On Tuesday, May 17, Easyfly held a hybrid press conference (virtual and face-to-face) at the Marriot Hotel in Bogota, Colombia, to which Aviacionline was invited.
The company presented its balance of operations for the first part of 2022 and its plans for the current year: the company has been carrying out an aggressive expansion plan, despite an industry shaken by the invasion of Ukraine and the health crisis still present.
Colombia’s only airline with profits
After presenting profits in 2021 of 6,133 million Colombian pesos (USD 1,529 million), Easyfly is the only company in Colombia to end the year with balanced finances.
Given the company’s good economic outlook, it presented a strategic expansion plan at the beginning of 2022 that includes more aircraft, more routes, and new destinations, with a projected growth of 75% in passenger transportation by the end of the year.
The airline will go from carrying 1,424,040 passengers in 2021 to 2.5 million travelers this year, with a considerable increase in routes: from 57 to 74 in 42 Colombian cities (adding 11 new destinations), and 90% coverage of the national territory.
The company made an estimated investment of US$120 million to secure the leasing of six new ATR 42 and 72 aircraft, three of which arrived between February and April and the rest will arrive between June and July, to complete a fleet of 24 aircraft.
See also: Easyfly increased its flights to five destinations from Medellín
«The arrival of air transportation to areas that today do not have this service will boost the economic growth and development of these regions, by facilitating business connections with the capital cities», assured Alfonso Ávila Velandia, president of EasyFly.
With these strategic decisions, the company’s revenue projections will increase from COP 317 billion (USD 78,436 million) in 2021 to COP 589 billion (USD 145,738 million) by the end of 2022, which represents a 185% growth.
New routes and destinations between June and July 2022
As part of its expansion plans, the company will add new destinations and routes mainly from its main hub in Medellín/Olaya Herrera (EOH).
Among the new destinations the airline will fly to are:
- Bahía Solano (BSC), a tourist paradise in Chocó, starting June 1.
- Tolú – Coveñas (TLU), which stands out for its beaches on the Caribbean Coast, starting June 10.
- Pitalito (PTX), in Huila, an intermediate city near the archaeological bastion of San Agustin and with great movement due to coffee cultivation, starting June 14.
- La Macarena (LMC), a place known worldwide for its multi-colored river, starting June 17.
- Buenaventura (BUN), the largest Colombian port, starting June 16.
- Paipa (RON), first commercial operation in the department of Boyacá, starting June 23.
- Villagarzón (VGZ), in Putumayo, are among the new destinations to be covered by the airline in the coming months, starting June 21.
«We are making homeland. The success of this aviation model consists of the ease of connection offered by the operation from Olaya Herrera airport in Medellín because time is saved and flights are connected from origin to destination, non-stop,» explained Ávila Velandia.
The investment plan, together with the increase in routes and the number of passengers transported, allowed the company to add 300 new employees.
