Avianca, the Latin American airline, is making significant strides in expanding its operations to the U.S. this year, fulfilling its commitment to introduce at least five new routes to Florida.
Starting May 10, the Star Alliance member will launch daily flights between La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City (GUA) and Miami International Airport (MIA), utilizing an Airbus A320 with a capacity of up to 180 passengers.
Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium indicates that this new route marks Avianca’s fifth connection to the U.S. from Guatemala City, and its sixth overall for 2025. Other new routes include connections from El Dorado International Airport in Bogota (BOG) to both Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Tampa International Airport (TPA), as well as from Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in Medellin (MDE) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
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Avianca, which underwent a Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring during the pandemic, is experiencing impressive growth in the U.S. market. According to Cirium, seat capacity is projected to increase by 9% year-over-year in the first half of the year, building on a significant 25% growth in 2024.
Florida is a focal point in Avianca’s U.S. expansion strategy, with seat capacity expected to rise by 19% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, representing a quarter more than in 2019.
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Avianca CEO Frederico Pedreira emphasized the importance of Florida as a key gateway to Latin America, stating in December, “It is crucial for us to facilitate family reunifications, promote tourism, and support business connections.”
As Avianca rapidly expands its presence in Florida, it is poised to potentially reclaim its title as the largest foreign airline operating in the state. Currently on track to become the second largest after LATAM Airlines, Avianca slipped to fifth place during its 2022 restructuring but is now regaining ground and remains just behind Air Canada. Despite Air Canada’s substantial lead, it is facing growing challenges in U.S. travel demand and has indicated plans to adjust its schedules “on the margins.”
Avianca also plans to introduce new service from Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport (MGA) in Managua, Nicaragua, to Fort Lauderdale later this year, although no specific launch date has been announced yet.
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On the Guatemala City-Miami route, Avianca will compete with American Airlines and Frontier Airlines, as per Cirium schedules.
Here are the details of the new nonstop flight between Guatemala City and Miami:
- MIA-GUA: Departs at 1:45 p.m. and arrives at 2:25 p.m. (local time)
- GUA-MIA: Departs at 3:25 p.m. and arrives at 8:10 p.m. (local time)
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