JetSMART Airlines

JetSMART Airlines is a South American ultra-low-cost carrier owned by Indigo Partners — the US private equity firm that also owns or has owned shares in Frontier Airlines, Wizz Air, and Volaris — and operates on the same strict ULCC principles as its sister carriers in other parts of the world. Launched in Chile in 2017, JetSMART has rapidly expanded from a Chilean domestic carrier to a multi-country South American operator with bases in Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia. The airline's unbundled pricing model — charging the absolute minimum base fare with every additional service priced separately — has proven highly disruptive in South American markets where legacy carriers had maintained relatively high fare levels due to limited low-cost competition.

JetSMART operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet, consistent with its Indigo Partners corporate siblings worldwide, and targets primarily price-sensitive leisure travelers and the VFR (visiting friends and relatives) market. The airline has been particularly aggressive in Argentina, where it competes directly with Aerolíneas Argentinas on the government-subsidized domestic routes. JetSMART's SMART Club subscription service provides frequent travelers with discounted fares and fees for an annual membership fee.