Avianca will resume regular flights in Venezuela starting next December 16, marking its return to this key market after six years. This hiatus followed its addition to the exodus of airlines citing operational security concerns or issues in repatriating funds (with the latter issue remaining unresolved).
The first Avianca route in Venezuela will connect San José, Costa Rica, with Caracas, with the inaugural flight scheduled for December 16.
The company will operate three weekly flights, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, departing from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José at 11:00 to land at Simón Bolívar International Airport at 15:50. The return flight will be at 17:20, arriving in the Costa Rican capital at 18:05. All times are local. The flights will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft with a capacity of 180 passengers.
«We are very pleased to be able to return to Venezuela, thus expanding our network of international destinations and reaffirming our promise to customers, to provide point-to-point connectivity to the destinations where they want to travel. We are confident that customers in both Costa Rica and Venezuela will be able to expand their travel possibilities within the Avianca network and enjoy all its attributes«, said Alex Benitez, Vice President of Avianca for Central America and the Andean Region.
In the Avianca reservation system, round-trip fares start at around USD 700 for the second half of December, but later dates show fares starting at around USD 500. The company clarifies that, «in line with the instructions given by the United States Department of Transportation to all airlines operating in that country, air transportation services between Venezuela and the United States are not available».
The international airlines currently operating regular flights in Caracas are Caribbean Airlines, Copa Airlines, Sky High Aviation Services, Iberia, LATAM, Boliviana de Aviación, Wingo, Plus Ultra, Turkish Airlines, TAP Portugal, and Air Europa.
