On Oct. 2, the first flight of the Avianca airline flights arrived at the Quito International Airport from Bogotá, once the government of Colombia lifted the restrictions on international passenger flights in that country.
The Quito-Bogotá route is one of the most important in the region for both business and tourism flights and has historically been one of the most demanded international connections by passengers at Quito’s airport. In 2019, 17% of the total passengers on international flights registered in Quito traveled on this route.
According to the information shared by Avianca, between 2018 and 2019, the airline evidenced a 20% growth in sales while the load factor for 2019 reached 82%.
Avianca resumes its operation with three weekly flights between Bogotá and Quito. As of Oct. 15 they will be increased to four weekly operations and for the 30th of the same month a daily flight will be offered.
“Resuming operations on the Quito-Bogotá route is very important for us since, through our main hub, we connect our passengers with dozens of destinations in the Americas and Europe. It is also the gateway to destinations within Colombia where many passengers travel for tourism, work or family visits. Although the resumption will be gradual in line with the existing demand, today we are reconnecting families, businesses, and dreams with strict security protocols at all stages of the flight,” commented Juan Francisco Ortiz, Avianca Airport Manager in Ecuador.
Meanwhile, Carlos Criado, director of business development at Corporación Quiport, the company in charge of the management and operation of the Quito airport, highlighted the importance of connectivity with Bogotá. “We cannot speak of a recovery in air transport without the Quito-Bogotá route. The historical ties between Colombia and Ecuador have generated a very important dynamic at all levels that is evident in tourism and business, without forgetting the large number of Colombians who live in our country and Ecuadorians who reside in Colombia. Avianca is one of our main allies and we wish it success in its operation”, said the executive.
