From March 23 at 00:00 and until May 1, Avianca will completely suspend its international operation and announces other measures to face the COVID-19. This is also due to the fall in demand and the closing of international operations in several various countries, such as Colombia.
President Avianca Holdings, Anko Van Der Werff, He said that from 00 hours on March 23, 132 planes will be grounded: 22 wide-body 10 ATR. It will keep 5 Airbus 320 and 5 ATR destined for the operation to the different cities in Colombia.
According to company, the domestic operation will include the attention from Bogota of capital cities and some of the regions, that is to say, will be subject to the evolution of the situation, the availability and willingness of customers to fly and the additional measures that may be taken by local and national governments that affect the operation nationwide.
For that reason, flight scheduling may change daily and passengers will be informed when this happens. Avianca will report the changes through the website.
Within labor measures, there is the freezing and implementation of voluntary (unpaid) licenses as soon as possible to date, 22 company employees have already been accepted.
They are also denials of payment with suppliers, partners and negotiations of payment terms.
Any investment, expense or project that not closely related to maintenance and domestic operation, as well as travel and events. Additionally, Avianca enters into conversations with different allies to evaluate the steps to follow.
Finally, President Avianca said “this is without a doubt the biggest crisis in the airline industry in history, the decisions we are making. They hurt us, they are extremely difficult but we must be flexible to face the situation. The total suspension of our international operations and the strong hiring of the domestic one, forces us that the majority of our employees go home. “
Nevertheless, The loading operation is maintained, with its transportation of organs, medicines and merchandise, among others.
PREVIOUS DECISIONS
The company Avianca implemented a plan to reduce its operations in the face of falling demand, by the spread of the coronavirus around the world and the restrictions imposed by governments on air transport.
According to the airline, The measure is aimed at adjusting capacity, reducing expenses and protecting the company’s liquidity.
According to the plan and in line with the measures taken in the global aviation industry, Avianca Holdings S.A. its capacity decreases between 30% and 40% from March 14, 2020.
Additionally, Avianca reinforces its strict safety and hygiene protocols to protect the well-being of its passengers, crew and ground personnel. The company will continue to permanently monitor the evolution of COVID-19’s impacts on the demand for air transport services while maintaining flexibility in the implementation of additional capacity adjustments and other necessary measures.
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