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    1. Airlines

    Spirit Airlines to Resume Direct Flights to Colombia for First Time Since COVID Restrictions

    Sept. 18, 2020

    By Yvonne H. Valdez

    Source Sun Sentinel (TNS)

    Spirit will be the first airline to enter Colombia on an international commercial flight since borders were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    On Saturday, the Miramar-based airline restarts direct travel from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with a flight to Cartagena. Spirit Airlines will restart flights from Bogota, Medellin and Cali to Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 21.

    “Being the first airline arriving to Colombia from abroad is a reminder of how strong our commitment to the country continues to be,” Ted Christie, president and CEO of Spirit Airlines, said in a prepared statement. “Reuniting guests with their loved ones, now that the borders are reopening, is the best gift we can give them.”

    Since the close of Colombia’s borders due to COVID-19, Spirit Airlines has made nearly 200 flights since April that repatriated more than 25,000 people between the United States and nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia being the main contributor to this mission, the airline said.

    “Spirit’s return to our skies is great news for the country, confirming that we are moving firmly towards the recovery of the tourism industry under strict biosecurity protocols,” said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, the country’s tourism promotion group.

    Passengers traveling to Colombia must:

    Present a negative result of a COVID test no more than 96 hours before the stipulated travel time.

    Register on Colombia’s official immigration page. The process can be done 24 hours in advance and up to one hour before the trip.

    For more information on the protocols of entry to the country, such as the amount of time travelers can stay at the airport and other recommendations, visit the official website of the Colombian government.

    Spirit is maintaining security protocols that includes requiring all passengers and team members to use fabric covers for the face.

    Like other airlines, Spirit has expanded aircraft cleanup protocols between each flight and uses two EPA-registered nebulization treatments, the company said.

    [email protected], 954-825-7827, @yvonnehvaldezz on Facebook, Twitter.

    ———

    ©2020 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

    Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com

    Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.