The airline Avianca announced an investment of $473 million dollars (1,837,775,280,000 pesos) in the new acquisition of 16 aircraft from the European manufacturer Airbus.
According to Adrián Neuhauser, CEO of the company, Avianca seeks to increase national routes and destinations to meet the demand that is occurring.
Avianca increases its presence in Colombia
Avianca will lease 14 Airbus A320 NEO aircraft and two A320 CEO aircraft to increase its daily flights on domestic routes by almost 25%, from 600 to 750.
The airline that went through a bankruptcy process has apparently begun to generate cash flow in its cash.
Neuhaser, during a press conference in Bogotá, Colombia, called the increase of nearly 1 million weekly seats “unprecedented growth” in the airline’s history.
The 16 aircraft will be financed with cash on hand and some additional debt that the company has provided.
“The resources to finance the addition of these aircraft come from our cash on hand and additional debt we assume on leases,” Neuhaser said.
When will the planes arrive in Colombia? The 16 aircraft will join Avianca’s fleet between October and the end of December, the executive stated.
The investment will also generate the creation of new jobs in the airline sector. Avianca will increase hiring between now and December.
The number of Avianca employees will increase by about 1,200, Neuhaser added.
Some of the new hires will come from Viva Air, the defunct Colombian low-cost airline that Avianca had tried to buy before pulling out of the deal, citing conditions imposed by Colombia’s civil aviation regulator.
On the other hand, Neuhauser has not commented on possible improvements in the quality of service that are so questioned in the country.
Avianca mainly wants to increase its monopoly in the sector, regardless of whether the service is good or bad.
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