Since American Airlines, Aeromexico, United Airlines and Spirit announced that they will delay their return to the country until April, local businessmen have given up hope that air connectivity will improve in the coming weeks.
Six international airlines operate in Nicaragua, but currently only Copa and Avianca are flying. The remaining four have postponed their return and according to their latest announcements, they would return until April.
After several months without arriving in the country due to the covid-19 outbreak, Copa Airlines will resume flights to Managua starting January 20 and will do so on a weekly basis.
The plans of the Panamanian airline is to operate during January a weekly frequency on Wednesdays, informed Carlos Schütze, vice president of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur).
Because only two airlines currently operate in Nicaragua and there is no certainty when other companies will reactivate their flights, entrepreneurs in the tourism sector remain uncertain.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, the country was left without an air connection, as the airlines decided to suspend their operations due to the low number of travelers who were willing to travel in this context of the pandemic.
Due to the alert that health authorities have issued for the appearance of a new SARS-CoV-2 strain and in line with the decision made by El Salvador, the governments of Panama and Guatemala will also ban the entry of people from the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Due to the new variant of Covid-19, the National Operation Center decided to temporarily suspend as of 11:59 p.m. on December 21 the entry into the country of those who have stayed or transited through the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa in the last 20 days, informed the Presidency of Panama.
After the South American country decided to suspend flights to and from Venezuela by Copa Airlines, the Civil Aeronautical Authority of Panama cancelled flights from Venezuela.
Panama has been forced to cancel existing flights to Venezuelan airlines, in response to the same measure taken by that country and until equal and reciprocal treatment is reached in the frequency of flights, as corresponds by the air commercial agreement, explained the Civil Aeronautical Authority (CAA).
In order to reduce travel costs, the Guatemalan Airline Association asked Ministry of Health authorities to no longer require passengers to take a negative covid-19 test to enter the country.
According to the Ministry of Health document called "National Guidelines for the Prevention of COVID-19 for International Travel to and from Guatemala" prepared on September 15, 2020, all travelers arriving in the country must present a negative test for covid-19.
When the pandemic began, interest among Central Americans in travel agency and other tourism-related services dropped significantly, and although it rebounded in mid-May, in recent weeks it has again reported a downward trend.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
Avianca, Jetblue, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Volares, KLM, British Airways, Sun Country and West Jet, are the airlines that in November and December resume their flights to and from the country.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, Costa Rican authorities decided to close their borders, but after a strict quarantine, air transport in the country began to be reactivated.
From October 12, to enter Panamanian territory, foreign visitors must present a PCR test or antigen negative to covid-19 with a maximum of 48 hours and will not have to comply with mandatory isolation.
In the context of the economic reopening, it was announced that as of October 15, Costa Rican air terminals will begin to receive flights carrying citizens from Central America and Panama.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, air transport between Costa Rica and the other countries in the region has been interrupted since March.
As of October 1st, citizens and residents of Mexico may enter Costa Rican territory by air, under the condition that they comply with the sanitary requirements imposed by the authorities to contain the outbreak of covid-19.
As part of the process of reactivating air connectivity, Jamaican tourists will also be able to enter and the authorization for California residents will be reconfirmed. In addition, Ohio was added to the list of states in the United States of America authorized to visit the country as of October.
More than five months after the suspension of commercial air transport in the country, the Civil Aeronautics Authority reported that as of October 12, international flights will be reactivated.
After six months of closing the borders to commercial flights, air transport has been reactivated from September 18 with the arrival of four aircraft from the United States.
At the beginning of September, the Presidential Commission for Emergency Attention Covid-19 (COPRECOVID) had anticipated that the reactivation of operations at La Aurora and Mundo Maya International Airports would be carried out under the health protocols endorsed by health authorities and recommendations from International Civil Aviation.
After the Constitutional Court halted the government's decision to request a negative PCR test to covid-19 from travelers arriving in the country, the Executive assures that they will demand this requirement from the airlines.
Arguing that the right to enter the territory is restricted, on September 15 the Supreme Court of Justice suspended the decision of the Executive Autonomous Port Commission (CEPA) to demand proof of covid-19 from Salvadorans and foreigners with definitive residence in the country, who want to enter El Salvador when the international airport resumes operations for commercial flights as of September 19.
Starting October 17th, JetBlue will gradually restart operations with the flight between San Jose and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, and from October 25th it will start operating the route between the Costa Rican capital and New York.
From October 28th the airline plans to reactivate the flight between Orlando and San Jose.