On the afternoon of March 30, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, ordered that all transport aircraft of the Colombian Air Force, including the presidential aircraft, be made available to passengers affected by the closures of Ultra and Viva Air.
«In the face of the emergency caused by the cessation of operations of the airlines Viva Air and Ultra, I have ordered that all the aircraft of the FAC, including the presidential aircraft, from this moment be made available for the transport of affected users,» Petro said through Twitter.
«I will suspend all my trips so that the presidential aircraft can be used in the midst of the crisis,» he added, while indicating that they will evaluate the measures to be taken with the team from the Ministry of Transport and the aeronautical authority.
The Colombian Air Force and its transport aircraft
It is unknown which aircraft will be affected by the operation, as the FAC has a substantial number of liaison/transport aircraft that could be included in the action.
The Force has Lockheed C-130 Hercules, CASA C-295, C-212, Boeing 737-400F (C-40), and KC-767 aircraft, among others. The Boeing BBJ 737-700 FAC 0001, the presidential aircraft, will also be made available.
In addition, considering the connection of SATENA with the FAC, it is expected that its fleet will also be made available for the transportation of stranded passengers.