Tampa airport begins flights to South America

Tampa International Airport began its first regularly scheduled nonstop flights to South America in its 50-year history this week.

Avianca, the largest airline in Colombia, will now be carrying passengers back and forth from Tampa to El Dorado International Airport in Colombia’s capital city Bogota four days a week.

“Tampa International Airport has achieved a major milestone in connecting Tampa Bay to Bogota,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano says in a statement. "With new airline partner Avianca, TPA now has nonstop flights to South America for the very first time, giving our residents unparalleled access to Colombia and beyond. I’m grateful to Avianca, as well as the efforts of our community partners throughout Tampa Bay, for helping us make this longtime goal a reality.”

According to a statement from TPA, Colombia has been a top-requested destination for years, in part due to more than 36,000 Colombian-born residents living in the Tampa Bay region. 

An Airbus A320neo aircraft containing 180 total seats with 12 designated as premium and 168 in economy will be carrying passengers, according to the statement.

Avianca is the second oldest airline in the world, originally founded as Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéreos or SCADTA, in 1919. The airline transports more than 29 million passengers to over 100 destinations according to its website.