LATAM Ecuador has announced the suspension of its flights between Guayaquil (GYE), Ecuador, and Bogotá (BOG), Colombia, starting February 1, 2024. This decision comes after about a year of operating this route.
The airline stated that the suspension is due to operational needs, though no further details were provided. For passengers with tickets for flights scheduled after the suspension date, they will be offered the option to be relocated on flights via Quito (UIO), subject to cabin availability.
LATAM Ecuador launched this route on March 26, 2023, offering a daily flight operated with their Airbus A319 with a capacity for 144 passengers. This route’s initiation was in response to Avianca’s aggressive expansion in connections between Ecuador and Colombia.
With the suspension of LATAM’s flights between Guayaquil and Bogotá, this route will only be serviced by Avianca and Wingo. According to data from Aerocivil, between January and May 2023, a total of 154,906 passengers were transported on this route, with an average occupancy rate of 76%.
Current State of the Colombia-Ecuador Market
In the aviation market between Colombia and Ecuador, both Avianca and LATAM unveiled expansion plans at the start of 2023, though the outcomes did not meet expectations.
Avianca introduced three new routes, including Quito-Medellín, Guayaquil-Cartagena, and Guayaquil-Medellín. However, none of the Guayaquil links remained operational beyond August 2023. Instead, Avianca opted to increase frequencies on its existing routes.
On the other hand, LATAM added the Guayaquil-Bogotá route, in addition to its link launched in April 2022 between Quito and the Colombian capital, which will see a twice-daily service by 2024.
According to Cirium platform data, in 2024, the two airlines, along with Wingo, have scheduled an average of 12 flights per day in each direction.
- Avianca
- Bogotá (BOG) – Quito (UIO); 27 weekly flights with Airbus A319 and A320ceo/neo.
- Bogotá (BOG) – Guayaquil (GYE); 32 weekly flights with Airbus A319 and A320ceo/neo.
- Medellín/Rionegro (MDE) – Quito (UIO); 4 weekly flights with Airbus A320ceo.
- LATAM
- Bogotá (BOG) – Quito (UIO); 14 weekly flights with Airbus A319.
- Wingo
- Bogotá (BOG) – Quito (UIO); 4 weekly flights with Boeing 737-800.
- Bogotá (BOG) – Guayaquil (GYE); 3 weekly flights with Boeing 737-800.
