Wingo to take ninth 737 after strong post-pandemic growth

Copa Airlines’ low-cost carrier Wingo will take its ninth aircraft next month as it continues its rapid recovery from the pandemic. Speaking on the sidelines of the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Buenos Aires, Wingo chief executive Eduardo Lombana says the Colombian carrier has already doubled its operation since the pandemic. ”We operated four 737-700s before the pandemic and now we are operating eight [737-800s] and we will bring the ninth, with 186 seats, in mid-November,” he explains. ”We have already put together a network of 33 routes, seven of those have been started this year,” Lombana adds. ”We are focused on making sure the routes make financial sense and the demand is there, and we are confident there wil be.” The majority of the routes, 26, are international and Wingo has benefited as Colombia’s borders remained among the most open in the region during the pandemic. ”So far we have been able to get the route rights we want,” he says. ”We have some challenges with nations that are slower in opening up, particularly in Venezuela.” The airline had been due to resume services between Bogota and Caracas earlier this month, but authorities have delayed the start. "We were the only the airline that connected both countries up until the pandemic, and we will be the first to connect both coutnries once its re-activated,” he says. Wingo initially began operations with the smaller 737-700s before moving to the larger -800s. <br/>