BOGOTA (Reuters), – Avianca, a flag carrier, has announced that it will merge with Viva a commercial airline from Colombia. However, they said the companies would keep their branding separate and maintain different strategies.

The aim of unifying all companies under one group is to help airlines recover from a worldwide industry crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint statement, the two companies announced: “Majority shareholders representing both airlines announce that Viva will be part of Avianca Global International Limited (Avianca Grup), and Declan Ryan founding member of Viva will join board. He will bring all of his aviation expertise to the group.”

The approvals of regulators in Peru and Colombia will determine whether Avianca Group is allowed to take control of Viva’s Peru operations.

After joining, airlines retain their branding and business strategy.

Avianca underwent a restructuring in 2021 that enabled it to be exempted from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. More than 110 planes are in operation, and 12,000 people work for the airline.

Viva is a Colombian low-cost carrier that has built a good reputation. The airline currently operates 22 planes with around 1200 employees.