Avior Airlines (9V, Barcelona José Antonio Anzoategui) President Jorge Anez says his airline will acquire twelve used aircraft in line with plans to expand into the intercontinental market. At present, the Venezuelan carrier offers domestic flights as well as regional services to Aruba, Brazil, Colombia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Panama, and the United States using an ageing fleet of five B737-200(Adv)s and four B737-400s.
Anez told the El Universal newspaper that of the aircraft, valued at approximately USD150 million, six A340-300s will come from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) alongside four B737-400s and two B737-300s from Boeing (BOE, Washington National). The airline is in the process of securing a USD150 million financing facility through the Venezuelan government's National Centre for Foreign Trade (CENCOEX) and the Venezuelan Industrial Supplies Co. (SUVINCA).
The narrowbody Boeings will help bolster regional connectivity with the A340s providing longhaul flights to Europe all using a Caracas Simón Bolivar hub.
"And for next year we will fly to Madrid Barajas, Spain and Italy. Our idea is to connect South America with Europe, starting with Venezuela," he said.
The first of the aircraft is scheduled to arrive early next month following which it will be deployed onto flights to Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini in Argentina as well as to Montevideo Carrasco in Uruguay.
Venezuela's aviation market is currently reeling under currency restrictions imposed by Nicolas Maduro's socialist government. An inability to access ticket revenue still tied up in the South American country has forced a number of international carriers to either curtail or terminate flights there.
National carrier Conviasa (V0, Caracas Simón Bolivar) has not been spared from the crisis either amid reports the airline has been unable to source adequate foreign currency to purchase spares for its fleet of twenty-seven aircraft, almost half of which is now grounded.
