Passengers exiting Satena's first Bogota-Caracas flight on Friday, March 3, 2023. Photo: Últimas Noticias.
On Friday, March 3, more than 40 passengers arrived at the Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela, on an EMB145 aircraft belonging to the Colombian airline Satena. This was Satena’s first commercial flight from Bogotá to Caracas in over five years. There was a short service disruption that, according to Colombian sources, was caused by aircraft deficiencies despite some analyst speculations that US sanctions were also part of the inconvenience.
Satena will have flights on this route twice a week. On Tuesdays and Fridays at 5 a.m., flights will depart from Bogotá to Caracas, returning to Bogotá from the Maiquetía Airport at 9 a.m.
Satena’s commercial operations manager Carolina Ruiz said that “this commercial flight is the first to be carried out. With 97% occupancy, 15 Venezuelans and 29 Colombians traveled this time.”
Venezuela Authorizes All National Airlines to Operate Flights to Colombia
Ruiz stated that this flight was filled in 30 days, which evidenced the demand for the service. “There is a market, there is demand,” Ruiz said. “We are sure that the 400,000 passengers who used to travel this route will do so again in a period of six months.”
Satena is the fourth airline to resume the Caracas – Bogotá connection. Conviasa, Turpial and Latam have already resumed this route after more than five years of suspension following the resumption of bilateral relations between Colombia and Venezuela.
For these flights, Satena will operate the EMB145 aircraft, which has a capacity of up to 50 passengers per flight. The recommended passenger services, passengers in legal custody, pet transportation and emotional support animals services will not be available until the service is completely regularized with increased flight frequency.
Colombia’s Ecopetrol Asks US for Permission to Negotiate with Venezuela
Vice Minister of Air Transport and General Director of the Maiquetía International Airport General Freddy Borges pointed out that Venezuela continues to re-establish connections with the world. This one-hour and 30-minute flight between Bogotá and Caracas will boost Venezuela’s economy and development.
Family groups, young people and people traveling for work or health reasons were part of this first commercial flight to Caracas, highlighting the importance of flights between Venezuela and Colombia.
“I frequently travel to Caracas. The ticket costs half what other airlines offer, I invite people to make this direct flight to Caracas because there is no stopover, and no more hours are lost. Now arriving in an hour and a half is marvelous compared to a day’s travel,” explained Luis Alfredo Velásquez, a passenger who traveled in Satena’s Bogotá – Caracas flight.
(Últimas Noticias) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
