Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia received a request from an air operator for a new airline. The new company will be named Alma, focusing on air transportation using amphibious aircraft.
The new airline will operate private and personalized charter flights in the Colombian Caribbean region, including Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Santa Marta, among some of its destinations.
Alma, a company launched by investors led by Irelandia Aviation, submitted the request to Aeronáutica Civil on April 25, with operations estimated to begin by late 2024.
Rupert Stebbings, Alma’s commercial director, stated «We have a clear vision to contribute to a unique, personalized, and exciting way of tourism in Colombia, connecting people with the country’s most beautiful remote areas and the region.»
«Too often, tourists can’t reach destinations they’ve seen online, or time constraints don’t allow for that extra adventure,» he added.
Alma’s business plan focuses on charter air services using aircraft capable of carrying between 9 and 11 passengers, configured to operate on both land and water.
The airline’s expectations are to transport over 1,200 passengers per month in the coastal area of the Colombian Caribbean.
Alma will operate in Barú, Playa Blanca, Islas del Rosario, Mompox, Palomino, Puerto Colombia, Cabo de la Vela, Punta Gallinas, and Valledupar, among other locations. Additionally, it plans to conduct flights to remote areas inland of Colombia.
According to Stebbings in an official statement, Alma will not only focus its efforts on passenger transport but also seek to offer medical transfer services.
The company will operate in regions where distances and geography between cities make land or sea transportation of people complex. Undoubtedly, Alma’s arrival in the Colombian Caribbean will enhance tourism and economic development in the northern part of the country.
