New airline: JetSMART Colombia |

This week, Colombia’s civil aviation authority (Aerocivil) announced the approval of JetSMART’s filing to open a new domestic carrier in the country. The new airline, JetSMART Colombia, now has three months to begin the process of obtaining its Air Operator Certificate (AOC). A new airline Aerocivil, through the Aerocommercial Projects Evaluation Committee, approved the application of JetSMART to initiate the process of obtaining the operating permit to provide domestic scheduled public transport service for passengers, cargo, and mail in Colombia. According to the application approved by the civil aviation authority, the airline would have its main base in the city of Bogotá and would use Airbus A320neo aircraft to cover 27 domestic routes between the airports of Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Cali, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Bucaramanga, San Andrés, Pereira, Monteria, Cúcuta, Pasto, and Pereira. Now JetSMART must present a compliance plan according to the number of aircraft and the number of routes to be operated, according to the Committee. JetSMART Colombia would be the fourth airline launched by the Indigo Partners and American Airlines-backed JetSMART, a Chilean company based in Santiago de Chile. It already operates domestic branches in Chile, Argentina, and Peru. The firm has over 100 aircraft orders with Airbus, all for A320neo-family-based narrowbodies, and will become the launch customer of the A321XLR in the region. What the airline is saying In a statement, JetSMART noted that allowing the company to open a new branch in Colombia is a strong signal of Gustavo Pedro’s administration to “maintain free market conditions in the air sector, since the entry of JetSMART will allow maintaining the competitiveness of the market, with better benefits for Colombian travelers.” Several airlines have questioned in recent weeks the future of the Colombian airline industry as the country awaits Aerocivil’s resolution on the merger between Avianca and Viva Air. If approved, opposing airlines –including JetSMART and other players such as Ultra Air and LATAM Airlines– have said that it would create a monopoly and hamper the country's ultra-low-cost business model. If not approved, it would mean the official exit of Viva Air, as the airline temporarily ceased operations last month until a final resolution on the merger is taken. JetSMART’s CEO and President, Estuardo Ortiz, added, “It is excellent news that the Committee and Aerocivil have approved our application to enter 27 domestic routes, as well as the beginning of JetSMART's certification as a Colombian airline. With this, we will start the process immediately, and we will work hand in hand with Aerocivil to comply with all the requirements in the shortest time possible.” He added, “We have a clear and firm commitment to Colombia's connectivity, and we want to add more flights at low prices as soon as possible. We have the experience with certification in Chile, Peru, and Argentina, which we have complied with rigorously and in record time. Finally, we are already an established airline with more than 18 million passengers in the region since our inception, providing quality service and point-to-point routes, so we hope to be able to add aircraft and routes in this same 2023.”

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