Chilean low-cost airline JetSMART announced flights to and from Asunción to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, starting from 9 January 2026. This route will mark JetSMART’s seventh in Paraguay. The airline provides connections to two Buenos Aires airports, Córdoba, Mendoza, and San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, as well as flights to Montevideo, Uruguay.
JetSMART’s goal
With this new flight route, JetSMART aim to strengthen its connectivity network in Paraguay. For Paraguay, the goal is to increase tourism and investments from Brazil. At the moment, Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque, near to Paraguay’s capital Asunción, offers five other Brazilian destinations: Campinas, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Recife, and São Paulo.
Marcelo Freixo, President of Embratur – a touristic company affiliated with Brazilian plane-maker Embraer – put emphasis on what Rio de Janeiro has to offer, saying, “Paraguayans will be able to enjoy nature, Rio’s gastronomy, and the entire calendar of events that Rio de Janeiro offers on short getaways. I have no doubt it will be a success.”
The projection of the company is to serve around 46,000 passengers throughout the year. According to data from the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DINAC), air traffic between the two countries represented just over 20% of the monthly total during 2024 and the first half of 2025. Since their arrival in Paraguay in 2022, JetSMART has transported around 120,000 clients.
At the moment, Silvio Pettirossi International Airport offers flight to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Spain.
Trajectory and time of the new flight route
The new flight route between Asunción and Rio de Janeiro will operate three times weekly: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Departing from Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery International Airport to Silvio Pettirossi, the aircraft then proceeds to Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro. Subsequently, the plane follows the same route in reverse.
According to aeronautical data, the flight from Asunción to Rio de Janeiro will take approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes. The aircraft will depart Paraguay at 08:35 and arrive in Brazil at 11:00. From Brazil, the flight will depart at 19:10, arriving in Paraguay at 21:50.
Price for a ticket is USD $91, including taxes. For more information, visit JetSMART’s website.
Flybondi’s inaugural flight to Encarnación postponed
In other aeronautical news, Flybondi announced the postponement of its first flight between Buenos Aires and Encarnación, Paraguay. This new flight route was initially scheduled to commence on 24 August 2025 but will now begin on Wednesday, 27 August. The delay is due to strike action announced by the Association of Air Navigation Protection and Safety Technicians and Employees (ATEPSA) at all Argentine airports.
Residents in the region, particularly from Posadas, Argentina, have been eagerly awaiting this connection. The Libertador General José de San Martín International Airport is currently experiencing overcrowding, and the region would greatly benefit from an additional international airport in the area.
