Avianca will invest 473 million dollars in route expansion

The Airline company Aviancafounded in Colombia 104 years ago, announced Thursday that it will invest $473 million this year to add 16 aircraft to its operation, expanding its flight frequency to a large part of the country.

President and CEO of Aviance, Adrian Neuhauser, He explained that this is one of the company’s largest investments in the country, which will enable the employment of 1,200 new jobs, 800 of which are in Colombia.

These aircraft additions will serve to increase available seats by 25% by the end of the year, after supply in the country suffered a decline with the disappearance of two airlines: Viva Air and Ultra Air.

The CEO explained that this will also allow the company to install 14 A-320 aircraft for the Colombian market and two more for international markets such as the United States. Central America and Peru.

The way the planes will arrive at Avianca will be through leasing, he explained. Neuhauser, who also said that part of the $473 million will be invested in training staff and integrating the operation and that those funds will come from the company’s cash and part from debt.

Talking about the planes, he said they will start flying with the company between October 2023 and January 2024, increasing its capacity to offer seats to passengers.

frequency extensions
The central point of the large investment is to significantly increase the frequency of flights to a large part of Colombian cities.

One of the biggest winners will be the island of San Andrés, a tourist destination par excellence, which will increase from 30 to 53 trips.

Meanwhile, Ipiales, d department of Nariño, on the border with Ecuador, it will go from 4 to 7 frequencies, which will increase availability by 83%. On the other hand, flights to Riohacha, the capital of the department of La Guajira (north), will go from 20 to 28 per week and to Pasto (the capital of Nariña) will increase from 25 to 42 per week.

Internationally, seat availability for flights up to United States, Central America and the Caribbean. In addition, a direct line Bogotá – Cuzco was opened.

Neuhauser emphasized that Avianca’s expansion plan involves all properties in the country that have ties to air operations working together to offer better service.

He reminded that it is an international airport Golden it will go from 66 flights per hour to 74, and this implies greater efficiency of aviation authorities, Colombian migrations, administrators and airlines, among others.

According to a study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), El Dorado can operate efficiently with 68 flights per hour, so increasing to 74 flights may create additional challenges.

“There is a risk of congestion, especially during peak hours, which we all have to do in a coordinated way if we want to continue to provide a top-notch service,” said the CEO.