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It is estimated that 2024 scheduled operations will contribute around $49 million to Puerto Rico’s economy.
Avianca will continue bolstering Puerto Rico’s international connectivity with Colombia, offering fresh adventure opportunities and novel overseas experiences.
The airline offers more than 1,400 seats per week on this route while operating four weekly flights on Airbus A320 aircraft.
Avianca and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which officially confirms the permanent return of the Medellín-San Juan route and the availability of a minimum of ten weekly flight frequencies between Bogotá and San Juan, in addition to enhancing new collaborative promotional agreements. With this new service, the airline continues its expansion in Puerto Rico, adding new connections between the South American continent and the island.
The MDE-SJU route was successfully incorporated into the airline’s itinerary for the holiday season, and now it will begin operating regularly from March 31 with four weekly frequencies. Similarly, the demand for the BOG-SJU route has responded favorably to capacity increases, leveraging the connectivity of the Bogotá hub. Following these increases, Avianca’s capacity is at its highest level since the restart of its operations in Puerto Rico a decade ago.
“The commercial agreements between Puerto Rico and Avianca will result in the acceleration of the airline’s post-pandemic growth in San Juan,” said Carlos Mercado Santiago, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. With these expansions, Avianca will have tripled its capacity on the island compared to 2019. We estimate that the economic impact of this growth in Puerto Rico will be around $49 million, with almost 130,000 seats in total during 2024 from Bogotá and Medellín.”
Added Rolando Damas, Avianca sales director for North America, Central America and the Caribbean: “With the permanent operation of our direct flight between San Juan and Medellín, we aim to further strengthen Puerto Rico’s international connectivity and provide customers with a direct and convenient option to reach one of Colombia’s most attractive destinations. Additionally, we continue to expand our operations and offer more convenient flight options for travelers.”
Avianca takes pride in continuing to connect travelers with their preferred destinations and in providing direct and permanent connections for all Puerto Ricans to Medellín. Tickets are available for purchase on their website, through their call center, travel agencies, and sales points throughout the country.
About Avianca Group: AVIANCA includes Avianca – a Star Alliance member-, LifeMiles and Avianca Cargo. In passenger transportation, Avianca, with more than 103 years of continuous operation since 1919, is the leading airline in Colombia, Ecuador, Central America and has one of the largest air operations in Latin America with 144 routes, 4,200 weekly flights and a fleet of 128 Airbus 320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, connecting to around 71 destinations in 24 countries in the Americas and Europe. In 2022, Avianca carried 24.6 million passengers with the operation of more than 187,000 flights. Its loyalty program, LifeMiles, is one of the largest in Latin America with more than 12.4 million members and 500 allied brands. In cargo transportation, Avianca Cargo is a leader in the region and is the main operator in different markets in the Americas. It serves more than 50 destinations with a fleet of Airbus 330 freighters, in addition to operating bellies in passenger aircraft. In 2022, Avianca Cargo transported more than 450,000 tons of cargo. Avianca today has a team of more than 12,000 people committed to providing safe, convenient, affordable and friendly service to its customers.
More information at www.avianca.com
