The president of Colombia Iván Duque announced on November 27 that he will grant 40 billion Colombian pesos (the equivalent of USD 11 million) to the state-owned airline SATENA through a grant.
It was announced during the television show «Prevención y Acción», in which Duque instructed the Ministries of Finance and Defense to grant the resources, reassuring the operations of the airline in the midst of the crisis that affects COVID 19 and thus maintain airline operations.
«I want to inform you that I have given a very precise command to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense to capitalize our state airline SATENA, which provides services to Colombians in remote areas of our country,» reported the head of State.
SATENA is an airline that is managed by the Colombian Air Force (FAC). Founded on April 12, 1962, its objective is to connect to domestic destinations that other airlines discard due to their low revenue.
The airline serves 19 destinations from its main hub in Bogotá and operates another 29 routes within the country. It has a fleet of seven ATR 42 and two Embraer ERJ 145, and during 2019 transported 1,136,688 passengers with an average load factor of 84%. SATENA’s Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Luis Carlos Córdoba Avendaño, expects that by the end of 2020 the airline will have transported between 350,000 and 400,000 passengers with an 83% load factor.
«The funds will allow SATENA to cover the costs that arise in this period of progressive reactivation, and to continue connecting the most remote regions of the country with affordable rates for the population that lives there.» clarified the brigadier.
«SATENA is key in providing this essential air service: connectivity in the most remote regions,» Avendaño concluded.
