Avianca Adds 16 Aircraft to its Fleet

Avianca airline has announced that it will be adding 16 new planes to its fleet in the coming months. Avianca currently operates a total of 120 planes on routes to and from Latin America, with Colombia, where the company was founded in 1919, serving as one of its main operational hubs.

The $473 million investment will be used to enhance connectivity within Colombia as well as with international destinations such as Florida (USA), Ecuador, and Central America.

More Flights, More Seats

This investment, the highest in the company’s century-long history, will enable Avianca to add new planes to achieve the goal of significantly increasing flight offerings. The new routes will be gradually rolled out from October to December 2023.

As a result, Avianca will operate 4,249 additional flights with over 767,000 new seats. According to Avianca’s own data, this represents a 24% growth in domestic capacity in Colombia and a 12% growth in international flights.

Strengthening Colombian Routes

Of the 16 new planes, 14 will be used to strengthen domestic service within Colombia. It’s worth noting that the new routes will improve communication with regions far from the country’s center, including Leticia in the Amazon, Pasto on the Ecuadorian border, Riohacha in La Guajira and San Andrés in the Caribbean archipelago, as well as provide alternatives to connect with Villavicencio in the Eastern Plains.

The road that connects the capital of Meta with Bogotá is frequently closed due to landslides, due to the difficult terrain. The most recent significant closure occurred following a recent 6.1 magnitude earthquake that resulted in multiple landslides covering the road with debris.

“The increase in capacity will allow us to strengthen and restore connectivity to cities and regions that lost it due to the crisis, as well as provide more and better connectivity opportunities to other destinations within and outside of Colombia,” said a company spokesperson.

For example, the city of Leticia will increase its weekly flights from 10 to 18, connecting the Colombian Amazon with the rest of the country. Similarly, Pasto will increase its weekly operations from 25 to 42.

More International Flights

International flights to and from Colombia will also see a significant increase. Destinations such as Boston, Curaçao, Fort Lauderdale, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Orlando, Panama City, Punta Cana, San Salvador, and San Juan will have increased connectivity with various Colombian airports by the end of 2023.