This Monday (7) Turpial Airlines becomes the first airline to reconnect Venezuela and Colombia after more than two and a half years with a service between Caracas (CCS) and Bogota (BOG). Air operations between the two nations remained suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flight T9 8820 carried forty-nine passengers and was operated in a Boeing 737-400 with registration YV613T and christened «Virgen del Valle». The aircraft took off from Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) at 17:29 local time bound for El Dorado International Airport (BOG). The last non-stop service between Venezuela and Colombia was in March 2020.
Currently, Colombia is one of the countries authorized by the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) for regular passenger, cargo and mail flights in Venezuelan territory. It is expected that next November 9, the state-owned airline Satena will be the first Colombian operator to fly to Venezuela from the pandemic, the company will perform a charter service between the capitals of both nations.
«We will have the opportunity to offer to all our public in general the possibility to connect either with family, friends and also very important in the field of commercial exchange this means for both countries a great development and momentum,» said Pedro Cestari, President of Turpial Airlines.
Flight Itinerary
Caracas (CCS) – Bogota (BOG)
- Flight T9 8820 CCS 17:00 – BOG 17:30 Monday.
- Flight T9 8820 CCS 18:00 – BOG 18:30 Saturday.
Bogota (BOS) – Caracas (CCS)
- Flight T9 8821 BOG 18:30 – CCS 21:00 Monday.
- Flight T9 8821 BOG 19:30 – CCS 22:00 Saturday.
The route will be operated by Boeing 737-400 aircraft with a capacity of 144 passengers and promotional fares are available starting at USD 380 one way.
According to data obtained by Aviacionline through Aerocivil statistics 160,237 passengers were mobilized in 2019 between Bogota (BOG) and Caracas (CCS). The Colombian capital was Venezuela’s main South American market prior to the pandemic, where up to three air operators operated.
In addition, Avianca, LATAM, Wingo, Laser and Avior airlines have been authorized by Colombia’s Aerocivil to start operations to Venezuela soon.
See also: Colombian Satena begins to sell flights to Venezuela
Cover photo credit: Manuel Cobela.
