An Embraer 145 of state-owned SATENA prepares to reestablish the Colombia-Venezuela route. (Photo: SATENA Social Media)
On November 9 Satena became the first Colombian airline to land again in Venezuela after the pandemic. The state-owned airline and Turpial Airlines were the first airlines to operate non-stop services between the two nations after a suspension of more than two years.
Flight 9R 8920 was operated in an Embraer ERJ 145 registered under registration number HK-4535, which took off from El Dorado International Airport (BOG) at 08:39 local time and landed at Simon Bolivar International Airport (CCS) at 11:16, after two hours and 16 minutes. This first service was performed as a charter flight.
At the airport, in the ceremony of reception of this flight were Guillermo Reyes, Colombia’s Minister of Transportation; Francisco Ospina, Director of Colombia’s Civil Aeronautics; Óscar Zuluaga, President of Satena, in addition to employees of the state-owned airline, El Dorado Airport staff and members of the press.
“This is Satena’s first air operation to Caracas and abroad, we will give an almost full flight of Colombians and Venezuelans returning to their country or going for tourism and business, it is the formal opening of Colombia’s air operation to Venezuela,” said Guillermo Reyes, Colombian Minister of Transportation.
Currently, Satena and the Venezuelan National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) are working to obtain the necessary permits for the continued operation of the Colombian state-owned operator in Venezuela, which will increase air services between both nations.
On November 28, Satena has scheduled a non-stop service between Barranquilla (BAQ) and Caracas (CCS), tickets are already on sale from the company’s website and its regular channels. Promotional fares are available starting at US$378 each way. Colombia is among the countries authorized by INAC for regular passenger, cargo, and mail flights in Venezuelan territory. Other airline operators such as Avianca, LATAM Airlines, Ultra Air, Wingo, Láser and Avior are expected to join soon.
Juan Teixeira, president of INAC expressed through his social networks his enthusiasm for the opening of the air commercial sector between Venezuela and Colombia.
This article was originally published by Rainer Nieves Dolande on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.
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