The cancellation and recurring postponements of flights by the airline Avianca has generated concern Cesar Inter-Union Committee.
The most evident impact is reflected in the tourism, commerce and connectivity sectors, affecting the economic income of the region.
“It is a situation that affects many local unions in this area of the country. Avianca in Valledupar only has operational personnel for flight service, there is no administrative head with whom we can speak to review options and find solutions to this problem,” he commented. Felipe Araújo Ariza, President of the Cesar Inter-Union Committee.
One of the sectors most affected by this situation is the hotel sector, since in recent weeks it has experienced a decrease in occupancy due to the shortage of flights.
Travelers boarding an Avianca flight in Valledupar.
Photo:Franklin Martinez
Last week, several of the hotels in Valledupar had one hundred percent occupancy. With the cancellation of these flights, occupancy was lowered to 30 percent.
“A single hotel lost the reservation of 50 rooms. That means that fifty people who did not arrive to the city also stopped using other services such as transportation, commerce and hospitality in general,” explained the union leader.
José Luís Urón Marquez, executive president of the Valledupar Chamber of Commerce, also raised his voice against the constant suspension of this airline’s flights. According to the entity, this situation significantly affects entrepreneurs and the competitiveness of this section of the Colombian Caribbean.
“We reject the irresponsible attitude of this airline that plays against the dignity of those who use this air transport service to get to the city. We cannot allow this airline so appreciated in Valledupar to assume dominant positions with respect to its users, canceling flights, tickets and taking advantage of the time of our businessmen,” Urón stressed.
Air connectivity alternatives in Valledupar are very limited. To mitigate the negative impact on the region’s economy, the Cesar Inter-Union Committee proposes a common front between all sectors of the region in search of new alternatives.
In this sense, it suggests the return of operations of other airlines that serve the region. Also explore as a possibility the Satena state airline that currently operates in other geographic areas of the country.
“Satena is going to Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, so it would be exploring this alternative. A third option would be the airline Jetsmart, which began operations a week ago. I understand that they have Valledupar within their expansion plan,” highlighted Araujo Ariza.
The EL TIEMPO correspondent in Valledupar tried to get Avianca’s reaction; she tried to contact them several times but no one responded.
