is a subsidiary, last week agreed to buy $7 billion of new Airbus aircraft. A certain number of the new planes are destined to enlarge the company’s Chilean fleet.

Air Comet was started in 1996 by the Spanish tourism organization Marsans with the purpose of complementing the group’s multi-services in the industry. In 1997 Air Comet begins charter flights and in 2001 purchased the Argentine flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral

Currently Air Comet has regular flights from Madrid to Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Guayaquil, Quito, Bogota, San Jose de Costa Rica, Santo Domingo, Havana, London, Paris and Rome and is programming other destinations.