Air Mogul’s JetSmart Sees Opening in Latin America Amid Distress
By Ezra Fieser
July 31, 2020, 4:39 PM
Ultra low-cost carrier JetSmart Airlines is speeding up plans to expand in South America as the region’s largest airlines cede ground after being forced into bankruptcy by the Covid-19 travel collapse.
Owned by no-frills tycoon Bill Franke’s private equity firm Indigo Partners LLC, which also has a controlling interest in Frontier Airlines, JetSmart is launching a Peruvian airline early next year and a cargo business within months. The carrier is also eyeing an eventual move into Brazil and Colombia, depending on how the pandemic affects the industry, said Chief Executive Officer Estuardo Ortiz.
