Avianca to Continue Offering Two Daily Flights from Bogotá to Villavicencio Following Road Closure

Following a series of strong earthquakes that hit central Colombia on August 17 and severely damaged the main road route between Bogotá and Villavicencio, Avianca modified its schedule to ensure there were two daily flights between Colombia’s largest city and the capital of Meta.

Photo: The route between Bogotá and Villavicencio. (Credit: Loren Moss)

Now, the nation’s flagship airline has announced that it will continue this increased schedule change throughout September before making it “permanent” in October.

Avianca began flying between the two destinations twice per day — with a combined 720 seats — on August 23 as an emergency measure “to address the crisis,” per the airline. The powerful 6.3 earthquake that hit Bogotá left one dead, and multiple aftershocks were felt across the area.

In normal times, driving from Bogotá to Villavicencio only takes around three hours. But after the road closure, the shortest route now takes more than seven hours through very rural areas.

“We know that in the face of the crisis on the road, air connectivity is essential for Meta,” said Felipe Andrés Gómez, director of international relations and sustainability at Avianca.

He added that the two daily flights will be the new operating strategy going forward even after the road closure ends. “It is time for everyone to work to ensure that these flights are successful and continue to connect Meta beyond the current situation,” said Gómez.