Nine airlines and a union have asked the Colombian civil aviation authority (Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronáutica Civil - Aerocivil) to be included as "interested third parties" in the process that could bring avianca airlines, Viva (Colombia), Viva Air Perú, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, and SKY Airline (Chile) under the umbrella entity Abra Group. Their requests indicate their opposition to the integration, the news agency Bloomberg Línea reported.
EasyFly (Colombia), Satena, Ultra Air, Wingo (Colombia), Aerolíneas Argentinas, LATAM Airlines, JetSMART, Air Europa, and Lufthansa have asked to participate in the ongoing examination of the proposed group, a probe that will ultimately determine whether it is accepted or rejected. Avianca's union (Organización de Aviadores de Avianca - ODEAA), which represents nearly half of Avianca's pilots, has also lodged a request to take part.
As interested parties, they want to know in detail what this merger will imply for the local and regional aviation market. Ultra Air had already voiced its objections to the move, arguing that Avianca and Viva would occupy 65% of the domestic market, which would damage competition and harm consumers.
Several of the airlines confirmed to Bloomberg Línea that the request to Aerocivil is not only to learn about the details of the processes for the integration but also to be able to present their arguments and oppose the operation.
According to the news agency, it is especially striking that Satena appears on the list, a carrier that is 51% owned by the ministries of finance and defence.
