Avianca will gradually resume its international operations from Colombia starting Sept. 28, and will increase flights to different destinations, after the respective authorizations.
Initially, the company will operate to 16 international destinations from Bogota and Medellin:
- Starting Sept. 28: Flights from Medellin to Miami and New York.
- Starting Oct. 1: Operations from Bogota to Guayaquil, Quito, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Miami and New York.
- Starting Oct. 15: Flights to Cancun, Guatemala City, La Paz, Punta Cana, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santiago de Chile, San Salvador, Santo Domingo and Washington
The company will resume operations on these dates after coordinating with the aeronautical authorities regarding available flight slots at each airport, different operating authorizations, network review and adaptation to demand. All of this is done to offer a safe operation and to give Avianca customers enough time to meet the corresponding requirements, such as taking the PCR test for the destinations that require it.
Anko van der Werff, president and CEO of Avianca, said: "We are very happy with the reopening of the international operation from Colombia, this will allow us to connect families and businesses and in turn reactivate the supply chain of this sector that drives thousands of Colombians. This start of operation implies keeping up the guard, since self-care is still key. On our side, you can be sure that the biosecurity protocols are the strictest and that the priority is to take care of our clients and our crews. This new start will be gradual, we hope to give you more good news about our network soon.”
The initial fleet for the international operation will be 34 aircraft, including Airbus A319, Airbus 320 and Boeing 787. During these months, the entire fleet underwent preventive maintenance checks to protect its general condition and ensure its availability.
It is important to emphasize that the resumption of air operations throughout the country will be gradual and the number of flights approved by the authorities is limited. Therefore, the availability of seats depends on the authorized capacity.
During this time, Avianca implemented biosecurity protocols with the highest standards to give its travelers the confidence to fly again. These protocols were successfully tested on more than 400 special flights carrying more than 45,500 people seeking to return home. In addition, the company reached new destinations from Bogota such as Rome, Paris, Shanghai, Zurich and Brussels.
The airline also reiterated that an airplane is one of the safest spaces in which a person can be, since it acts in a very similar way to a surgical room by having filters that ensure air circulation. These filters capture 99.97% of airborne microbes. In addition, the cabin air system delivers approximately 50% outside air and 50% filtered and recirculated air, which means that the air supplied is essentially sterile.
