Colombia's flag carrier is reporting healthy traffic growth, Argentina attracts a new airline, major foreign carriers show interest in Colombia and a cash injection for Puerto Plata - our Miami-based sister publisher, AvNews, brings you this week's news from Latin America
Avianca Reports 1Q Traffic Rise
Avianca reports passenger traffic growth of 20% in the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same period last year.
Colombia's flag carrier also reported load factors of 76.7% in the first quarter compared with 73.2% last year.
Buenos Aires' Air Service Boost![070510-fff](https://static.routesonline.com/images/cached/upload-3325-standard-231x152.jpg)
Venezuela's national carrier, Conviasa is to start serving Buenos Aires in Argentina this month.
The non-stop flights will be operated with an A340-200. The announcement represents part of the airline's plan to expand service.
Foreign Carrier Interest in Colombia?![070510-lufthansa](https://static.routesonline.com/images/cached/upload-3332-standard-251x168.jpg)
According to the director of Colombia's civil aviation authority, Fernando San Clemente, Columbia could be set to benefit from new air services from foreign carriers, including Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Emirates.
A further sign of the market potential in Colombia, Avianca will be resuming direct flights between Bogota and Frankfurt, Germany, which were suspended in January 2001.