The low-cost airline canceled 90 flights due to a lack of fuel in Ezeiza
As a consequence, 90 flights were canceled and more than 9,700 passengers were affected. According to the official statement, more than 1,100 people remained in the pre-boarding area and around 800 at check-in at the time the lack of supply was confirmed.
The government emphasized that other fuel distributors were supplying international airlines in the same terminal, while Flybondi was receiving fuel at other airports in the country. In that context, authorities maintained that the situation did not respond to a business decision but to a specific union action.
The impact of the strike was widespread throughout the entire air transport system. Aerolíneas Argentinas canceled 255 flights, affecting 31,000 passengers. JetSmart suspended 96 operations and Latam reported the cancellation of 46 flights, in addition to possible reschedulings. According to private estimates, at least another 19 airlines suspended 100% of their operations during the day.
The episode deepens the tension between the government and union sectors amid the ongoing debate over labor modernization. While Javier Milei's administration is pushing reforms aimed at boosting employment and reducing informality, part of the union movement is hardening its stance with measures that directly affect thousands of citizens.
Amid the general strike called by the CGT against the labor reform, the national government reported that an oil workers' union carried out a boycott against low-cost airline Flybondi, which led to the total cancellation of its scheduled flights for this Thursday at Ezeiza International Airport.
The Secretariat of Transportation stated that the company ran out of fuel supply due to a union measure attributed to the Federation of United Oil and Hydrocarbon Workers' Unions (SUPeH). According to the Executive, the trucks in charge of aeronautical supply did not deliver the fuel necessary for the planes to take off.
Flybondi had moved its operation to Ezeiza with the aim of mitigating the impact of the strike, given that it has self-provision of ramp services there. However, despite having operated nine flights during the early hours of the morning —including routes to Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, Mendoza, Córdoba, Ushuaia, and an international charter—, the company was not able to maintain the schedule for the rest of the day.
