On the afternoon of March 29, Colombian low-cost airline Ultra Air announced that it suspended its operations starting at 00:00 on March 30.
In a statement, the company said it deeply regrets that it will not fly any of its scheduled routes from the specified date due to «adverse macroeconomic situations» and pressure from aircraft lessors to secure the collection of their fees.
Ultra Air assures that this situation with the lessors worsened after the fall of Viva Air, and they even received requests for advance payments for supplies and services, an operation that «is not usual in this industry.»
The Colombian Minister of Transport reported on the situation through a post on social media:
#IMPORTANTE | Ante suspensión de operaciones de Ultra Air, el @MinistroReyes informa que se activa PMU, junto a @Supertransporte, @sicsuper, @AerocivilCol para proteger a los pasajeros, ellos son la prioridad y velaremos por sus derechos. https://t.co/ktdTUb622k
— MinTransporte (@MinTransporteCo) March 29, 2023
Avianca initiates Ultra Air passenger protection plan
Avianca indicated that it will extend its protection plan to reach Ultra Air passengers, under similar conditions to those of the failed Viva Air, which fell just over a month ago.
«In view of the public information and seeking to preserve the stability of the Colombian air system, Avianca indicates that it extends its protection plan to users of Ultra Air airline,» the company stated.
