Rescheduling of International Flights

On October 30, the Ministry of Transportation issued Resolution 243/2020, through which it tasked the National Civil Aviation Administration with scheduling international air transport operations, in strict compliance with the restrictions on entry to the country set forth in Executive Order (DNU) No. 274/2020, its extensions and exceptions, and with DNU 331/2020 and 814/2020.

The decision resulted from the Ministry of Transportation’s position that normalizing international flights by airlines operating to and from the country is necessary to provide certainty and predictability to both passengers and projected operations.

While DNU No. 814/2020 extended the ban against foreign nonresidents entering the country until November 8 of this year, the DNU authorized the National Directorate of Migration to establish exceptions to the restriction to address special needs or normalize explicitly authorized activities.

At the same time, the Argentine Chief of Staff, via Administrative Decision 1949/2020, established a “pilot test” for the reopening of tourism for tourists coming from neighboring countries who are nationals or foreign residents in those countries, and whose destination is the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. To this end, the international public transportation service, the tourism industry, and tourists entering the country for this purpose are exempted.

Similarly, and in accordance with the powers conferred by DNU No. 814/2020 within the framework of this “pilot test,” the National Directorate of Migration reopened the Ministro Pistarini International Airport, the San Fernando International Airport and the Port of Buenos Aires (Terminal Buquebus), as international gateways to Argentina.

In the authorized cases, together with the presentation of an Electronic Affidavit for Entry to the Country, passengers are required to show proof of negative PCR test results – up to 72 hours in advance – and have medical insurance covering their hospitalization and isolation in the case of COVID-19.