Nella Airlines Group takes a new step in the execution of its strategy of expanding operations in several Latin American countries with the re-launch of LAP in Paraguay.
The news was reported in various media of the South American country after Mauricio Souza, CEO of the company, and the head of the National Directorate of Civil Aviation, Felix Kanazawa, were interviewed by the newspaper ‘La Nacion’ of Paraguay.
Depending on the regulator, Nella will have in its hands a very important asset, and that is the possibility of exploiting the LAP (Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas) brand, which carried the country’s name to several corners of the world between the 1960s and 1990s.
«We are going to give up the LAP brand, but will maintain the name and make reference to it being ‘by Nella’. In this case, 100% is investment from the private company. For us and for aviation in general, this is a very important fact, considering that the Paraguayan airline has not been operating for a long time», Kanazawa said, adding that: «with this step, we are showing that our country has an attractive economic indicator for investors».
«We will equip 2 Boeing 737 aircraft with the original LAP colors, as it is a historical brand for Paraguay, and if we can identify the country to the world, it would be very gratifying for all of us. We believe and want to start flying in March 2022″, said Mauricio Souza, the CEO of Nella Airlines.
Souza explained that the aircraft they will use to operate in Paraguay is a Boeing 737-800 with a capacity for 189 passengers: «First we will execute the contracts for the assignment of the LAP brand, then we will adapt the aircraft and start operating». Mauricio added, specifying that at first, they will operate routes connecting Paraguay with Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, but that all the information will be detailed once the contracts are signed.
Nella also plans to open a workshop with the capacity to perform maintenance on the company’s own engines and those of third parties, as reported by our partner Aeroin. Nella’s plan in Paraguay would employ up to 400 people, such as pilots, technicians, engineers, operational and administrative personnel, among others.
The group had already acquired the Venezuelan Albatros in July 2021, and according to its CEO, Mauricio Souza plans to add, in addition to Brazil and Bolivia, «two other countries where we will operate soon», hinting at the potential purchase of other airlines. One of the countries he was referring to is, evidently, Paraguay.
In an official statement, the Nella Airlines Group recently published that «we began operating in a market that moved around 4 million passengers a year before the pandemic and that until June 2021 has recovered 78% of this demand. We are confident in the rapid increase in the volume of passengers and cargo carried by Nella in Latin America, with great connectivity».
