It is known that Colombian airlines Avianca, Latam, Ultra and Wingo have already received authorization to operate to Venezuela. On the part of Venezuela, in the absence of an official announcement, it is speculated that it will be Lasser, Avior and a third party that may not have the conditions to offer the service.
This Friday, September 9, the National Institute of Civil Aviation of Venezuela (INAC) finally issued the authorization civil aviation companies to carry out flights to and from Colombia, which will reactivate air traffic between the two countries for the first time since March 2020.
The measure is accompanied by an opening of the border that connects Táchira in Venezuela with Norte de Santander in Colombia, set for next September 26.
With these conditions, everything is ready to gradually restore the usual flow of travel between the two countries, either by land or by air.
But facing this new stage, one of the great doubts that arise has to do with prices, since Venezuelan airlines have not issued any information about the reactivation of flights, much less the rates they will charge.
It is known that Colombian airlines have already received authorization to operate to Venezuela Avianca, Latam, Ultra and Wingo. On the part of Venezuela, in the absence of an official announcement, it is speculated that they will be Lasser, Avior and a third that may not have the conditions to offer the service.
According to sources consulted by the whistlethese airlines will set their rates based on their own cost structures and the quality they can offer, giving rise to a range of prices between $250 and just over $500 for round trip flights.
The president of the Manitur travel agency, Santiago Briñones, believes that the prices could be a little higher than $500, but he recalls that before the closure of flights, he could find offers even below $300.
For his part, the Vice President of Products of Masso Venezuela, Álvaro Seijas, projects a slightly lower range, based on the rates that used to be offered before the pandemic.
«I estimate between $300 and $400 because it is the commercial rate that has been selling in recent times. Wingo once offered less than $300 to enter the market, but then went up a bit more,” he noted.
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In the particular case of Wingo, the information that is currently handled is that it will not cover the route to Caracas, but that it will reach Valencia. For this reason, the route could have a slightly lower price.
For Avianca, the highest prices are estimated, because it is more luxurious, while the Latam rate could be located at a midpoint, along with Avior, according to what an advisor to aeronautical companies who preferred not to reveal his name told El Pitazo.
«Wingo with that route would have a cost of $250 to $300. Avianca would be at $500, because it is more luxurious; and Latam at $400. For its part, Avior could set its price between $400 and $450. A Caracas-Bogotá ticket should not go from $380 to $460, but there is an upward trend », he pointed out.
Reconciliation between Colombia and Venezuela
The air and land reconnection of neighboring countries occurs to repower both economies, divided despite the commercial possibilities they have together due to their position on the continent and historical relationship.
According to estimates by the Venezuelan-Colombian Chamber of Economic Integration (Cavecol) and the Colombo-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce (CCV), trade between the two countries could close this year at over $1 billion, which would represent an increase in 151% compared to the $397.7 million sold last year.
The commercial approach that is intended to be produced, as expressed by both Gustavo Petro and Nicolás Maduro, could give rise to an accelerated increase in the exchange of goods and services. If everything goes correctly, it is estimated that 2023 could close with a commercial exchange of approximately $2,000 million.
*Also read: Colombian Trade Minister met with Maduro in Miraflores
The reactivation of commercial flights, although it does not have a great impact on the trade balance, will facilitate the transfer of thousands of Venezuelans and Colombians. Not surprisingly, the most up-to-date figures from Colombia Migration indicate that more than 2.4 million Venezuelans reside in that country.
The air exchange activates other sectors of the economy, boosts tourism and multiplies the needs for services to attend to the populations that move, so this air reactivation could have a positive impact for both economies, which will add to the reopening of the border .
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