Conviasa schedules its first African route between Venezuela and Algeria
On 9 June, the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro paid an official visit to Algiers. Alongside his counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune, he reiterated his commitment to building a new beginning for their two countries, which share "a rich and dense history". A month later, the two oil-rich nations, both members of OPEC, came together by air thanks to the Venezuelan state-owned carrier, Conviasa.
Conviasa will land in Africa for the first time. From 27 July, the Venezuelan national airline will offer a direct flight between Caracas and Algiers. The route will operate twice a month, with the next dates available on its website being 27 July, 17 August, 31 August, 14 September and 28 September 2022.
The Bolivarian national flag will have no competition on this route. It will be using its Airbus A340-600 fleet (2 aircraft), recently acquired from Iranian company Mahan Air. It also has an A340-200 and an A340-300.
It is expected that the opening of this route will help strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between Algeria and Venezuela, two oil-producing OPEC countries. The Maghreb country is one of the 14 with which the Bolivarian nation has reopened its skies, while the effects of the health crisis persist. Turkey, Russia, Mexico, Bolivia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Brazil and Qatar complete the list.
As a reminder, in 2020, Conviasa also aimed to serve Angola and South Africa. This move was part of a desire to seek out new growth markets at a time when Venezuela, once a popular destination, is facing an economic crisis, accentuated by US sanctions.
