Volotea partners with Abra on Madrid base after IAG-Air Europa merger

Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea has signed a joint venture (JV) with the Abra Group, which owns Avianca and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, to establish a base in Madrid with approximately 15 to 20 aircraft. In a LinkedIn post, Volotea said the base would be established if the IAG-Air Europa merger is approved and both parties are designated as remedy takers. ""This alliance will not only strengthen our operations but also allow us to offer better service to our passengers, contribute to economic growth, and improve connectivity between different regions, always through Madrid,"" said Volotea CEO and founder Carlos Munoz. ""This agreement is just a first step, and both companies are committed to growing in the medium and long term, as well as in destinations and flights, providing customers with more and better options."" The JV seeks to take over the slots that IAG pledged to hand over as part of the approval process for its acquisition of Air Europa, Munoz told a news conference in Madrid, Reuters reported. The companies said the opportunity to strengthen their networks could provide greater benefits to its European and Latin American customers. Abra CEO Adrian Neuhauser reportedly said that, since the two parties do not have direct competition with each other, the JV did not require authorisation from anti-trust authorities.