Uruguay's aviation industry may be on the brink of a new chapter with the potential launch of a national airline by a fresh initiative known as Sociedad Uruguaya de Aviación (SUA). This aspiring airline project came into the spotlight at the esteemed “Fitur” international travel trade show held in Madrid, Spain, from January 22-26, 2025.

Scheduled to divulge more intricate details about its operational blueprint on January 28, 2025, at an event to be hosted at Carrasco International Airport (MVD) in Montevideo, SUA has hinted at kick-starting its services with the deployment of Airbus A220 aircraft, sourced through a wet lease arrangement with airBaltic. If this unfolds as planned, SUA will notably mark itself as the pioneer airline in Latin America to leverage the A220 aircraft. The blueprint outlines a swift escalation, projecting a fleet of six A220s within the initial 18 months of business, with a subsequent expansion to ten aircraft over the following three years. Additionally, there are strategies in motion to establish the premiere maintenance and training facility in Latin America specialized for this aircraft variant.

As disclosed by Latin American aviation news platform Aviacioline.com, SUA's brainchild is none other than Antonio Rama, a seasoned Qatar Airways B777 captain. Rama, who seems to have attracted investments from Saudi sources for this new venture, brings with him the experience of establishing an airline from the ground up. He was the founding force behind U-Air, a former Uruguayan budget carrier that had a brief operational stint between 2003 and 2005.

Since the discontinuation of Uruguay's historical flag carrier, Pluna, in 2013, the nation has yearned for an indigenous aviation representative. Various endeavors were made to fill this void, albeit fleetingly. Buquebus, a renowned ferry operator, introduced “BQB Líneas Aéreas” from 2010 to 2015, while Bolivian carrier Amaszonas briefly flirted with flights from Uruguay before coming to a halt in 2023. As it stands in January 2025, the airspace over Uruguay is dominated entirely by foreign carriers like LATAM, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Azul, JetSmart, and Avianca.

Paving the way for a national airline in Uruguay, SUA's plans signify a pivotal milestone in the country's aviation narrative. With a promising vision backed by industry expertise, the prospect of a new avian contender taking flight in Latin America is indeed an exciting prospect to watch unfold. Stay tuned as Pilotcenter.net News continues to track the developments in this exhilarating journey towards aviation evolution in Uruguay.