Ocio & Travel, Logistics

José Manuel Restrepo, Colombia’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has announced a hotel occupancy rate for March of this year of 58.44% reached by hotel occupancy in March, according to figures released by DANE, Colombia’s national statistics agency. For Restrepo, this result, the highest for the month of March in the last 11 years, shows the efforts being made by the sector, and government initiatives to strengthen the most dynamic destinations in the country...

The Viva Air Group and Cartesian Capital Group have announced Cartesian’s capital investment of $50 million to contribute to the growth and internationalization of the airline in Colombia, Peru and more destinations. “The fact that a private global capital firm such as Cartesian has selected the Viva Air Group confirms the immense progress we have made in recent years and the possibilities for growth developed in the region with the increase in passengers year...

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency “Notice To Airmen” (NOTAM) that restricts US flights and pilots, except those working for foreign commercial air cariers, from flying over Venezuela, with the exception of high altitude flights over 26,000 feet above mean sea level. The notice indicates that the restriction is due to the deteriorating security situation in Venezuela, and what the FAA calls “inadvertent...

In 2008, the Miami Rum Festival began as a small but elegant rum tasting event at Coral Gables’ historic Venetian Pool with 54 luxury rums and 150 rum enthusiasts in attendance. Eleven years later — after growing the event to be the biggest gathering of rum experts and professionals in the world — event producers are returning to their roots in Coral Gables with a more intimate and elegant tasting event at the historic Coral Gables Woman’s Club. On Friday, May 17 and...

Bogotá is Colombia’s vibrant capital of 9 million people. Seat of the country’s government, home to many of Colombia’s most important businesses, and the setting for eclectic restaurants, nightlife, and cultural attractions, the capital city still suffers from some of the world’s worst traffic, and taxi drivers infamous for dishonesty. Smart travelers with Bogotá as either a destination, or as a layover for flights in and out of El Dorado International Airport, develop...

Viva Air CEO Félix Antelo announced last week the hiring of Catalina Rendón Jaramillo as Viva Air’s director of communications and corporate affairs for the low cost international airline. During the last 12 years Rendón led the communications efforts of Inexmoda, Colombia’s leading textile industry and fashion institute, and its renowned Colombiatex de las Américas and Colombiamoda fairs. Due to her skills in public relations and communication, she managed to make the...

Medellín based low-cost airline Viva Air today in its Rionegro, Colombia headquarters outside of Medellín, finalized a $3.2 billion USD deal for the purchase and maintenance of LEAP-1A turbofan engines with jet engine provider CFM International. The engines are destined for the new Airbus A320neo airplanes Viva Air has ordered, The LEAP-1A engine order for the 35 new A320neo aircraft, will begin delivery in 2020, and the sale integrates a 12-year agreement with CFM’s...

One of Italy’s oldest Tuscan vintners, the house of Frescobaldi, is now exporting several labels of its Italian wine to Colombia, via importer and distributor Pedro Domecq Colombia. Frasecobaldi, headed by family patriarch Lamberto Frescobaldi and his brother Vittorio, holds over 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of vineyards in Tuscany. The Frescobaldi have six farms and two restaurants, one in Florence and the other in the Mayfair district of London. Leading an enterprise...

Global hotel brand Novotel, part of the Accor portfolio, has opened its first Medellín location, rebranding the former Atton hotel anchoring the upscale El Tesoro shopping center. Accor has attributed the decision due to Medellín’s strategic location and position as one of the main financial, industrial, commercial and service centers in Colombia. During the last years, the city has become a key place for events and conventions, in addition to the presence of important...

Considered by the international media as the main event of the Latin American motorcycle industry, the 13th annual Feria de las 2 Ruedas, organized by Medellín firm Prisma Events, returns to Plaza Mayor in Medellín opening its doors on May 2 and 3 for industry professionals and members of the press; then continues Saturday May 4th and Sunday May 5th, when the general public is welcome. More than 60,000 visitors from all regions of Colombia and entrepreneurs from 30...

Discount Colombian airline Wingo announced this week that it will launch two new flights from Bogotá to the Dominican Republic and Curacao.

The total was up 3.5% from 2017, while Avianca's RPK (revenue passenger kilometers) jumped by 8.7% year over year.

“The tourist consumption of Colombians is very low,” says Juan Pablo Franky, deputy minister of tourism.

Multiple teenage players were killed in the accident as well as one three-year-old boy, according to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.

The inaugural flight on the new route will take off on November 17 and tickets will continue being sold for weekend-only travel through April 28 of next year

Spaniards can enjoy a week of sun and vacations in Medellín for about €1,089, according to data from Kayak Spain.

During the first year, the carrier expects to transport some 31,000 passengers between Miami and Santa Marta, which it has named its third hub in Colombia.

"At its worst, the box that Medellín was put in was a terrible box. But if you are here, you know the box is alive," said Robert Young.

The route to Santa Cruz is Avianca’s second connecting Colombia in Bolivia. The carrier also operates a daily flight between Bogotá and La Paz.

Among the projects underway is the development of methods to pay for flights through mobile platforms such as WhatsApp.

The LATAM Group already owned more than 70% of Multiplus as the controlling stakeholder and will purchase the remaining shares of the São Paulo-based firm.

Avianca say the problem involved the failure of a communications system with crew members who did not show up for scheduled flights.

Avianca beat out beat everyone on the continent, including second-place finisher Azul Airlines, LATAM, Sky Airlines, and Aerolíneas Argentinas.

Avianca’s new lounge has private cubicles with power connections in quiet areas of the complex in addition to a greatly expanded menu of food and drink options.

This will be the first direct flight operating between these two major cities in the Americas.

This will become Avianca's fourth direct route to Europe, adding to the current routes from Bogotá to Madrid, Barcelona, and London.

“To reach 94 million, it is necessary to continue strengthening the airport infrastructure,” said Juan Carlos Salazar, director of Aerocivil.

Corporación Autónoma Coralina is now charged with setting the capacity and overhauling its overall environmental plan for popular tourist area.

Previously, many domestic flights departed and landed at Puente Aéreo but now all Avianca routes go through Terminal 1.

Antelo will take over as head of the Panama-based discount airline group officially on May 15.

The office, the Indian company’s first in Colombia and 15th location worldwide, will employe 200 people and serve as a "strategic LatAm center."

Bogotá is up for the top prize for the overall “South America’s Leading Destination,” while San Andres could win best beach destination.

This figure represents a 5.4% increase compared to the $5.5 billion USD in revenues in 2016.

Among those fired was Colombian Association of Civil Aviators (ACDAC) union head Jaime Hernández.

Colombia set an all-time modern monthly record for record hotel occupancy rate, with 62.5% of the rooms being filled last November.

Avianca and Tokyo-based airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) have expanded their codeshare agreement to include flights between Japan and the Latin American capitals of Bogotá and San Salvador. These flights connect Colombia and El Salvador to Japan via a stopover in Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport, and passengers on these routes will be able to earn frequent flyer miles through either Avianca’s LifeMiles program or the ANA Mileage Club. Both airlines are...

Travelers can already book reservations on the new route, which will offer 150 seats daily on an A320 aircraft.

Cali, the third largest city in Colombia, ranked ninth among the continent’s on-the-rise destinations.

The flight is being added as a part of the agreement reached last year to end the pilot strike.

The largest cause of the decline was a prolonged strike this fall by more than half of the Colombian pilots working for Avianca.

Domestic and regional traffic numbers were down but passengers in international markets grew 6.1% over 2016 to reach 12,578,095 flyers.

The paper of record highlights the “pulsating capital of Bogotá” now featuring “dozens of luxe hotel chains” and a rising gastronomical scene.

Despite ongoing improvement, Colombian passport holders continue to have less access than most other Latin American nations.

Though the 57 billion pesos allotted for 2018 are substantially below the 161 billion pesos invested last year, Colombia's commerce ministry stressed that the investment is critical.

Ryan takes over the president role from VivaColombia founder William Shaw as the carrier continues its major expansion plans.

The platform allows travelers to use their personal devices to connect to the aircraft’s entertainment offerings.

"Beautiful Bogotá is on the rise for 2018, being the hectic heart of Colombia and a great base for exploring the wider country."

The NEO, or "new engine option," aspect of the aircraft reduces fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions.

With nearly 5.8 million foreign visitors from January through November, the country boasted growth of 27.7% compared to 2016.

The backpay and extended benefits apply retroactively to all Avianca pilots — not only the roughly 700 members of the ACDAC union.

Aerocivil began operating the Instrument Landing System (ILS) Category III at El Dorado International Airport in late November.

On top of minimal cloud cover, Tatacoa’s proximity to the Equator gives stargazers the ability to view 88 constellations.

Citi's ThankYou Points can now be transferred one-for-one in exchange forLifeMiles.

Kingsland says that it "agreed to discontinue that litigation in order to continue to focus on ongoing business negotiations" to resolve their differences.

The Santiago-based airline expects to transport some 33,000 people on this route per year.

“The pilot strike will have an adverse effect on our fourth quarter results,” said Hernán Rincón, CEO of Avianca Holdings.

SAI supports ground operations including aircraft dispatch, engine starting, counter check-in, and cabin cleaning.

“We urge the pilots of ACDAC to return to work and comply with the legal decisions immediately," said Avianca head Hernán Rincón.

With an already-massive port business and a spike in international tourism, Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport is nearing capacity. To solve the problem, Conecta Caribe, along with a team of partners, has devised a proposal to construct a bigger and better airport for the Colombian jewel of the Caribbean. Photo: Rodrigo Araujo of Conecta Caribe is organizing the feasibility study now in hopes of breaking ground on a new airport in Cartagena by 2020....

The news comes fresh off the heels of EasyFly acquiring two new French ATR 42-600 aircraft, each at a cost of around $18 million USD.

The pilots union said that "the Colombian state is on the side of the company that violates labor rights and not the rights of workers.”

Overall, the bank estimates this shortfall equates to an overall net income loss of $1.5 million USD per day.

Ticket sales have been reactivated but technical challenges have made searching for a flight complicated in the first day of encouragement that the strike could end soon.

Avianca hopes to stave off a strike in a morning meeting tomorrow with representatives of the pilots union ACDAC.

If enacted, a strike by ACDAC would ground some 700 pilots working for Avianca, the largest airline in Colombia.

"It is our obligation to investigate and sanction any company — domestic or foreign — that violates these rules," said Javier Jaramillo of Supertransporte.

Wingo believes that this relationship will “support its rapid expansion plans.”

The new agreement will go into effect on tickets sold this month and for travel dates beginning in September.

Avianca's top executive called it a “difficult decision” to suspend flights for first time in 60 years while citing safety concerns and operational difficulties.

El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá will have no commercial flights from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm on July 20.

"Inaction is not an option," said John Kelly, head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a warning to international airports.

The stars of this year's show are the F-16 “Fighting Falcon” jets brought by the United States and the skywriting “Smoke Squadron” of Brazil.

Medellín hosted 42 international association meetings in 2016. This was the same number as Chicago and Zurich — and seven times as many as the former world murder capital held in 2006.

“There are people out there right now researching whether you can fly standing up,” said company CEO William Shaw.

Seven have been confirmed dead, 11 are still missing, and more than 130 people have been rescued after disaster struck during a holiday weekend boat trip in Guatapé.

The deal represents an update to Copa's existing order of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and will make Copa “the first airline in Latin America" to operate the 737 Max 10.

A dozen flights marked the culmination of a $75 million USD investment in the primary air travel hub for western Colombia.

The winter route will fly weekly from Toronto to Cartagena between December 18 and April 9.

Cali will get direct flights to Santa Marta, Bucaramanga, and San Andrés, while Cartagena and Medellín also get new routes to San Andrés.

Bogotá-based airline Avianca completed the first flight on its new daily route between the Colombian capital and Montevideo today.

Avianca head Hernán Rincón says the airline "will continue negotiations with United" to reach an alliance that he believes is in the best interest of the company and shareholders.

"Travelers arriving to Mompox have the possibility to live a unique experience," said María Claudia Lacouture, Colombia's minister of commerce.

During peak summer season, from June 8 to August 14, United Airlines will make two flights per day between Newark and Bogotá.

Airline improvement in recent years means more Colombians "now consider air travel their first choice when traveling," said Wingo CEO Catalina Bretón.

The 2016 total was more than half a billion dollars above the $5.2 billion USD reported in 2015 and puts the industry second in terms of foreign revenue generation after the oil sector.

Business travelers worry about "being a target of insecurity in some countries,” says Octavio Bonilla of Nissan Mexico.

Aerocivil says it received an average of 18 complaints per day during the Semana Santa period, less than half of the 45-per-day average in 2016.

Hector Bernal Rozo has worked as sommelier at some of Colombia’s top restaurants, such as globally recognized El Cielo in Bogotá, Medellín, and Miami. Since leaving Bogotá for the verdant mountainsides of Manizales, Bernal established wine wholesaler La Cava del Eje and has been contracted by the Industria Licorera de Caldas as a spirits expert. As a certified sommelier, Bernal is a member of the Association of Sommeliers of Colombia. He is a member of Certified...

There were no injuries to any of the four crew on board, but one of El Dorado’s runways remained closed for roughly two hours.

The new flight will depart Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport at 4:29 am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Avianca's filing calls Roberto Kriete of Kingsland a “disloyal director who has worked actively to undermine the company’s strategic goals.”

The labor deal between Avianca and the ODEAA "includes a substantial increase in the gross income of pilots and co-pilots," according to the airline.

The flight will depart José María Córdova each day at 12:18 pm and arrive in Montería at 1:18 pm. The return leg will leave Los Garzones Airport at 2:00 pm and land at 3:00 pm.

Though adding a strategic partner could be a positive development, Fitch Ratings views Avianca's liquidity as low.

"With the launch of this new route, Avianca becomes the first and only airline to directly link Bogotá with Boston and vice versa," says the airline.

Germany retains its position at the top of the index for the second year running, with visa-free access to 176 countries out of a possible 218.

“The United transaction diverts the vast majority of the consideration United is paying for a partnership with Avianca...to Efromovich’s financially shaky affiliates," alleges the Kingsland lawsuit.

Avianca currently has four weekly flights to Los Angeles, and its upcoming daily route will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

While the number of Colombians traveling to the small South American nation has been meager in the past, the figures are growing.