The Argentine Association of Aeronavigators and other organizations in the aviation sector called for a march this Wednesday in front of Congress in defense of Aerolíneas Argentinas and rejection of its privatization. The mobilization took place under the slogan: "Aerolíneas Argentinas is not for sale, it is defended," and included the participation of workers from the aviation sector and other transport unions.
Hernán, a pilot for Aerolíneas Argentinas for 15 years, expressed: “Today we are here in defense of what Aerolíneas Argentinas represents, our professional careers, and a commercial aviation policy that aligns with the country. We want to guarantee the service and avoid having us, the workers, become the focus of conflict as the 'bad guys' in this situation.”
Ignacio, a first officer on a 737, clarified: “Our real salary, which has been widely discussed in the media, is approximately 1800 pesos, far from the 10 or 20 million that Manuel Adorni claimed we earn. Privatizing Aerolíneas is a step backward because it would cause disconnection in the country, create a monopoly in the hands of the private sector, and inevitably raise ticket prices, which would be disastrous for all Argentines. We need a national airline to maintain connectivity and ensure a federal country as it should be.”
Finally, Jorge, a retiree, also attended the march and shared his concerns: “I’m here because I am retired, and we are losing all our rights. What they are doing to Aerolíneas is the same thing they did to public health. Nurses took care of us and then were ignored. Aerolíneas brought the vaccines and repatriated our people, and it belongs to the state. Everything that is state-owned is for the people; what is private is for a few. One day, we will understand this.”
The march on Wednesday was organized by the main aerospace unions that formed a front to defend the national airline, rejecting privatization proposals that, according to the unions, would mean a loss of rights for workers and service users. 204
