Wingo was consolidating itself as the largest low cost in Colombia in terms of international connectivity. To achieve this milestone, it was increasing the offer of seats, adding aircraft and inaugurating new routes throughout 2021, in a show of resilience after the impact of the worst of the pandemic.
Colombia is Wingo’s main market, taking into account that the airline belongs to Copa Holdings S.A. based in Panama. Since it was introduced in that country, five years ago after replacing AeroRepublica, the company has grown progressively with a focus on international destinations.
Given this new business model, being a low cost, Wingo had a good response from travelers. During the post-pandemic reactivation phase, the company announced one million new seats to fly until March 2022. In this way, it will operate 27% more flights with respect to pre-pandemic levels and adding 166% of the supply of seats compared to 2019.
To accompany this increase, the company replaced its four Boeing 737-700s with capacity for 146 passengers with six Boeing 737-800s with 186 seats, and expects to receive another two more of the same model before the end of the year.
It should be noted that it added eight routes throughout 2021, including from Bogotá (BOG) to Santiago de Cali (CLO), Santa Marta (SMR) and Medellín / José María Córdova (MDE) in January. At the international level, they added from Bogotá (BOG) to Lima (LIM) in Peru; from Medellín / José María Córdova (MDE) to Punta Cana (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic and Cancun (CUN) in Mexico and from Panama / Tocumen (PTY) to San José de Costa Rica (SJO).
Thus, it has a network of 28 routes, of which 19 are international.
International market in Colombia and Panama
The international is its main segment, maintaining the initial focus of its network.
The low cost took advantage of the positive moments of the region and was adding new routes in countries such as the Dominican Republic and Mexico, which have presented the lowest levels of restriction to the entry of tourists.
However, Curaçao (CUR) has not been retaken for the moment and as a result of sanitary restrictions it did not return to fly to Caracas (CCS) in Venezuela.
Its biggest local competition is Viva Air, which in the last month has added new routes reaching Wingo’s levels. The only difference is that the Copa Holdings airline has a greater number of destinations.
Wingo increased its seating offer for the next eight months to maintain dominance in the international segment.
On the other hand, from Panama it maintains its routes to four destinations in Colombia (Cartagena, Santiago de Cali, Medellín and Bogotá) and returned to San José in Costa Rica, suspended in 2017.
Before the pandemic, it operated at the Pacific International Airport, west of Panama City. It also operated in Havana, which to date has not resumed.
In Panama it does not have large local competitors that can face it in the low-cost segment. Volaris has a subsidiary in Costa Rica and will soon open in El Salvador, but at the moment it has not entered its territory.
Future Routes
As stated in an interview done in “La Prensa” Carolina Cortizo, general director of Wingo, said that she continues to monitor new links in the future as the restrictions evolve.
According to the latest approvals granted by Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia, the company has a range of possible links to be made, including Santiago de Cali (CLO) to Mexico (MEX), Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE); Medellín (MDE) to Caracas (CCS); as well as to arrive in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. One market that has not entered is the United States, largely dominated by US airlines and in which its mother company, Copa, also has a presence.
