LATAM Airlines eyes expansion into Venezuela with new routes

LATAM Airlines, the largest airline group in Latin America, is exploring the creation of LATAM Venezuela to expand its regional connectivity. The group aims to establish several key domestic routes, including Caracas-Maracaibo, Valencia-Maracaibo, Caracas-Barcelona, Barcelona-Maracaibo, and Caracas-Porlamar.

This potential expansion comes as regional carriers look to modernize the Venezuelan aviation sector. Reports indicate that LATAM’s fleet has an average age of 11 years, significantly younger than the 30-year average seen among many Venezuelan airlines.

Additionally, the Colombian airline Avianca is seeking to reactivate an open skies agreement between Colombia and Venezuela. This would allow Avianca to operate in various Venezuelan airports such as Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia, and Porlamar. Furthermore, Avianca and Wingo are evaluating the launch of a Caracas-Barranquilla route to support industrial and business movement between the two nations.