In a move to improve its long-distance capabilities, Avianca received the first of three Boeing 787-8 aircraft from the defunct long-haul subsidiary of Norwegian.
The Dreamliner landed at Medellín/Rionegro International Airport (MDE) from Stockholm/Arlanda (ARN). This acquisition aims to strengthen Avianca’s limited long-range fleet, allowing for an increase in frequencies and/or the addition of routes.
See Also: Avianca received 18 aircraft in 2022 and will add almost double in 2023
Throughout 2023, Avianca faced challenges related to the shortage of wide-body aircraft for high-demand routes or distant destinations. In response, the airline closed a wet-leasing agreement with crew with Wamos Air during the summer season, renting two Airbus A330-200 to operate from Bogotá and San Salvador to Los Angeles, in addition to connecting El Salvador and Madrid.
Now, the group will incorporate three Boeing 787-8, with which its total fleet will rise to 16 aircraft of the same model. The first aircraft, originally delivered to Norwegian Long Haul in April 2014 with the registration LN-LNE, now belongs to UMB bank. The next Dreamliners, LN-LNH and LN-LNC, are currently stored in Glasgow/Prestwick and Oslo, respectively.
The new Avianca Dreamliner will carry the registration N799AV and will be remodeled and repainted at the airline’s facilities in Medellín.
Destinations of Avianca’s Boeing 787s
Avianca operates thirteen Boeing 787-8s, configured for 250 passengers in two classes; 28 in business and 222 in economy. The first Dreamliner, registered as N780AV, arrived in Colombia in December 2014, and the latest addition was in September 2018 (N796AV).
The airline underwent a fleet standardization process in 2022, gradually eliminating its ATR and Airbus A330 aircraft and consolidating its operations around the Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner families.
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Avianca primarily deploys these Dreamliners from Bogotá to Barcelona, Buenos Aires, London/Heathrow, Madrid, Miami, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo, and, starting in July 2024, New York. Additionally, it connects Cali and Medellín with Madrid.
In 2023, Avianca operated Wamos Air’s Airbus A330 on routes from Los Angeles to San Salvador and Bogotá, as well as from El Salvador to Madrid. Before the pandemic, Avianca also deployed them to Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Munich.
