GOL Airlines, based in Brazil, has submitted an application to the Civil Aeronautics of Colombia (Aerocivil) to operate flights to Bogotá (BOG), Colombia, from Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE), Argentina and São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU), Brazil, with up to seven frequencies per week using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
This presentation falls under the fifth freedom of the air, allowing passengers to travel from Buenos Aires to São Paulo with a stopover in Bogotá and vice versa, or to disembark in the Colombian capital (the main objective of the route, that is, to serve the Colombia – Brazil and Colombia – Argentina market). This is the unusual flight path GOL will have to make:
This request highlights how bilateral agreements have become obsolete in the face of current demand in the Latin American market, forcing airlines to explore alternative routes to bypass them.
It is the reverse path taken by LATAM Brazil in 2016 when it flew between São Paulo and Bogotá with a stopover in Buenos Aires.
For GOL, this move signifies a return to the Colombian market after a twelve-year absence. The airline previously operated flights to Bogotá from Manaus and São Paulo from 2009 to 2011 following the acquisition of Varig. During those years, the Brazilian airline also had a small regional base in Buenos Aires, connecting with Asunción, Lima, and Santiago.
The competition GOL will face
Both markets GOL intends to enter are currently dominated by Avianca as the main carrier in terms of capacity.
Currently, on the Bogotá-São Paulo route, there is an offer of 10,696 seats per week, with Avianca offering three daily flights using Airbus A320 and Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and LATAM operating a daily flight with Airbus A320. According to ANAC Brazil, between January and July, this route transported 271,089 passengers, with a load factor rate of 85%.
Meanwhile, on the Bogotá-Buenos Aires route, there is an offer of 8,792 seats per week, served by Avianca with two daily flights using Airbus A320neo and Boeing 787 aircraft, and Aerolíneas Argentinas flying from Aeroparque with Boeing 737-700 aircraft. According to ANAC Argentina, between January and August, this route transported 270,460 passengers, with a load factor of 90%.
