Qatar Airways Requests Slots to Begin Flights to Colombia

According to information provided by the Civil Aeronautics of Colombia (Aerocivil), Qatar Airways has requested a daily slot at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá to start passenger flights between Doha and Bogotá beginning in May 2025. This request was made during the 155th IATA Slots Conference held this week in Singapore.

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«This new route will facilitate the connection between both destinations, boosting tourism and trade. Additionally, it will provide Colombian travelers with direct access to Asia and the Middle East, becoming a new gateway for tourists to Colombia,» Aerocivil stated.

The agency confirmed that it will hold working sessions to ensure compliance with operational requirements and the necessary authorizations to materialize this flight. While the information from the Colombian aeronautical authority indicates that the route would be operated with the Boeing 777X, it is evident that the operations set to begin in May 2025 will require another aircraft, as the Boeing 777-9 (of which Qatar Airways has 60 units on order) has an uncertain certification and Entry into Service date, but not before 2026.

Currently, Qatar Airways operates two daily flights between Doha and São Paulo/Guarulhos, one with an Airbus A350-1000 and another with a Boeing 777-200LR. Additionally, the airline flies to several cities in North America, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington-Dulles, Houston-Intercontinental, New York-JFK, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago-O’Hare, Seattle, San Francisco, and Montreal.

Before the pandemic, Qatar Airways also flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a stop in São Paulo. However, despite announcing in March 2023 that it would resume service in December, this decision was postponed indefinitely, with no new date confirmed.

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It is worth noting that Qatar Airways and LATAM maintain a codeshare agreement, which could open LATAM’s Latin American destinations to the Middle Eastern airline, expanding its connection network in the region. This move would directly compete with the market penetration currently held by Emirates in Latin America, which flies to Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina.