In a new update to the reservation system, it has been observed that Avianca has temporarily resumed using ATR 72 aircraft between December and March under a wet-leasing agreement with CLIC.
According to the website, Avianca is marketing flights with ATR 72 aircraft to Armenia (AXM), Barrancabermeja (EJA), Bucaramanga (BGA), Neiva (NVA), Pereira (PEI), and Villavicencio (VVC), replacing Airbus A319, A320, and A320neo on one to three daily flights. In the reservation system, the company clarifies that the ATRs are operated by Clic! for Avianca Express.
It’s worth noting that Avianca maintains an interline agreement with CLIC, through which it markets flights operated by the regional airline to destinations it does not serve directly. The company confirmed to Aviacionline that the implementation of the ATR aircraft is part of an expansion of its alliance with CLIC!
In June 2022, Avianca retired its ATR 72-600 aircraft as part of a post-pandemic restructuring process to standardize its fleet with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner families. Avianca ordered its first ATR aircraft in 2012, followed by the arrival of the first four ATR 42-500 in May 2013, and subsequently, 16 more ATR 42 and ATR 72 were added over the years.
The turboprops were primarily intended to connect airports in Colombia with lower demand or lacking infrastructure where jet aircraft face operational difficulties, as well as short routes in Central America.
To address the absence of ATRs, Avianca signed a codeshare agreement with CLIC, which allowed it to continue operating its regional network in Colombia.
ATR Programming at Avianca
From Bogotá (BOG):
- Armenia (AXM): 14 weekly flights with ATR and 20 with A320ceo/neo.
- Barrancabermeja (EJA): 1 daily flight with ATR and another daily with A320ceo/neo.
- Bucaramanga (BGA): 1 daily flight with ATR and 77 weekly flights with A320ceo/neo.
- Neiva (NVA): 2 daily flights with ATR and 1 daily flight with A320ceo/neo.
- Pereira (PEI): 1 daily flight with ATR and 88 weekly flights with A320ceo/neo.
- Villavicencio (VVC): 3 daily flights with ATR.
Clic! will continue, independently of Avianca, connecting Bogotá with Barrancabermeja (5 weekly flights), Neiva (26 weekly flights), and Villavicencio (5–7 weekly flights).
