Avianca breaks ties with Volotea after Iberia fails to absorb Air Europa

The Abra Group, owner of Avianca, and the Spanish airline Volotea, broke their alliance a month after announcing it in order to convince Brussels that they were the right ones to take over the routes that IAG, owner of Iberia, had to cede in order to obtain approval for the absorption of Air Europa, a subsidiary of Globalia.

The joint venture depended on whether both could act as remedy takers in the integration of Air Europa into IAG, so as the expected circumstances did not occur, its construction is ruled out, as reported REPORTUR.co (Avianca joins forces with Spain’s Volotea in anticipation of the Iberia-Air Europa merger).

Adrián Neuhauser, CEO of Grupo Abra, said on the day the alliance was signed that it would be maintained if the European Commission rejects IAG’s purchase of Air Europa, “although on a much smaller scale.”

For Volotea, headed by Carlos Muñoz, “it represented a unique opportunity for the sector and for our country,” they revealed to El Economista, and they assure that “we will continue our development strategy in the market, although the pace will be different,” since growth will be organic, as they acquire new aircraft and open new routes.

Volotea, whose future and viability were planned to hinge largely on the approval of this transaction, planned a base in Barajas to turn this aerodrome into its largest hub in Spain and guarantee connections with Latin America, relying on Avianca’s long-haul traffic.