Viva Air Strengthens Domestic Network With 5 New Routes + More Frequencies To Leticia

Colombia-based international low-cost carrier Viva announced Thursday that tickets have gone on sale for five new national routes: San Andrés-Pereira, San Andrés- Barranquilla, San Andrés-Bucaramanga, San Andrés-Cartagena and Cartagena-Bucaramanga.

The airline is also strengthening its connectivity between Bogotá and Colombia’s Amazon River gateway of Leticia, on the Amazon River at Colombia’s border with Peru and Brazil. With the operation of these new routes, Viva increases its network of connections to 30 domestic routes to 13 destinations within Colombia, seven national destinations in Peru, and seven international routes to five destinations in Peru, Mexico and the United States. Paperwork has been filed with government authorities for additional routes to Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil and Argentina, though the airline has made no official announcements regarding these destinations.

In order to generate higher levels of connectivity and development in the country, the airline expects to transport approximately 305,000 travelers during the first year of operations on these routes. Tickets are already on sale via  Viva’s website, with launch rates starting at $54,450 each way. Viva says it hopes to generate the ‘Viva Effect,’ a reduction of market rates by up to 50% on some routes, allowing Colombians and international visitors to connect even more throughout the country while paying less.

“There are five new direct national routes that we will start operating in the coming months and added to the three national routes that we already inaugurated this year, we will close 2021 with eight new routes in the domestic market. In addition, we are committed to strengthening the offer on existing routes such as Bogotá – Leticia. This is a historic milestone for our company, and it reflects the good time we were going through as an airline, seeking to expand our operations in Colombia. The new routes are to Viva destinations that we already operate, but which in the coming months we will connect with each other, promoting the reactivation of national tourism and the much-needed air inclusion in the region,” said Félix Antelo, CEO and president of the Viva airline group.

“It seems incredible to think that in the framework of a pandemic that still presents great challenges worldwide and to our industry, this 2021 we are marking as a year of growth and expansion for Viva. This shows the capacity, agility, and spirit of our team, capable of adapting, reacting and taking advantage of market opportunities. We have shown the region that Viva is not stopped by anything, and we continue taking strong steps in our consolidation in the domestic market and the reactivation process,” added Antelo.

In October, the airline will start operating the routes: Pereira-San Andrés and Barranquilla-San Andrés, with three weekly flights each and will increase the offer from Bogotá – Leticia to four frequencies a week. In November, connections will begin between San Andrés and Cartagena, with five flights a week, and Cartagena-Bucaramanga with three weekly frequencies. Travelers will be able to fly the new direct San Andrés-Bucaramanga route, starting on December 16, with two flights a week.

With a growing fleet of 18 new aircraft, 8 of them with NEO engines, Viva is now dominating the market for flights to San Andrés, Colombia’s Caribbean island vacation destination. Flights to San Andrés begin as low as $68,900 pesos, or under $18 USD.

Route Details:

 Inaugural flights:

• San Andrés – Pereira: October 31
• San Andrés – Barranquilla: October 31
• Bogotá – Leticia: October 31
• San Andrés – Cartagena: November 1
• Cartagena – Bucaramanga: November 3
• San Andrés – Bucaramanga: December 16

Launch prices:

• San Andrés – Pereira: $ 68,950
• Pereira – San Andrés: $ 77,500
• San Andrés – Barranquilla: $ 56,350
• Barranquilla – San Andrés: $ 68,900
• Bogotá – Leticia: $ 98,050
• Leticia – Bogotá: $ 89,900
• San Andrés – Cartagena: $ 54,450
• Cartagena – San Andrés: $ 70,000
• Cartagena – Bucaramanga: $ 77,550
• Bucaramanga -Cartagena: $ 70,590
• San Andrés – Bucaramanga: $ 68,950
• Bucaramanga – San Andrés: $ 77,600

Weekly frequencies:

• San Andrés – Pereira: 3 weekly flights (Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).
• San Andrés – Barranquilla: 3 weekly flights (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).
• Bogotá – Leticia: 4 weekly flights (Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday).
• San Andrés – Cartagena: 5 weekly flights (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday).
• Cartagena – Bucaramanga: 3 weekly flights (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday).
• San Andrés – Bucaramanga: 2 weekly flights (Thursday and Saturday).

Expected “Viva Effect” market-wide rate reductions across airlines:

• 47% and 53% between Bucaramanga and San Andrés
• 40% and 42% between Bucaramanga and Cartagena
• 47% and 53% between San Andrés and Pereira
• 0% and 2% between San Andrés and Barranquilla
• 2% and 15% between San Andrés and Cartagena
• 41% and 46% between Bogotá and Leticia

Number of passengers Viva expects to transport in the first year:

• 30,000 passengers between Bucaramanga and San Andrés
• 45,000 passengers between Bucaramanga and Cartagena
• 45,000 passengers between San Andrés and Pereira
• 45,000 passengers between San Andrés and Barranquilla
• 95,000 passengers between San Andrés and Cartagena
• 45,000 between Bogotá and Leticia