On Sunday, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro confirmed that the national airline SATENA will begin to offer flights to Caracas, Venezuela, from March 3.
RELATED:
Colombian Vice President Marquez To Pay Official Visit To Cuba
“We fulfill the promise to transform SATENA into an international airline. The Bogota-Caracas and Caracas-Bogota routes enter into operation!” Petro tweeted, stressing that the route to Bogota marks this airline’s first flight abroad.
The new flights will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays at between US$250 and US$466 for each journey, with the right to a check-in suitcase of 15 kilograms and 5-kilogram hand luggage.
Such flights seek to regularize air operations suspended after the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela. Although other major Latin American airlines offer routes from Colombia to Venezuela, SATENA's new flights will be the only non-stop ones.
"That’s right, President. We continue to work for open skies between two sister countries. Excellent news!" the Colombian Ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti said, stressing SATENA acquired new aircraft to operate the new routes.
Created in 1962 as an institution attached to the Colombian Air Force, SATENA aims to provide service in areas not covered by private airlines. In addition to the Bogota-Caracas and Caracas-Bogota routes, this airline currently flies to 37 destinations in 19 Colombian departments.
“We will continue to work so that SATENA offers daily flights to Venezuela and includes other Latin American countries in its destinations,” Petro pointed out.