Turkish Airlines takes to Colombia skies

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Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]olombia’s skies have opened up to a host of international carriers during the last several years, with Turkish Airlines primed to launch May 4 their inaugural Bogotá-Panama-Istanbul flight. The flight will be operated with an Airbus 330-200 with a capacity for 254 passengers.

Last month, Turkish Airlines was named “Airline of the Year” by Air Transport News magazine readers and in 2015 won “Best Airline in Europe” for the fifth year running by the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The Istanbul-based fleet consists of 306 aircraft.

As Colombians don’t require a tourism visa to enter Turkey, the airline’s 236 international destinations provide travelers with the option to visit the historic city, the Anatolian interior and use Atatürk International Airport for connections to mainland Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Colombia’s Aeronautical Association confirmed that Turkish Airlines will operate the route three days a week — Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The Turkish national carrier has been flying to South America for six years and the Bogotá and Panama City destinations bring the total destinations in North and South America to 14. The airline has announced plans for a new Atlanta to Istanbul service starting May 16.

Turkish is a Star Alliance member, so your miles are also applicable with Avianca and Lufthansa.

While Turkish busily prepares its debut in the Colombian capital, Air Europa also announced it would start operations in Colombia, June 28, with a daily Bogotá – Madrid flight serviced by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

With El Dorado International Airport, the carrier covers 16 destinations across the Americas, including Caracas, Havana, Lima, Asuncion, Montevideo and São Paulo. The airline’s fleet consists of 58 aircraft including the industry workhorse Airbus 330.

Air Europa’s first “Dreamliner” will cover the Bogotá – Madrid route with a capacity of 296 passengers in Business and Economy class. The airline is also considering a flight linking Spain’s capital with the Colombian port city of Cartagena.

While Turkish and Air Europa are taking advantage of the lifting last year of the Schengen Visa for Colombians and pushing their hubs for greater connectivity within Europe, Portugal’s TAP suspended its Lisbon – Bogotá – Panama flight last month after operating it since July 2016. The Portuguese carrier cited “internal changes” for temporarily halting the service.

There are no shortage of flights between the Colombian capital and Europe these days. Germany’s Lufthansa flies direct to Frankfurt everyday with an extended Airbus A340. Avianca offers a daily direct service to London’s Heathrow, Madrid’s Barajas and Barcelona’s El Prat. Air France continues its monopoly of the Bogotá –Paris route and partner Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) just completed its first year bringing Amsterdam that much closer to Bogotá and Cali with a modern Boeing 777, three days a week.

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