Boliviana de Aviación, which handles more than 90% of air transport in the highland country, has been criticized for operating with old aircraft that are not in optimal condition.
Due to user complaints, incidents and delays in the service provided by the state airline Boliviana de Aviación (BoA), different sectors are calling for an open skies policy for the introduction of more open lines to facilitate transport demand.
On January 27, an engine on a BoA aircraft began to smoke before takeoff, prompting a series of questions to the management of the state-owned company and the Ministry of Public Works.
The company, which handles more than 90% of air transport in Bolivia, was criticized for operating with old aircraft that were not in optimal condition.
This is in addition to complaints about flight delays and cancellations, lost luggage and mistreatment of passengers. The opposition claims that the airline damages the country's image and harms tourism.
AIR TRANSPORT
Asked on La Razón Radio about having an open skies policy in the country, the Vice Minister of Defense of User and Consumer Rights, Jorge Silva, said that “this possibility should be available.”
He said that due to the high demand for the service and BoA's inability to meet the needs of users, "they should be able to look at this other alternative."
Added to this is the announcement by the municipal secretary of Cultures of La Paz, Américo Gemio, who in a previous broadcast assured that he would work on the implementation of policies that facilitate the entry of foreign visitors. He said that his proposal is based on “the issue of visas, which is an important issue, the issue of open skies and the issue of security.”
On Wednesday, Senate President Andrónico Rodríguez, in a press conference, suggested “making viable” other airlines that can “supply” passenger air transport.
Also, the senator of Comunidad Ciudadana (CC) Corina Ferreira, indicated that she supports “open skies policies” because “the monopoly” that the State has forced out “is not fair.” She told La Razón that the passenger does not have the option of choosing the airline “based on service, safety, prices” and that Boa is playing “with the lives of all passengers who use its service out of necessity.”
"We support the fact that new airlines are entering the market to provide better service and so that passengers can choose. At present, with this situation of flights, we are scaring away tourists," he added.
BUSINESSMEN
In December 2024, in an interview with the local newspaper La Razón , the president of the National Chamber of Tourism Operators, María Lourdes Benavides, raised the possibility of open skies. Benavides reported that her sector proposed implementing a system that would facilitate the entry of international airlines into the country. And if it was not possible to move towards this model, they suggested a “flexible skies” scheme to attract investors and promote tourism.
On Tuesday, the National Chamber of Industries (CNI) asked the Government for an “aeronautical policy” that would allow the entry of new airlines, both foreign and national, to meet the demand for air transport in the national territory.
Meanwhile, in Piedra, Papel y Tinta of La Razón , the president of the Federation of Private Entrepreneurs of La Paz, Rolando Kempff, remembered the airline Amaszonas, with which “we had competition” however, despite its problems and the option of having other alternatives “it implies better service, better price and better quality”.
Amaszonas stopped flying on August 8, 2023, when the DGAC withdrew the registration of its four aircraft due to a debt with the lessee GY Aviation Lease 1816 Co. Limited, for an amount greater than US$ 17 million.
According to industrialists, Bolivia has the “possibility of generating” approximately US$ 4 billion in the tourism sector annually, if air transport conditions are improved.
BoA, for its part, attributed these problems to high demand during the holiday season and assured that the situation would be regularized.
