Damián Toscano, who founded Alas del Sur a decade ago—a carrier that never took flight and was ultimately sold to U.S.-based Indigo Partners, the owner of JetSmart—is now behind Domus Airways, a new airline that aims to connect Buenos Aires with Miami and other international destinations, offering exclusively business and premium economy seats.

The new company was authorized this week by the Argentine government through the Official Gazette. Although it currently lacks aircraft and staff, the plan is moving forward. The proposal: to operate medium- and long-haul flights with three Airbus A220-100 aircraft, configured to carry just 60 passengers, all in premium cabins. Tickets are expected to start at US$ 2,000. It remains to be seen how this reduced configuration could extend the standard range of the A220-100—from 3,600 nautical miles with 135 passengers to around 3,800 nautical miles, enough for a route like Buenos Aires–Miami.

If successful, Domus would become the first airline in Latin America to offer an all-premium product, a model also adopted in recent years by carriers like La Compagnie in the highly competitive North Atlantic market, where strong demand for premium services allows for niche exploitation. They would also be the first A220 operators in the region.

“This time we’re going to make it fly,” Toscano told Clarín, a Buenos Aires-based newspaper. According to him, the key lies in the efficiency of single-aisle aircraft—typically used for shorter routes—that, when adapted to carry fewer passengers, allow lower operating costs without sacrificing comfort.

Domus is authorized to connect Buenos Aires not only with Miami, but also with cities across Argentina and Latin America, such as Lima, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Punta del Este. However, passengers may have to wait to see these aircraft in the skies: regular operations may not begin until 2027, Toscano said.

In the meantime, the entrepreneur plans to start earlier with charter flights to the Caribbean, using leased aircraft with standard economy seating under a yet-to-be-announced brand. Still, the main focus remains Domus’s premium model.

Behind the project, Toscano claims, are U.S. investors and aviation professionals with experience at American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, LATAM, and Aerolíneas Argentinas, and, according to remarks cited by La Nación, "a working relationship with Airbus."

“We’re going to be a test case in Latin America, with long-haul flights on single-aisle aircraft,” Toscano promised.

Temas

• aviation in Argentina

AUTOR

Edgardo Gimenez Mazó

Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline. Base: ROS Origen: RES

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