Following the opening of flights between Colombia and Bogota, and because of the impossibility of Conviasa to operate the Caracas-Bogota route due to the sanctions imposed by the US OFAC, the Colombian aeronautical authority authorized Turpial Airlines to operate the connection as from September 26.
Thus, the company will be able to transport cargo, passengers, and mail within the framework of the fifth freedom of the air, as authorized last week after the diplomatic rapprochement between the governments of Nicolás Maduro and Gustavo Petro.
Although initially it had been assured that the Venezuelan flag carrier Conviasa could carry out the operations, the sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control on the company prevent the assistance services in Bogota from providing support to the operation without risking penalties and fines.
According to data obtained by Aviacionline through Aerocivil Statistics, 160,237 passengers were mobilized in 2019 between Caracas (CCS) and Bogota (BOG). The Colombian capital is one of the main international destinations in Venezuela, only behind Panama and Madrid.
Conviasa’s schedule includes regular flights to Cancun (CUN), Mexico City (NLU), Havana (HAV), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD), Santa Cruz de la Viru Viru (VVI), Panama – Tocumen (PTY) and Managua (MGA); it also offers special services to Guayaquil (GYE), Quito (UIO) and Lima (LIM).
Turpial Airlines operates a fleet of 3 Boeing 737-400 and has its operational and commercial base established at Arturo Michelena International Airport, in the city of Valencia.
