Avianca is entering 2026 with one clear message for travelers: more routes, more comfort, and more connections across the Americas. Following several years of aggressive network growth and an $800 million investment program in fleet and onboard product, the Colombian carrier is now knitting together Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and the wider region with new and seasonal flights to the United States and within Latin America. For travelers planning 2025 and 2026 trips, the coming months will bring additional nonstop options, upgraded cabins, and new city pairs that make it easier than ever to move around Central and South America.
A Network Push Led From Colombia
At the heart of Avianca’s expansion is its home market of Colombia, where the airline has spent the past two years building what it describes as the largest network in its 105-year history. The carrier now operates more than 155 routes to over 80 destinations in more than 25 countries, and it continues to treat Bogotá as a powerful hub for travel across the Americas and to Europe. That positioning becomes even more relevant as new spokes are added from other Central American capitals, feeding into the broader network and giving travelers more one-stop options.
Recent additions such as Bogotá to Belém in northern Brazil, Bogotá to Monterrey in Mexico, and a new Miami to Guayaquil link have already strengthened connectivity across the continent and into the United States. These routes are part of a strategy that couples point-to-point flying with traditional hub connections, letting passengers choose either a quick nonstop or a one-stop itinerary through Bogotá depending on price and schedule.
Within Colombia itself, Avianca is also focusing on underserved and regional markets. New routes connecting Bogotá with Arauca and Quibdó, launched in December, are emblematic of the airline’s effort to connect “the four corners” of the country. By doing so, Avianca is not only chasing leisure demand but also tying in communities that depend heavily on air travel to access the capital for business, education and healthcare.
For international travelers, this domestic web matters. More small and mid-sized Colombian cities are now just one stop away from major United States gateways, which makes twin-center itineraries, multi-city trips, and deeper exploration of Colombia easier to plan. It also means greater resilience in the network: if one route is full or disrupted, Avianca has more alternatives to keep passengers moving.
New Nonstops from Central America: Guatemala and El Salvador
Central America is emerging as a second pillar in Avianca’s strategy, and 2025 and 2026 will see a significant build-out from Guatemala and El Salvador in particular. Both countries already function as connecting points for the airline, but new routes to the United States and neighboring nations will elevate their profile for international travelers looking for efficient, single-connection journeys.
From Guatemala City, Avianca is planning enhanced connectivity with the United States, including a Guatemala City to Miami service. This route is designed to plug Guatemala directly into one of the most important entry points to Latin America-bound traffic from North America. Miami’s role as a gateway for both business and leisure travel, combined with Avianca’s growing presence there, means better onward access to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and beyond for Guatemalan passengers.
El Salvador, meanwhile, continues to be cultivated as a key hub for the airline. Avianca already operates a dense web of nonstops between San Salvador and U.S. cities; that portfolio will grow further with new and resumed services designed to capture peak seasonal demand. Travelers will see San Salvador positioned not just as a destination in its own right, but as a connecting hub linking Chicago, Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami and other North American cities with Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras.
For U.S.-based travelers of Salvadoran or Guatemalan origin, these developments mean more options to visit friends and relatives, often with fewer stops and more direct flights. For tourists, they create opportunities to pair a city escape in Miami or Chicago with time on Central America’s beaches, volcano routes or colonial towns, all stitched together by a single carrier and itinerary.
El Salvador’s Seasonal Chicago Route and What It Means
Among the most notable additions in Avianca’s 2025–2026 portfolio is a new seasonal nonstop service between Chicago and San Salvador. Launching on June 3, 2025, this route will operate three times per week during the northern summer high season, using Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 180 seats. With 1,080 weekly seats in each direction, it will add meaningful capacity at a time of year when demand traditionally spikes.
The Chicago to San Salvador route is more than a simple point-to-point addition. Chicago is home to a sizeable Central American diaspora, and Avianca is explicitly targeting travelers visiting friends and relatives, as well as those connecting onward from El Salvador to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras. For passengers, the key benefits are time savings and convenience: no more circuitous itineraries via other U.S. hubs when a nonstop to San Salvador can provide a quick hop into the Avianca network.
For leisure travelers, the new service opens fresh possibilities. Chicago-based visitors can use San Salvador as a springboard into Central America’s eco-lodges, surf breaks and cultural circuits, often with shorter travel times compared with more traditional routings. Meanwhile, travelers from Central America gain a new, relatively direct path into the Midwestern United States, including connections across the region from Chicago O’Hare.
Because the service is seasonal, travelers considering it for 2025 and 2026 should pay close attention to operating dates and days of the week. Flights are planned on three weekly frequencies, and capacity has been calibrated around peak summer interest. If the route performs well, it could pave the way for extended seasons or additional frequencies in subsequent years, especially as Avianca continues to refine its Central American hub strategy.
Florida and the United States: Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Beyond
Florida is a centerpiece of Avianca’s North American expansion, and its role will grow even further as the airline adds new city pairs in 2025 and rolls the benefits into 2026 schedules. The carrier has confirmed three new direct routes that tighten the links between Colombia, Central America and the Sunshine State: Bogotá to Tampa, Medellín to Fort Lauderdale, and San José (Costa Rica) to Miami. Additional planned services from Guatemala City to Miami and a San Salvador–Managua–Fort Lauderdale operation underline just how important Florida has become to Avianca’s network design.
The Bogotá to Tampa route is particularly significant. It introduces Tampa as a new destination in Avianca’s network and marks a rare nonstop between Tampa and South America. For travelers in western and central Florida, that means direct access to Bogotá and, through connections, to more than 75 destinations across Latin America and Europe. Colombian travelers, in turn, gain another Florida gateway alongside Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, providing more flexibility on fares, schedules and arrival points.
Medellín to Fort Lauderdale and San José to Miami are designed to balance strong local demand with rich connectivity. Fort Lauderdale has established itself as a popular alternative to Miami for both leisure and business travelers, while still offering access to the broader South Florida region. A nonstop from Medellín gives one of Colombia’s most dynamic cities direct access to this market, with connections onward on both sides. The San José to Miami link formalizes a corridor that has long had robust traffic, making it more convenient for Costa Rican travelers heading into the U.S. and beyond on Avianca.
These new routes complement Avianca’s strategy of seasonal and year-round services from multiple U.S. cities, including Chicago, Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, Miami and Washington, to points across Colombia and Central America. The result is a United States footprint that is increasingly multi-gateway, reducing pressure on any single hub and offering travelers more flexibility on where and how they enter the Avianca network.
Business Class Everywhere: A Major Product Shift for 2026
Route expansion is only one part of Avianca’s 2026 story. The other is a sweeping upgrade of the onboard experience, capped by a move that significantly changes the competitive landscape in Latin America: from January 2026, the airline is offering Business Class on 100 percent of its routes. That includes all international services and all domestic flights in Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala.
The Business Class Americas product, which had been progressively rolled out on key routes, has now been extended across the board. On the ground, passengers can expect priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling, as well as access to Avianca’s own lounges and more than 1,000 partner lounges worldwide for eligible customers. In the air, the focus is on enhanced comfort, better seating, upgraded catering on longer flights and a consistently premium experience regardless of aircraft type.
For domestic travelers in Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala, this is a major change. Business Class was once reserved mainly for long-haul or trunk routes. Now, travelers flying between secondary cities or on shorter hops can opt for a premium experience that mirrors what they would receive on international sectors. This is particularly appealing for business travelers who value productivity, flexibility and lounge access even on one-hour segments.
From a practical standpoint, the expansion of Business Class also dovetails with the network growth from Guatemala and El Salvador. Passengers originating in these markets and connecting through Bogotá or San Salvador can now stitch together full itineraries with a premium experience on both domestic and international legs, enhancing the attractiveness of Avianca as a one-stop solution for corporate accounts and high-yield leisure travelers.
Implications for Travelers in Colombia, Guatemala and El Salvador
For travelers based in Avianca’s core markets, the 2026 expansion translates first and foremost into choice. Colombians will see an even denser web of domestic flights, new regional routes and more gateways into the United States, including the Tampa connection and improved access via Medellín and other key cities. Routes into previously underserved destinations such as Arauca and Quibdó bring tangible benefits for residents and businesses there, while also giving visitors more ways to explore beyond Colombia’s headline cities.
Guatemalan travelers gain in two ways: through better direct connectivity to North America, especially via Miami, and through improved access to Avianca’s Business Class offering on domestic routes operated in the country. This combination makes it easier for Guatemalans to structure trips that involve both regional hops and long-haul flights without sacrificing comfort or convenience on the shorter legs.
In El Salvador, the new seasonal Chicago link and strengthened U.S. network will likely be felt across the tourism industry and the visiting friends and relatives segment. Travelers will have more nonstops to choose from during peak periods, reducing the need to connect through third countries. For the local economy, every added frequency brings greater potential for inbound tourism and business ties, particularly as El Salvador markets itself as a new Central American hotspot.
Crucially, the growth in Central America does not exist in isolation. It is integrated into a broader Avianca network that spans major South American economies and select European cities. That means a traveler from San Salvador can reasonably consider one-stop itineraries to places like São Paulo, Buenos Aires or Madrid, while a Colombian or Guatemalan traveler can make similarly efficient trips in the opposite direction, often remaining within the same airline and frequent flyer ecosystem.
How to Plan Around Avianca’s 2026 Expansion
With so many moving pieces, travelers hoping to take advantage of Avianca’s 2026 expansion should plan with both opportunity and timing in mind. Seasonal routes, such as Chicago to San Salvador, have defined operating windows and limited weekly frequencies, so booking early will be important, particularly for summer travel. Checking schedules carefully for the specific days of operation can help avoid awkward layovers or the need for overnight stays at hubs.
For those eyeing the new Florida connections or the Tampa to Bogotá route, it is worth comparing options across all of Avianca’s U.S. gateways. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and now Tampa serve overlapping but distinct geographies within Florida, and choosing the right airport can significantly reduce ground travel times at either end of the trip. Travelers should also consider how these flights line up with onward connections within Colombia, Central America and South America to craft efficient itineraries.
Business travelers and premium leisure passengers will want to familiarize themselves with Avianca’s refreshed Business Class Americas product, especially as it becomes available on domestic segments in Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala. Understanding which flights offer the upgraded service, and how it integrates with lounge access and priority services on the ground, can help justify fare differentials and ensure that the benefits align with individual travel priorities.
Finally, flexibility will remain a valuable asset. As with any period of rapid expansion, some routes may see adjustments in schedules, frequencies or operating seasons as actual demand becomes clearer. Keeping an eye on timetable updates and being open to alternative gateways within Avianca’s growing network will give travelers the best chance to capitalize on the airline’s ambitious plans for 2025 and 2026.