At a press conference, the Civil Aeronautics conceded that it annulled the decision made in the first instance in the process of integration between Avianca and Viva Air.
This is due to a substantial irregularity in the administrative action in the process.
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The entity said that it has already notified the operators of the resolution confirming said nullity.
However, the airlines will not have to carry out the new procedure for their integration again. The request would be the same. What will happen is that the Civil Aviation The file will be returned and, therefore, the process would be studied again, but now within the framework of the rules of free competition.
“It is not that they have to make a new application, but that they will be given the special procedure,” explained Aerocivil.
Adrián Neuhauser, president of the Avianca Group.
What is the position of Avianca and Viva?
Avianca through an agent who will act in accordance with the authority’s decision to find a solution to Viva’s situation and who is willing to provide all the information required to expedite the final decision, trusting in the strong institutionality of the country and in the speed of the process, as announced by the competent authority.
(Of interest: Colombian peso closes the week with a gain of $296.6 against the dollar).
“Both the airline and its shareholders reiterate their firm conviction that the rescue of Viva is necessary, that it would benefit passengers, employees, and the connectivity and economy of the country’s regions,” he said.
For his part, Live He said that he is confident that the new review by the team specialized in the Aerocivil issue will result in a prompt decision, for the good of the Colombian market, and especially the 5,000 families that depend on Viva, and the more than 41 million passengers. transported in its history.
“This decision leaves a glimmer of hope for Viva’s permanence in the market and to obtain a positive response to this request in the short term,” the company said.
They would control 57% of the Colombian market
Nowadays, Avianca it has a 36.6 percent share of the Colombian market, while Viva has around 20.4 percent. In an eventual integration, these airlines would come to control 57 percent.
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In November, Avianca said that it considers that we do not have a position and that if it were to integrate with Viva, it would be willing to propose several offers or alternatives to Aerocivil so that this situation can be reduced and thus have the guarantee to carry out the operation. .
One of them could be, for example, giving up operating any of the three routes in which it would have 100 percent participation after the integration with Viva: Bogotá-Riohacha, Medellín-Riohacha and Bogotá-Santa Marta.