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The Ecuadorian airline Avianca Ecuador reported that it cancels its regular flights between Manta and Baltra on Galapagos.
Was the 2 July 2023 when this unprecedented direct route began between Manta and Baltra in Galapagos, Now almost a year has passed since that historic event for Manabí and the country, in the face of results lower than expected, Avianca Ecuador will stop flying between both airports.
Effective from 15 next april, Avianca Ecuador will stop operating this domestic route, which currently operates with two weekly frequencies on Mondays and Fridays..
Avianca Ecuador cancels flights between Manta and Baltra
The suspension of flights between Manta and Baltra by Avianca Ecuador implies a reduction in the connectivity of Manta, that beyond the airline's profitable issues, They have also demonstrated the reduced intention of the Government and Galapagos authorities to implement the CGREG controls for the issuance of the Transit Control Card. – TCT and inspection of luggage and cargo at the Airport by the ABG, that have not been implemented until now.
Avianca has mentioned the lawsuit as one of the main reasons, and this was known in an official statement shared by the airline to this medium:
Manta, 1 april 2024. At Avianca we are constantly evaluating our route network, to focus our capacity on those that have the most demand, For this, It has been decided to suspend the Manta route – Baltra, Galapagos from 19 april 2024. All passengers with reservations after this date will be relocated via Quito.
Avianca has communicated that it will contact the affected passengers to offer them travel alternatives for passengers with tickets after the 19 april 2024, who will be relocated via Quito.
Less connectivity
Alternatives to travel to Galapagos from Manta They are limited and all are via Quito by plane or first by land to Guayaquil and from there take a flight with both of them ecuadorian airlines currently operating to the islands.
Air connectivity is an important factor for the promotion of the Islands as a tourist destination. The reduction in flight options could affect the flow of visitors to Galapagos, even more so with the increase in rates that will take place from August.
Prior to flights Avianca on this route, the intention of LATAM Ecuador to do it, It will be pending at this point to see if this airline will take the two available frequencies between Manta and Galapagos that have already been returned to the state and have become available.
Statistics
Although there are no exact statistics available for this route in the statistical bulletin 2023 of the DGAC, it is known that in Manta the passengers using the route were too few to justify the stopover, highlighting that the strong demand continues to be generated in Quito.
The unexpected success of the route lies in the fact that since Quito flights depart with significant occupancy, but that needs to be complemented with the acquisition of passengers on a scale such as the case of Guayaquil where most passengers board flights to the islands, allowing greater profitability, situation that in Manta did not meet expectations.
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Since there are no statistics, it is difficult for me to believe what the airline says. I had the opportunity to travel to Baltra from Quito via Manta and Guayaquil, and I don't know if it was a coincidence, but when I did it in Guayaquil they got on 3 passengers, when I did it for Manta they were like 30. It seems that there were other reasons.
What reasons do you think they could be??
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Hello Osvaldo, Thanks for your comment. I understand your point 100%, but advertising allows me to keep the blog running. Thanks for the support.