The gliding altitude record of 50,722 feet (15,460 m) was set near El Calafate on 30 August 2006 by Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson in their 'Perlan' high altitude research glider.
He also broke Hans-Werner Grosse's free distance record, which had lasted over 30 years, on 9 January 2003 by a flight of 2,247.6 km in a Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 4 DM at El Calafate in Argentina.
It is an affiliate of LAN Airlines and operates scheduled domestic services from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, Córdoba, Comodoro Rivadavia, El Calafate, Mendoza, Puerto Iguazú, Neuquén, Río Gallegos, Salta, San Juan, Tucumán and Ushuaia, and international services to Lima, Miami, Punta Cana, Santiago and Sao Paulo.