Friday morning, Avianca announced it is suspending all international flights until April 30 in response to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today we have to make a forced stop along the way,” the airline said in a statement. “Thinking of your well-being and complying with the measures adopted by different governments, between March 23rd and April 30th, 2020, we will completely suspend our international operation.”
Avianca will maintain a small percentage of its domestic flights in Colombia using just 10 planes, the airline said.
All customers with tickets on an Avianca flight scheduled before April 30 can rebook through March 31, 2021 at no cost. (Click here for more information.)
Avianca’s route map shows direct flights from the San José area (SJO) to San Salvador, Guatemala City, Panama City and Bogotá.
The U.S. State Department has advised citizens to “arrange for immediate return to the United States” or prepare “to remain abroad for an indefinite period.”
Avianca Costa Rica, a subsidiary operated by Avianca Holdings, is the last remaining vestige of LACSA (Líneas Aéreas Costarricenses, S.A), Costa Rica’s national airline.
In 1998, LACSA became a member airline of TACA (Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano). In 2009, TACA announced its merger with the Colombian airline Avianca, which all but eliminated the LACSA name and brand.
