Only the presidents' approval remains before operations begin
After more than two years of grounded relations, Colombia and Venezuela stand at the threshold of reconnection — not through grand declarations, but through the quiet resumption of shared skies. Six airlines have navigated the full regulatory path toward restored cross-border service, a practical expression of the diplomatic warming that followed Gustavo Petro's arrival in the Colombian presidency. The routes are mapped, the carriers are ready, and the machinery of commerce waits — held in suspension only by the final signatures of two heads of state who have only recently begun to speak again.
- A two-year aerial silence between neighboring nations is on the verge of ending, carrying with it the weight of fractured diplomacy and separated families.
- Six airlines — three Colombian, two Venezuelan — have cleared both countries' aviation regulators, a milestone that would have seemed unlikely just months ago.
- Wingo is poised to move first, with seven weekly Bogotá-Caracas flights ready to launch the moment Venezuela's civil aviation authority issues its final clearance.
- Avianca is close behind, its teams having already inspected Caracas's Maiquetía Airport, with commercial operations projected within two to three months.
- Despite the momentum, no launch date has been set — the entire operation rests on a formal sign-off from presidents Petro and Maduro, whose own reconciliation made this moment possible.
After more than two years of suspended service, the air corridor between Colombia and Venezuela is nearly ready to reopen. Six airlines have cleared the regulatory requirements of both countries' aviation authorities, a development announced by Colombia's transport minister Guillermo Reyes on October 24, 2022. The breakthrough is inseparable from the political shift that came with Gustavo Petro's presidency — the two governments have been quietly rebuilding ties that years of tension had eroded, and restoring flights is a concrete expression of that effort.
Three Colombian carriers — Avianca, Wingo, and Satena — and two Venezuelan airlines, Laser and Conviasa, have all received formal approval from aeronautical regulators on both sides. The initial service plan covers seven weekly flights across two routes: Caracas to Bogotá and Maracaibo to Bogotá. Wingo, which was the only carrier still operating before the 2020 shutdown, appears set to launch first, having already met all technical requirements and committed to the Bogotá-Caracas corridor. Avianca's team has completed an inspection of Maiquetía Airport and expects to begin selling tickets within two to three months.
Yet for all the preparation, the runways remain quiet. Reyes was explicit: actual flight operations require presidential approval from both Petro and Nicolás Maduro. The airlines are ready, the routes are defined, and the capacity to connect the two countries stands to grow substantially from what existed before. What remains is the final act — a formal sign-off from two leaders whose own renewed dialogue made this moment possible in the first place.
After more than two years of silence, the skies between Colombia and Venezuela are preparing to open again. Six airlines have now cleared the regulatory hurdles needed to resume service, according to Colombia's Ministry of Transportation—but the final word still rests with the presidents of both nations.
The thaw in relations began when Gustavo Petro took office in Colombia, and the two governments have been quietly working to rebuild ties that had fractured over years of political tension. Reopening air travel is part of that effort, a practical step meant to strengthen both economies and the diplomatic bond between the neighbors. On October 24, 2022, Colombia's transport minister Guillermo Reyes announced that he and his Venezuelan counterpart had reached agreement on which carriers would be permitted to fly the route. Three Colombian airlines—Avianca, Wingo, and Satena—and two Venezuelan carriers, Laser and Conviasa, have all received approval from the aeronautical authorities of both countries.
The announcement came via Twitter from Colombia's transport ministry: the airlines had been formally admitted by both nations' aviation regulators and were ready to proceed. But there was a catch. Reyes made clear that the actual start of flights would require one more sign-off—from presidents Petro and Nicolás Maduro themselves. Without that final blessing, the airlines remained grounded.
Wingo appears positioned to launch first. The carrier has already secured clearance from Colombia's civil aviation authority and has met all technical requirements with Venezuelan regulators for the Bogotá-Caracas route. The airline has committed to operating seven flights per week on that corridor and is prepared to begin selling tickets as soon as Venezuela's National Institute of Civil Aeronautics gives the go-ahead. Avianca, Colombia's flagship carrier, is close behind. The airline's director of institutional relations, Felipe Gómez, said the company had been working on the regulatory and operational groundwork for four months and had recently received Venezuelan approval for its technical team to inspect Maiquetía Airport in Caracas. Avianca expects to begin commercial operations within two to three months, pending final clearance to sell tickets.
The initial service plan calls for seven weekly flights total, split between two routes: Caracas to Bogotá and Maracaibo to Bogotá. This represents a significant expansion from what existed before the shutdown. When flights were suspended in March 2020—ostensibly as a pandemic precaution at Venezuela's request—only Wingo had continued operating, offering four flights per week between Bogotá's El Dorado Airport and Caracas's Maiquetía. Now, with multiple carriers approved and ready, the capacity to move people and goods between the two countries stands to increase substantially.
Wingo itself announced plans to boost passenger capacity by 31 percent during October 2022, signaling confidence in the imminent resumption of service. Yet despite the momentum, Reyes has not committed to a specific date when flights will actually begin. The machinery is in place, the airlines are prepared, the routes are mapped. What remains is the stroke of a pen from two presidents who have only recently begun speaking to each other again. Until Petro and Maduro formally approve the operations, the runways stay quiet.
Citações Notáveis
Only the presidents of Colombia and Venezuela need to give approval for air operations to begin— Transport Minister Guillermo Reyes
We are ready to reconnect two brother countries and expect to begin operations within two to three months— Felipe Gómez, Avianca Director of Institutional Relations
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did these flights stop in the first place? Was it really just the pandemic?
Officially, yes—Venezuela requested the suspension in March 2020 as a COVID measure. But the timing mattered. Relations between the countries had been severely strained for years. The pandemic gave cover for what might have been a political decision dressed up as a health one.
And now they're suddenly friends again?
Not friends exactly. Petro's government has taken a different approach than his predecessors—less confrontational, more willing to engage. It's diplomatic recalibration. Reopening flights is a tangible way to show that shift without making grand political statements.
Why does it matter that Wingo is likely to go first?
Because Wingo never stopped trying. Even when other carriers gave up, Wingo maintained the will to operate the route. It has institutional knowledge, relationships with both regulators, and the operational readiness. It's the natural first mover.
What's the hold-up now? The airlines are ready, the regulators approved them.
The presidents. Petro and Maduro have to formally sign off. It's the final political gate. The bureaucracy is done; now it's diplomacy.
How long could that take?
No one's saying. Reyes wouldn't give a date. That's telling—it suggests the political timing is still being negotiated at a level above the transport ministry.
What happens if they approve it?
Seven flights a week start moving people and goods between the countries again. Families separated by the border can reconnect. Trade becomes easier. It's small, but it's real.