The governments of Colombia and Venezuela, led by Gustavo Petro and Nicolás Maduro, respectively, have introduced the reopening of their borders, permitting the resumption of air journey connectivity after a three-year hiatus because of a diplomatic downfall. Avianca, LATAM, Extremely, Wingo, and Avior, which had a number of routes between each international locations previous to the pandemic, are able to restart their industrial passenger providers as quickly as they get the inexperienced mild.
Open borders once more
It took about three years for the borders between Colombia and Venezuela to be absolutely opened once more. On Friday, Venezuela’s authorities introduced the authorization of flights between each international locations and the reopening of the air hall between Bogota’s El Dorado Worldwide Airport (BOG) and Caracas Simon Bolivar Worldwide (CCS) by the top of this month.
Armando Benedetti, Colombia’s ambassador in Venezuela, stated 5 airways need to resume providers between Bogota and Caracas beginning on September 26. These carriers are Avianca, LATAM, Extremely, Wingo, and Avior. He added that Venezuela’s service Laser Airways continues to be within the strategy of being accredited to function this route. Wingo, Copa Holdings’ subsidiary, has additionally been licensed to carry out a service between Bogota and Valencia.
The diplomatic relationship between each international locations went awry when former Colombian president Iván Duque acknowledged Juan Guaidó as a substitute president of Venezuela as an alternative of Nicolás Maduro. Following the incident, Maduro expelled all Colombian diplomatic members and closed the borders between each international locations.
Flights between Colombia and Venezuela will probably be resumed in September. Picture: Getty Photos.
Worldwide connectivity to Venezuela
In the previous few years, Venezuela has misplaced worldwide air connectivity. For example, the nation had about 348 worldwide flights and 51,328 seats accessible in September 2015 versus 106 weekly flights and 17,288 seats in September 2022, utilizing information by Cirium.
Venezuela presently has worldwide providers from 12 airways; Copa Airways operates the biggest variety of providers, with 33 flights per week from Tocumen Worldwide Airport (PTY). Different operators are Conviasa, Laser, Avior, Turpial, Turkish Airways, Air Europa, and TAP Portugal. Seven years in the past, the nation had connectivity from different airways akin to American Airways, Air France, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Delta, GOL, Iberia, LATAM, and Avianca. A couple of of those operators are excited by resuming their providers to the South American nation.
The Venezuelan authorities presently permits worldwide flights from 15 international locations worldwide. This checklist consists of Turkey, Russia, Mexico, Bolivia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Iran, Brazil, Algeria, Qatar, and Colombia.
A number of airways have acknowledged their curiosity in resuming industrial flights to Venezuela. Picture: Getty Photos.
Avianca, Wingo and LATAM able to go
In current months, each Avianca and LATAM have acknowledged their curiosity in resuming industrial providers between Colombia and Venezuela. As reported by native media outlet Aviacionline, Avianca’s crew “is able to reconnect these two sibling international locations.” The airline is presently awaiting the Venezuelan authorities to authorize its technical crew to go to the nation and start promoting the flight. It’s anticipated Avianca may resume the routes to Venezuela throughout the subsequent two to a few months.
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Supply: El País, Aviacionline.
