JetSMART Airlines hopes to begin talks to buy Colombia's Viva Air

Indigo Partners-backed budget carrier JetSMART Airlines said on Tuesday that it wanted to buy Colombian low-cost carrier Viva Air, in a move that if successful would scupper Viva's plans to merge with Colombian flag carrier Avianca. Chile-based JetSMART Airlines said in a statement that it planned to open talks to buy the Colombian airline but it did not disclose how much it might pay to acquire Viva, nor its funding plans. JetSMART is part of private investor Indigo Partners' portfolio of budget airlines alongside US-based Frontier Airlines, Europe's Wizz Air and Mexico's Volaris. The Chilean carrier currently operates 79 routes across South America, including flights to Colombian capital Bogota as well as Medellin and Cali. "We believe that a merger between JetSMART and Viva Air will allow us to maintain the ultra-low-cost model in Colombia, helping to continue offering more routes at lower prices," JetSMART CE Estuardo Ortiz said. Colombia's civil aviation regulator initially rejected a proposed merger between Avianca and Viva in November on the grounds that it posed risks to competition in the sector and the welfare of consumers.<br/>