Massport, Avianca Celebrate First Flight to El Salvador
Logan welcomes the 55th international nonstop destination
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Port Authority today joined representatives from Avianca Airlines to announce the launch of Avianca’s direct flights from Boston to San Salvador, El Salvador – the 55th international destination served by Logan through its newly renovated Terminal E. The event included dancers from El Salvador, local dishes from the country and a water salute. San Salvador becomes Logan’s fifth scheduled nonstop route to Central America and South America.
The Boston to El Salvador flight will initially have four weekly frequencies on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, on an A320 aircraft with a capacity for 150 passengers. The flight offers connections for passengers travelling to and from Ciudad de Guatemala, Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, San Jose, Managua and Ciudad de Panama, and others. El Salvador has a population of 6.3 million people. In 2015, 2.2 million people with Salvadoran origin lived in the United States and an estimated 54,631 Salvadorans resided in Massachusetts.
“We are pleased to announce our new direct route between Boston and San Salvador, El Salvador on Avianca Airlines,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “We look forward to continuing to strengthen the ties between Massachusetts and Central America.”
Avianca is the second largest air carrier in Latin America, it has been in operations since 1919, making it the oldest airline in the Western Hemisphere. A member of the Star Alliance, Avianca serves over 100 destinations in almost 30 countries with a modern fleet of over 180 aircraft. Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL), locally known as Comalapa International Airport, serves as the main hub for Avianca Airlines. With almost 3 million passengers in 2016, SAL is the busiest airport in El Salvador and third-busiest in Central America by passenger traffic.
“With the inauguration of this new route, Avianca becomes the first and only airline to directly link Boston with El Salvador and vice versa, connecting travelers from the State of Massachusetts with the main Central American capitals efficiently. On their part, travelers from Central American may connect easily with key points in New England,” said Keila Lacourt, Avianca’s Sales Manager North-East Region.
During the past decade, the number of international nonstop destinations from Logan has more than doubled from 27 to 55 and international passengers now account for almost 19 percent of its travelers. International passengers are predicted to be the fastest growing component of airport business. In 2017, over 7 million international passengers traveled through Logan’s Terminal E.