Avianca’s post-chapter 11 Transformation

Central to this strategy is Avianca’s robust network, which has enabled expansion beyond its main hub in Bogotá. Avianca offers direct international flights from several airports across Colombia, Central America, and South America—including its subsidiaries in El Salvador (San Salvador), Costa Rica (San José), and Ecuador (Quito and Guayaquil). This network approach enhances connectivity and supports Avianca’s goal of linking more travellers to key destinations, contributing to strong financial results.

The aim of this article is to compare Avianca’s network before and after its Chapter 11 restructuring, and to analyse which markets have the highest average fares—which could have driven the airline’s strong Q2 results—using Apex Schedules and Fare data.

Findings

Pre- and Post-Pandemic Network

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Avianca offered more than 37 million departing seats. By 2025, this figure has grown to over 48 million. As shown in Table 1, the top four airports by departing seat capacity remain unchanged in 2025. However, Lima, which previously ranked fifth, is no longer in the top 10. This shift reflects the closure of Avianca Perú during the pandemic, a decision made as part of Avianca’s restructuring process under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company chose to concentrate on core markets where it held stronger competitive positions.

In Peru, Avianca faced significant challenges competing against LATAM Airlines, which dominates the market and operates one of its primary hubs at Lima—as discussed in our February article LATAM Airlines: Connectivity in Latin America. LATAM’s larger scale allowed it to spread costs across a broader network, while Avianca’s smaller presence in the country limited its ability to achieve economies of scale.

This reallocation of capacity is particularly evident in three of Avianca’s focus cities, supported by its regional subsidiaries. San José, the main base of Avianca Costa Rica, experienced a 97% increase in seat capacity, while Quito and Guayaquil—served by Avianca Ecuador— experienced growth of 90% and 82%, respectively.

Table 1: Top 10 Avianca Airports by Departing Seat Capacity 2019 vs 2025

Domestic vs. International Network

Table 2 shows that Avianca operates a network with a significant number of international and domestic services from cities outside its main hub in Bogotá. Whereas Bogotá accounts for 34% of Avianca’s total departing seats—serving 24 domestic and 46 international destinations—five other Colombian airports also appear in the top ten. Medellín ranks second after Bogotá, representing 8% of Avianca’s total seat capacity and offering 31 destinations, including 12 domestic and 19 international routes.

However, when focusing specifically on domestic seat concentration, Colombian airports other than Bogotá and Medellín have over 90% of their capacity allocated to domestic destinations, with international connectivity limited to no more than three routes. This highlights that, despite their high seat capacity, these airports are primarily connected to domestic routes. Bogotá remains the airport with the highest seat capacity and continues to serve as Avianca’s central hub for international operations.

Table 2: Top 10 Avianca Airports Domestic and International Destinations 2025

Table 2 also highlights that Avianca’s subsidiaries in El Salvador and Costa Rica do not operate any domestic routes. This is largely due to the small geographic size of both countries, which likely makes domestic operations with Avianca’s short-haul fleet economically unfeasible. In contrast, Ecuador maintains a more substantial domestic network, primarily connecting its two major cities. Of all domestic seats departing from Quito, 56% are allocated to flights bound for Guayaquil, while 71% of Guayaquil’s domestic seat capacity is directed toward Quito. Additionally, the two destinations in the Galápagos Islands stand out as key domestic routes from both cities, reinforcing Ecuador’s internal connectivity within Avianca’s network.

Furthermore, Chart 1 illustrates the international markets served by Avianca, showing that San Salvador is the best-connected airport to the U.S. and Canada, with fourteen destinations—surpassing even Bogotá. This positions San Salvador as a strategic connecting hub for North American routes, with 39% of its total seat capacity allocated to this market and 16% more capacity to the U.S. and Canada than Bogotá. The importance of this market is evident, as all airports in Avianca’s top 10 serve at least one destination in the U.S. In fact, for airports like Barranquilla and Pereira, their only international destination is in this market.

In addition to the top 10, several other cities also maintain direct connections to the U.S. These include Guatemala City, with five U.S. destinations; Managua, with two; and San Pedro Sula, with one. This underscores Avianca’s broader strategy of maintaining strong connectivity with the U.S. across its network.

Chart 1: Top 10 Avianca Airport Destinations by Marketing including Domestic Routes

Avianca Average Fares

When analysing the average domestic fare per kilometre, Pereira stands out with the highest rate at $0.27/km. This may be due to the fact that, despite being among the top 10 airports by seat capacity, it offers the lowest number of domestic destinations, which can lead to higher fares as a result of limited capacity.

Bogotá ranks second among Colombian airports at $0.25/km, potentially because the airline is the sole operator on certain domestic routes, which can also drive up fares and inflate the average.

In Ecuador, Quito shows the highest average fare per kilometre. This can be attributed to two domestic destinations operated from Quito—Cuenca and Manta—which have the highest average fares per kilometre: Cuenca at $0.38/km and Manta at $0.39/km, these are routes not operated from Guayaquil.

Chart 2: Top Avianca Airports Domestic Average Fare pr km (USD)

When analysing international fares by market, Table 3 shows that all major airports operating routes to the U.S.–Canada market have average fares above $0.06/km, with Medellín recording the highest at $0.086/km. This is even higher than the average fare to European destinations from Medellín, which stands at $0.07/km—highlighting strong demand for travel to North America across Avianca’s network.

Moreover, fares to Latin America and the Caribbean are the highest per km among all international routes. This is likely driven by low competition in these markets, which are dominated by a few carriers and offer limited point-to-point services. Within this region, Managua has the highest overall average fare per kilometre at $1.108/km. This can be attributed to the fact that only two Latin American destinations are served from Managua—San Salvador and San José—both located within 370 km. Notably, the route to San Salvador has an average fare of $450, making it the most expensive route per kilometre across Avianca’s entire network. This may be due to high demand and limited capacity on these short-haul routes.

Table 3: Avianca International Average Fare per Kilometre (USD) by Market

Conclusion

Avianca’s post-Chapter 11 transformation showcases a strategic pivot toward operational efficiency and market-driven expansion. The airline has successfully decentralised its network beyond Bogotá, reallocating capacity to high-demand markets where it holds competitive advantages—particularly in Ecuador, Central America, and Colombia.

Routes to Latin America and the Caribbean exhibit the highest fares overall, likely driven by limited competition and the absence of point-to-point services. This presents an opportunity for Avianca to further leverage its position by expanding direct international services within the region from secondary cities. Doing so could help alleviate pressure on Bogotá’s constrained airport infrastructure, enhance overall network connectivity, and contribute to increased profitability.