Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Emirates will fly into Colombia

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Emirates will fly into Colombia

    The Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade & Tourism of Colombia, Óscar Rueda, made it officially on Thursday April 16 that after years of speculation, Emirates will start flying to Bogotá by the end of 2009 as its second South American destination after Sao Paulo. The decision comes after the recent Arab-South American Business Forum held at Doha in March, and was ratified by Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktum himself, president of Dubai’s Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of the Emirates Group, who gathered with Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Luis Guillermo Plata. Mustafa Badawy Orrantia, commercial director of the Colombia-United Arab Emirates and GCC Chamber of Commerce, said back then that it was a priority for the UAE to “improve and increase trade relations with Colombia”, as it was proposed then that Qatar Airways was to be eligible too for a direct route between the Middle East and Bogotá. “We want to invite tourists to Colombia and I’m sure tourists from Colombia would also want to see the Middle East”, stressed Badawy Orrantia during the summit. Colombia’s Vice-president Francisco Santos said in March at the second Summit between South American and Gulf countries that a permanent diplomatic Colombian mission was going to be established in Abu Dhabi.
    As early as 2002 it was gossiped that Emirates was flying into Colombia and Brazil. For some time, it was thought the airline was to land in Recife or Rio, but from October 1 2007, Emirates began flying six days a week to Sao Paulo, a trip of 14 hours and 40 minutes aboard one of its Boeing 777-200LR – the first-ever non-stop service between South America and Dubai. Colombia was again brought as a possible destination in January of that year, when the country’s airport authority signed an air trade agreement authorizing Colombian airlines and Emirates to operate daily flights between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Colombian cities. Emirates was the company designated by the UAE government. The accord also included six weekly cargo flights for Emirates and the same for an airline to be designated by the Colombian government.fficeffice" />>>
    Colombia’s Deputy Ministry of Foreign Trade & Tourism announced that Emirates has about three months to decide the routes, and will negotiate directly with Colombia's civil aviation authority, Aeronáutica Civil, and Colombia's main arline, Avianca. It was said, too, that Emirates is considering, beside the Dubai-Bogotá route, a Dubai-Frankfurt-Bogotá frequency and also a Dubai-Caracas-Bogotá. Despite it all, the airline has scheduled to begin flights by the end of 2009 or as early 2010, but this time it is for real.>>

  • #2
    Wow! Congratulations to Colombia, and specifically Bogota. Great news for all involved!

    In reality - I was expecting for them to choose CCS first (due to the Oil Industry), but then again, security issues (and a near-Socialist gov't) would hamper business interests in the nation. Great news for them. I can't wait to see the 777s on the route!
    Whatever is necessary, is never unwise.

    Comment


    • #3
      Airnew, what is you source for this post?

      I tried searching online for something official but found nothing...

      I've been waiting for an announcement like this since 2006 when the aviation authorities of the two countries signed the first agreements that granted frequencies but since then no news had surfaced...

      would love to see an Emirates bird in Eldorado!

      Comment


      • #4
        Sources

        The sources are in Spanish, mainly from Colombia's media RCN & Caracol. Colombia's TV networks made the announcement, along with shots of the statement made by the Deputy Minister of Trade & Tourism, Oscar Rueda. Many times before it was said in these forums that Emirates was flying into Bogota, but is the first time Colombia's media gives it attention, and that a government official says it. You can google the news if done wisely in Spanish... One, for example, is Caracol, Colombia's oldest radio and broadcasting network:



        The site "Primera Pagina", published this news thread that has been apparently archived:

        "En mayo Colombia espera firmar acuerdo bilateral con la aerolínea árabe Emirates Airlines

        Así lo anunció el viceministro de Turismo, Óscar Rueda, quien agregó que luego de la firma de este acuerdo, la aerolínea entraría a operar en aproximadamente cuatro meses, entre septiembre y octubre de este año. La compañía iniciará con dos vuelos; uno desde Bogotá - Caracas - Dubai y el segundo, Dubai - Caracas - Bogotá. De igual forma, Rueda indicó que esta nueva aerolínea transportará pasajeros y carga."

        By May Colombia expects to sign bilateral agreement with arab airline Emirates.

        That was how the deputy Minister of Tourism Óscar Rueda announced it, who added that after the entry into force of this accord, the airline would begin to fly [into Colombia] in aproximately four months, between september and october of this year. The company [Emirates] will begin with two flights: one from Bogotá-Caracas-Dubai and the second, Dubai-Caracas-Bogotá. In the same way, Rueda pointed out that this new airline will transport passengers and cargo".

        Additionally, Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Trade & Tourism webpage has the information surfing its media files:



        Even there's a cooler bomb there: SINGAPORE AIRLINES expressed its interest in an initial cargo service between Singapore and Bogota, though it's not official as with Emirates. Negotiations will begin in June. The link to this official press release (from the Colombian government) is: http://www.mincomercio.gov.co/eConte...05&IDCompany=1

        There you can see too the progress of a trade, tourism and air travel agreement undergoing with Australia, and the plans of Qantas of flying its A380 into Bogota in its expansion, as Colombia prepares to enter ASEAN in 2010 and is also in negotiations with Air China, after the recent signed agreements with Beijing.

        Hope I had been of help

        Comment


        • #5
          I've already seen a Singapore 747 (beautiful plane and livery!) in Bogota a couple of weeks ago but I'm not sure if it's a regularly scheduled flight...

          Thanks for the links!

          Seems like Colombia is back on the map!

          Comment


          • #6
            Singapore Airlines starts cargo operations to Colombia

            It is official!!!!

            SIA Cargo is an air freight forwarding company in Singapore that handles pharmaceutical, perishable cargos and e-commerce logistics. Visit our website today!


            From Singapore airlibers web site, they started flights to Bogota, Sao Paulo y Quito!!

            Comment


            • #7
              The 777LR is truely giving benefits to Emirates's ability to fly almost everywhere. Great for both Emirates and Colombia. I thought the same thing there AA 1818 about Emirates choosing CCS; they're doing the same thing as when they choose to fly to Houston, the oil industry.
              what ever happens......happens

              Comment

              Working...
              X