Colombian airline Avianca announced a significant increase in its operations in Paraguay, moving from three weekly flights to a daily direct service between Asunción and Bogotá starting the last week of October 2026. The measure aims to meet growing passenger demand during the summer season and strengthen the country's air connectivity.
The new operations will be carried out with Airbus A320 aircraft, with a capacity of 180 passengers per flight, expanding seat availability and providing greater flexibility for travelers. The expansion also includes the Montevideo-Bogotá route, which will move to daily flights.
Rubén Aguilar, director of Airports at the National Directorate of Civil Aviation (Dinac), confirmed that authorization has already been granted and that tickets are on sale. He emphasized that Avianca's decision was driven by high occupancy rates on existing flights. "Avianca's hub is Bogotá. The flights connecting Bogotá with Asunción already recorded good passenger occupancy, so they requested to operate daily," explained Aguilar.
The daily flight to El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá will allow Paraguayan passengers to access the airline's extensive global network, which connects more than 80 destinations in 25 countries across the Americas and Europe, avoiding additional layovers. David Alemán, Avianca's sales director for South America, stated that the expansion reflects Paraguay's positioning as a strategic market in the region.
Aguilar also commented on Avianca's business model, describing it as hybrid. Although it adopts some practices of low-cost carriers, such as charging for extra carry-on baggage and seat selection, the company maintains traditional services like loyalty programs and access to VIP lounges. "I believe that with this new challenge they will correct some of the existing complaints about onboard service," considered the Dinac director.
In contrast to Avianca's expansion, the aviation authority mentioned the problems faced by local carrier Paranair. Due to numerous complaints about cancellations and delays in refunds, Dinac has halved the number of weekly flights authorized for the company, which currently operates with a single aircraft. The situation worries the tourism sector, as Paranair is the only operator of the direct route to Montevideo.
When asked about the possibility of a new direct route between Asunción and Miami, Aguilar stated that negotiations continue and that there may be news before the end of the year, taking advantage of the good results from inspections conducted before the World Cup.