The first Montevideo–Rivera flight took place, a key connection for tourism and regional development

The route will have two weekly frequencies, on Mondays and Wednesdays, departing from Carrasco Airport at 7:00 PM and returning from Rivera Airport at 8:45 PM. The flights will have a total duration of 1 hour and 5 minutes and will be operated with CRJ-200 aircraft, with a capacity for 50 passengers.

Tourism Minister Pablo Menoni celebrated the launch of this new connection and highlighted the collaborative effort that made it possible: “I want to commend the government policy we are pursuing; this is an initiative that began under the previous administration, and I want to emphasize the effort of both the public and private sectors in this endeavor. The Ministry will continue working in this direction, understanding that this route not only brings Rivera closer to Montevideo, but also to those five million people on the other side of the border. It is a true driver of the local economy, and that is precisely what we are aiming for.”

For his part, Jaime Casola, General Manager of Paranair, emphasized the importance of this expansion of operations, saying, “Today we are celebrating the flight between Montevideo and Rivera, our second destination within Uruguay. On behalf of Paranair, we are very grateful to this country, to the Ministry of Tourism, to Aeropuertos Uruguay, and to all the passengers who continue to place their trust in us.”

The CEO of Aeropuertos Uruguay, Diego Arrosa, highlighted the importance of the binational airport and the collaborative work that made this connection possible, saying, “We are at the second binational airport in the world and inaugurating this new route. We can only thank all the stakeholders involved for their work over almost two years, which today brings Montevideo and Rivera closer together.”

Rivera Airport was inaugurated in December 2023 by Aeropuertos Uruguay, after a modernization process that transformed its infrastructure and aligned it with international standards of operation, safety and service.

The mayor of Rivera, Richard Sander, praised the regional impact of the new service, saying, “This allows Rivera to continue progressing and transforming. We will be working together with the departments of Artigas and Tacuarembó to ensure this works and that we can invest in tourism and economic development. We all share the challenge of maintaining and expanding this flight.”

With this new air route, Uruguay continues to expand its internal connectivity network, promoting territorial integration and generating more opportunities for tourism and regional economies. 

Source: Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay.