Colombia’s low-cost carrier Viva Air seeking permits to fly to Puerto Rico
Viva Air, a Colombian low-cost carrier that is part of Grupo Viva, has submitted an application to that country’s aviation authorities to begin flying from Bogotá and Medellín to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LMM) in Carolina, according to published reports.
The two direct routes are part of an aggressive expansion plan by the carrier, which is seeking the go-ahead to start another 30 international connections from Colombia to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, El Salvador, Panama, Brazil, Guatemala, Aruba, and the continental US.
Viva — formerly VivaColombia — was founded in 2008 and launched operations in May 2012. Its main air hub is Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova Airport in Colombia.
If its petition filed with the Colombian aviation authority on Oct. 10 is approved, Viva Air “could position it as the largest offer of destinations and routes abroad of a low-cost in Colombia,” as reported by Aviaciononline.com.
“The ultra-low-cost airline is sustaining strong growth in Colombia and has recovered 100% of its network, surpassing its operational capacity for 2019. The milestone was visualized when it broke during this first half of 2021 the mark of two million passengers transported in Colombia,” the website stated.
Aerostar officials, which manage the LMM, said there is nothing official yet regarding the airline’s petition to potentially land at the island’s main air hub. If given the go-ahead, Viva Air would compete with Avianca and Copa, which currently connect Puerto Rico with Colombia.
