EXCLUSIVE-Argentina's Aerolineas to add new flights to New York and Madrid - chairman

Aerolineas Argentinas will add new flights to New York and Madrid as the government-controlled carrier seeks to ramp up sales outside its home country and boost income in an effort to beat back persistent operating losses.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, the chairman of Argentina's namesake airline said he expects income to hit $1.7 billion dollars in 2020, in line with the previous year, thanks to the sale of nearly 13 million tickets.

"If we can carry out our growth plan, the company's deficit will gradually be reduced," said Pablo Ceriani, who took over as chairman of the company's board in December under incoming Argentine president Alberto Fernandez.