:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/CZ45G6TZRND7ZHEAGJACGT3C4A.jpg "The Consulate of Peru in Colombia assists compatriots stranded by the suspension of Viva Air flights")
He Ministry of Foreign Relations reported this Tuesday that the Consulates General of Peru in Bogotá and Medellín (Colombia) are providing humanitarian assistance to passengers affected by the surprising suspension of operations of the low-cost airline live aira situation that has triggered a crisis at airports in both countries.
MTC will initiate an administrative procedure against Viva Air for not having covered its routes in Peru
After learning that the airline had stopped working in Peru, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced that it would take action to block more than 300 passengers across the country. The airline ceased operation without notice or ticket refunds.
“Our diplomatic and consular missions in Colombia have taken steps with the Colombian aeronautical authorities so that the airline honor your contractual commitmentsintensify the placement of the persons concerned on the flights of other airlines and resolve the situation of ticket holders for the following days,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry also indicated that the Peruvian civil aviation authorities would intervene to obtain the rapid return of the compatriots. For this reason, he asked people “assigned to Colombia to contact the Consulate General of the city where they are and to follow the instructions given on their social networks”.
The suspension of operations took passengers, many of them foreigners, by surprise as they waited for their flight with live air, which led to protests and verbal attacks at El Dorado airports in Bogotá; José María Córdova, from Medellin; Ernesto Cortissoz, from Barranquilla, and Rafael Núñez, mainly from Cartagena.
The cancellation of flights, due to financial problems, has also left hundreds of passengers stranded in the international airports of Lima and Cuscofor which the government of Dina Boluarte has announced that it will initiate administrative proceedings against the airline.
According to a press release from Colombian Civil Aeronautics, the companies Latam, Avianca and Satena They will replace flights canceled from February 27 to March 1 “subject to seat availability, at no additional cost”.
Airlines companies Long live Aerobus, Volaris and WingoMeanwhile, they will support passengers with canceled flights “to Mexico City and Cancun” with “special fares.”
With 15% of the Colombian market and a subsidiary in Peru, live air Since April last year, it has been asking the government to approve its integration with Avianca, Colombia’s largest airline with 32% of the market.
According to the company, which has 35 internal routes and flights to Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, the merger is the only way out of the financial problems it has dragged on since the pandemic.
Colombian Transport Minister Guillermo Reyes assured that he is live air ―and not the passengers concerned― who must bear the costs of rescheduling the flights. “We are in an emergency situation (…) and there are several national and international airlines that have offered their planes,” Reyes said in an interview with Radio Blue.
Viva Air: Peruvians stranded in Colombia ask the embassy for humanitarian flights to return home
Through a handwritten letter, a group of 100 passengers asks the Peruvian Embassy in Colombia to support them by providing them with a humanitarian flight so that they can return to the country after the cancellation of Viva Air operations.