BOGOTA, Feb 7 (Reuters) – 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
JetSMART is part of private investor Indigo Partners’ portfolio of budget airlines alongside U. If you cherished this article and evdeN evE NAkLiyaT<\/a> you simply would like to receive more info concerning EVDEN eVE NakliYAT<\/a> i implore you to visit our own web site. S.-based Frontier Airlines, Europe’s Wizz Air and Mexico’s Volaris.<\/p>\n The Chilean carrier currently operates 79 routes across South America, including flights to Colombian capital Bogota as well as Medellin and Cali.<\/p>\n “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 Chief Executive Estuardo Ortiz said in the statement.<\/p>\n 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 evden eVE nakLiyAT<\/a> and the welfare of consumers.<\/p>\n Avianca and Viva filed an appeal the same month, proposing alternatives<\/a> such as yielding some routes and granting better landing and take-off schedules to competitors.<\/p>\n