JetSmart is set to launch domestic operations in Colombia on March 14, introducing seven routes after obtaining an air operator certificate (AOC) for its new offshoot in the country.
The move will see the Indigo Partners-backed ULCC commence flights from Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) to Cartagena, Marta, Medellin and Pereira, as well as from Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova International Airport to Cartagena and Santa Marta. A connection will also be opened between Cartagena and Pereira.
This domestic schedule complements JetSmart’s existing international network from Colombia, which includes flights to Santiago from Bogota, Cali and Medellin; to Lima from Cartagena, Cucuta and Medellin; and to Antofagasta from Cali.
The new Colombian carrier becomes the fourth in the JetSmart group, alongside the company’s original Chilean operation and its subsidiaries in Argentina and Peru. It sees the airline enter the third-largest market in Latin America and the 13th-largest globally.
“We see enormous potential in Colombia to bring low-cost air travel to all Colombians, as well as connect with international destinations to promote development, tourism and connectivity. The ultra-low-cost model is back in Colombia,” JetSmart CEO Estuardo Ortiz says.
Colombia’s domestic market was previously served by two ULCCs—Viva Air and Ultra Air—but both ceased operations in early 2023. Since then, flag-carrier Avianca and LATAM Airlines Colombia have worked to fill connectivity gaps.
However, there is currently no low-cost domestic capacity available in Colombia, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. In Brazil and Mexico, Latin America’s two largest domestic markets, LCCs account for about 40% and 26% of the total capacity, respectively.
Analysis of schedules data filed for March reveals that JetSmart Colombia will face competition on all seven domestic routes being launched. The airline’s entry to the market comes as BOG prepares to host Routes Americas 2024, taking place from March 19-21.
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