Livi: The government has a management problem

• L .: In spite of the national situation, we are a healthy company, without external financial leverage, without debt and profitable. But we are in a period of great uncertainty about the strategy of growth and local investment, unfortunately encouraged by bureaucracy or politics. Aeronautical authorities make permanent decisions that create barriers, making it very difficult for growth and development within the industry.

Q: For example?

• L .: First example, a year and five months ago, we participated in the second public hearing to expand, generate work, pay more taxes, and so on. by regular airways. We structure ourselves, we invest in professional resources for this purpose, we realize the leasing of planes, we realize market studies, we recruit consultants who collaborated in the business plan. In short, we reviewed all the points ANAC has to meet to qualify. Exactly the same steps as Norwegian Crossing, Fly Bondy, Smart Jet, Avianca, among many others.

Q: What happened to the requested routes?

• L .: We have qualified and this has allowed us to participate in the hearing and that the public and the JATA (Argentine Air Transport Council) give a favorable opinion to the Ministry of Transport to grant us the 10 routes requested. This was published on the ANAC website itself. Surprisingly, from that moment, remember that we talked about almost a year and a half, no one else contacted us, nor allowed to start working. In fact, it should be mentioned that our company already had all the other permits and qualifications that were not mentioned either (air operator certificate, certificate, structure, own hangar, etc.). Since then, we have submitted requests for rapid dispatch, meetings with the Minister of Transport, but nothing has been answered. It seems that they do not want a company to want to give work or that they do not want the Revolution to be for us.

P: You bet on this government …

• L .: I think I am one of the many Argentineans we believed in the project that was announced to us in the campaign, the Argentina of the dialogue, the one of the accompaniment, that of the promotion of the SMEs. I can not believe everything comes from an badysis of the bad situation before baduming it. I am an IAA MBA and we have always worked on the fact that a good diagnosis could solve 80% of the problem. The president's team does not miss this concept.

Q: Are you still convinced that you have to invest in Argentina?

• L .: It makes it difficult to imagine investing in Argentina because the rules are not the same for everyone. Something similar happened to us when we wanted to participate in the call for tenders for presidential flights, for minor details and without informing us, they pulled us out of this call for tenders, giving jobs to foreign companies and funds that could have been left in Argentine companies like ours.

Q: Where does the Royal Clbad invest?

• L .: This scenario led us to believe that investments in the country would be transferred to the United States. where the system helps instead of fighting us. They receive us, they treat us, we speak, of course we have to comply. Today, in Argentina, at least for us, and I do not know why, it is the opposite that happens to us. Our business, like any private commercial activity, must be developed in countries where economic growth allows them to grow. This surprised us all who bet on this government and we were waiting for a promising scenario like this one where at least I thought I understood that it existed and had been promised during the presidential campaign.

Q: What is the time limit in Aeroparque for commercial aviation?

• L .: It is a time limit of 6 hours a day. The argument is a saturation, which does not really exist because the track is only occupied at 62%. What is happening is that the platform where airline planes lack space, but the commercial executive aviation does not use this platform, let alone companies like ours, which has its own own hangar, so do not even use another platform. This results from the lack of dialogue because we could have explained and avoided this nuisance which only generates the brake on the investment in executive aircraft, which means fewer pilot positions, less ground staff etc. etc. Again, the impact is for the workers.

P: They also limit the basement of a greater number of aircraft to Aeroparque.

• L .: After explaining the above, I answer that not only does it make no sense, but that it slows investments, modernization of the fleet, the incorporation of more personnel, the payment of more taxes etc.

Q: Do you have meetings with the government?

• L .: Many do not answer the phone. In my case, there are several requests for interviews, requests to quickly send outstanding issues without returning the calls. The government has a management problem. On the other hand, without distracting myself from the aerial activity, I notice a very noticeable and curious dissociation between the words and the facts. Air activity is a technical activity, which requires understandable and acceptable learning for those who are not from the industry. But the lack of dialogue attracts a lot of attention, because the President reiterates the need to be "all together" by making efforts, dialogue, consensus. In the commercial air sector, I do not live that, but the opposite. I had to live in a complex past with the previous government, which, despite many times, did not agree with my ideas, at least listened to them. I'm surprised to find myself saying that. It's amazing. If at least they listened a little more, the firmness of their decisions would increase enormously and would save a lot of money to the Argentineans.

Q: Can it be more explicit?

• L .: A few months ago, $ 25 million of our taxes were invested to improve the presentation of the Aeroparque military terminal, in which the President directed his flights. but only a few months after spending everyone's money, it was decided to demolish it to create more aircraft parking spaces with the aircraft revolution, but unfortunately for ever materialized and I I'm sure it's not the fault of the minister. but from the economy that is not accompanied in such a way as to generate reasons that Air Transport is growing at "Revolution" rates.

Q: Can you talk about the "aeronautical business revolution" that was not?

• L .: "Non-success" is not subjective. It follows from the respect of the promises of incomes of the planes compared to the only 10 who entered. Recall that LASA has already closed, that the Andes have reduced their fleet by 40%, that the Aeroparque has reduced its use by 7% compared to last year, that the track has only 62% of its capacity of use. I do not know, it hurts because I support the idea of ​​progress, the competition is healthy and makes us better, but it is obvious that this has unfortunately not occurred. At the same time, the demolition of the renewed military terminal led to the withdrawal of the terminal called Sur from Sarmiento Avenue, which was driving there. This generated that he still had to invest more money. The government with 2 helicopters avoided these millionaire costs by transferring the military terminal to Ezeiza or Campo de Mayo. They would have saved several million pesos in a country where they seem to be in short supply.

Q. Do you see positive indicators during an election year?

• L: From an economic point of view, there is no positive indicator at the moment that concerns all businessmen. Even those who want to invest and do not leave us. Without being an economist, I do not see that the only goal of growth for the country would be to achieve fiscal balance. Of course, it seems logical to me that the objective is sought and must be achieved, but I do not see a vision, I see creativity in the way to achieve it. I've learned that when numbers do not get close, you have to work on two main things: income and costs. Sell ​​more and be more efficient to consume fewer resources.

Q: Is not the premise in this case?

• L .: In my humble vision, I see the problem of the country on costs and not on income. Produce more, the country is going from the front. But in an environment like the one I told you, to be able to produce, you have to work hand in hand with the government and that at least does not happen. I do not know why, what I did to them, or why they do not want us to grow up. That's the feeling that I have.

Q: What are your expectations vis-à-vis the country?

• L .: Stagflation. Increased costs with reduced activity.

Q: Do you still think that the low cost income is positive?

• L .: It is and generates work. Unfortunately, if we compare the number of aircraft that these companies would have had to bring to the country based on their public hearings and the actual 10 they did, they also find that the investment and risk environment is not present.