Four months after completing the acquisition of Spanish wet-lease and charter specialist Wamos Air, Abra Group is now integrating the carrier into its broader strategy to address capacity constraints, enhance connectivity and expand its reach in the transatlantic market.
The parent company of South American airlines Avianca and GOL sees Wamos as an important asset in bridging the imbalance between Latin American demand and European airline dominance on long-haul routes.
“With European carriers, more than 50% of all bookings to and from Latin America to Europe are point of origin Latin America,” said Joe Mohan, CCO of Abra Group. “These are people who are familiar with our brands, who love flying us on a regular basis, but about two-thirds of the capacity is served by European carriers.”
Speaking at Routes Americas 2025 in Nassau, Bahamas, Mohan said that while Avianca and GOL have strong relationships with some European airlines, the group believes it could “better capitalize” on its point-of-sale strength to address the imbalance.
Wamos has long operated as a wet-lease and charter specialist, with customers including Air Europa, Aer Lingus, Etihad and TAP Air Portugal. Avianca had previously used Wamos aircraft under a wet-lease agreement to supplement its fleet, but Abra now sees a larger role for the airline within its network.
“Given the current shortage of widebody aircraft, acquiring Wamos gives us immediate access to long-haul capacity,” Mohan said. “We don’t have to wait years for new aircraft—we now have the ability to move more quickly.”
Wamos’ European air operator certificate also plays a strategic role in Abra’s ambitions to expand its presence in Europe. “For example, Central America is home to about 40 million people, but it’s seven different countries and has seven different regulatory [authorities],” he explained.
“What Wamos brings to the table is the ability to fly anywhere in Europe under a [European Union] operating certificate to different places in Latin America, and with the aircraft availability.”
Despite the acquisition, Wamos will continue operating as a wet-lease provider for other airlines while gradually integrating into Abra’s broader network strategy. The airline currently operates three A330-200s and seven A330-300s, according to CAPA – Centre for Aviation fleet data.
As previously reported by Aviation Week, Mohan said that Abra could add more airlines to its portfolio, with Aerolineas Argentinas in its sights. In January, Abra also signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Brazilian carrier Azul.
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Publish date : 2025-02-18 00:50:00
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