This Tuesday, July 21, the executive president of Avior, Juan Bracamonte, assured that the airline is taking all measures to keep its operations active in the face of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, that affects a large part of the companies in the sector which are not able to generate incomes.
Bracamonte explained that the airline business is financial and based on “rotation”, since it is necessary for banks and credits to cover operations of all kinds, including the payroll of employees.
In addition, he stressed that in the case of Avior Airlines the human resource amounts to 1,060 certified employees who have incomes above the rest of the average.
However, despite the current complex situation, he pointed out that Avior is ready for the moment when the Venezuelan authorities authorize the corresponding mechanisms to reactivate the sector.
In turn, he proposed to the National Civil Aeronautical Institute (INAC) that it be the ideal date to resume operations in the sector from September 1st, since in other airports such as El Dorado, in Bogotá, it is planned to start the mentioned day.
Thus, Bracamonte highlighted that “aviation is handled with another language that works well. It is far from other circumstances. There are several countries that start on September 1st. For this, it depends on INAC, but it also depends on the Presidential Commission, which sees the situation of the coronavirus in 360 degrees and will consider whether this is possible.”
Caracas-Miami route
The president of Avior was against the current blockade that exists on the Caracas-Miami trade route, as a result of the sanctions imposed by the United States government, stating that these actions are damaging to Venezuelans, since instead of the three and a half hours it took on a nonstop flight in the route now takes eight hours to reach Miami, and they have to pay double tax.
In this way, Juan Bracamonte asked the pertinent authorities to reconsider the measure and added that “Avior is the only line with permission to fly to the US, as American Airlines has to do so to Venezuela. We have a licensed, viable and operational aviation. With these sanctions, Venezuelans pay up to $ 2,000 to get to Miami. One of the sectors affected in the economy are the shrimp farms, because part of their fishing traveled to the United States by cargo aircraft.”
Strong commitment with the health protocol
The main representative of the airline stressed that the restart of activities will be complemented by all the corresponding sanitary measures, since the company adopted the recommendations made by IATA and ICAO (UN body), related to everything that has to do with the cleaning and adaptation of the planes to be able to fly, like all the personnel.
Likewise, he recognized that doing PCR tests will have a “huge cost” for executives and airports, but its implementation “eliminates even the risks of flying”, warning that “the coronavirus also attacked the psychological area”, using the flight of repatriation of Venezuelans from Madrid to Caracas, to whom the tests were applied before boarding the ship.
Economic opportunity for the country
As explained by Juan Bracamonte, the psyche was affected because the virus spread in cities with greater air traffic such as Miami, Madrid, Barcelona, New York, Panama and Bogotá, important hubs due to the possibility of air interconnection.
Thus, he said that this could be an opportunity for the Venezuelan market to return to being an important point and even to be part of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), since the authorities also adapted the price of the tax unit and adjusted the field to the international standards.
He also added that “that allows the possibility that more aircraft can pass through the airspace of our country.” Likewise, he recalled that Venezuela has a privileged position from a geographical point of view as it is in the north of South America.
“If you wanted right now, there is no better opportunity than the present one. We are all at zero. It is our chance to be a hub. We have a good airport; the other thing would be to sell the fuel a little cheaper, which would force more stops at the country’s air terminals and would be potential for the growth of the nation.”
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Source: El Sumario
