Abra Group, a prominent Latin American airline company, has recently expressed interest in incorporating SKY Airline, a low-cost carrier based in Chile. The group aims to keep SKY’s brand identity intact, which aligns with their approach to their other member carriers such as Avianca in Colombia, Gol in Brazil, and Wamos Air in Spain. All of these airlines maintain their own unique branding and operations.
On November 11th, Abra Group CEO Adrian Neuhauser announced on social media that the company had submitted a request to competition authorities to move forward with the acquisition of SKY. He stated that this is an important step towards strengthening connectivity within and outside of Latin America.
Although the two companies have agreed in principle to proceed with the transaction, they still need to finalize documentation and meet other closing conditions. The approval of relevant regulatory bodies is also pending. In the meantime, the group assures that all of their airlines will continue to operate independently.
The addition of SKY Airline to Abra Group’s portfolio will expand their presence in Chile and Peru, and provide access to a relatively young fleet of Airbus A320neo-family jets. SKY Airline, founded in 2001, is based in Santiago, Chile, and has a subsidiary in Peru called Sky Airline Peru. They offer 56 routes to 45 cities in the Americas, and hold about 20% of Chile’s domestic market share and 6% of the international market.
SKY Airline Peru, on the other hand, has about 17% of the domestic market share in Peru and 9% of the international market. The airline currently operates 36 Airbus A320neo-family jets and has an order for 10 A321XLR aircraft, making them the first Latin American operator of the long-range narrowbody type in 2026.
Francisco Raddatz, Abra’s senior vice-president of fleet and procurement, mentions that the group sees potential in using the A321XLR in various regions, including Brazil, Chile, and Central America. He also hints at the possibility of converting some of their existing aircraft to the A321XLR, beyond the 10 already on order by SKY Airline.
Jose Raul Vargas, CEO of SKY Airline Peru, shares that the airline expects to receive their first A321XLR by the end of next year. They are considering using it for a route between Santiago and Miami, as well as using Lima as a hub to connect passengers from other cities to destinations such as New York and Los Angeles. Vargas also mentions the potential for flights to Europe from Brazil.
Overall, Abra Group’s goal is to compete with LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline in the region. By incorporating SKY Airline into their group, they are taking a significant step towards strengthening their presence and connectivity in Latin America.