Wingo Wants to Fly Between Nicaragua and South America
In other flight news, United Airlines is expected to return to Nicaragua next week with the first flight on January 4th
HAVANA TIMES – In the midst of the resumption of operations by US airlines that are expected to lower the cost of tickets by expanding the offer and improving the country’s air connectivity, Wingo, a Colombian Airlines, is in the process of opening a new route between its country and Managua. This is a low-cost airline and already got the approval of the Colombian authorities to offer this service. Now it must carry out formalities at the local level to receive the approval that will allow it to offer flights.
Meanwhile, as of January 4, United Airlines will offer a daily flight between Managua and Houston, Texas.
Wingo began operations in 2016 replacing AeroRepublica and is part of the Copa Holdings S.A. group. It currently offers flights between Bogota and seven departments of Colombia. It also operates international routes linking different cities in Colombia with seven cities in Aruba, Curacao, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador and Cuba. All under the low-cost model.
Wingo offers tickets from 75 to 130 dollars
According to information publicized on its website, its round-trip tickets during the offseason range between 75 and 130 dollars. For example, between Bogota-Panama City, US$77; Bogota-Mexico City, US$120; Bogota-San Jose, US$92; and Bogota-Havana, Cuba, US$123.
The opening of this direct route between Managua and Colombia will depend on the answer provided by Nicaraguan authorities, since Colombia already gave the go-ahead on December 16th. This Tuesday, December 27, the Colombian Civil Aeronautics authorities disclosed the resolution of the Aerocommercial Projects Evaluation Committee, approving Wingo’s operations in Nicaragua.
“The International Affairs group of this Colombian entity, informed after consultations, that the possibility exists of creating air connectivity frameworks with Nicaragua from that base and without objections. The frameworks, although not mandatory, help and accelerate the approval of a bilateral route, but are not mandatory,” the Nicaraguan Aviation group informed through its social networks.
And it added that, “any other point outside the scope of this entity is in the hands of Wingo in its efforts in Nicaragua. This means that the route is possible since there is no existing impediment between both nations to this end. The final approval of the route will be done once Wingo completes its efforts in Nicaragua to start such operations, which would be announced through its commercial channels.”
So far, Nicaraguan Aeronautics authorities have not commented on this process of opening the route.
According to the provisions of the resolution, Wingo received the approval to offer passenger, cargo and mail services. The route which it intends to establish is between Colombia and Managua, departing and/or arriving from and to Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena and Armenia. These flights would have a stopover in Panama and would initially operate twice a week.
The information had already been released last November 17 by the specialized aviation website: www.aviacionline.com.
United Airlines finally returns
So far, Nicaraguan Civil Aeronautics authorities have not referred to this issue. In recent days, in the National Assembly, deputies approved agreements with Germany and Mexico to improve the country’s air connectivity.
Meanwhile, after postponing on several occasions its return to the country, suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, United Airlines confirmed that as of next Wednesday, January 4, 2023, it will offer daily flights between Houston (Texas)-Managua and vice versa.
According to information disclosed on the website Aviation Club Center, “the flights will be operated seven days a week. A daily Boeing 737-800 flight with a capacity of 160 passengers will depart at 9:47 a.m. from George Bush International Airport in Houston Texas and will arrive in Managua at 1:08 p.m. Departure from Managua is scheduled for 2:15 in the afternoon and arrival in Houston at 5:51 p.m.
According to the information disclosed on the airline’s website, there are still seats available for the inaugural flight and the ticket cost in economy class is US $1,313.