Government postpones restart of international flights due to escalation of pandemic

According to a Spanish-language article in Los Tiempos, Deputy Transport Minister Julio Linares has announced that the government has decided to not restart international commercial flights at this time due to the pandemic. A report from the Ministry of Health predicts that the peak of the infections in the country will occur “between September 8 and 10, a period in which Bolivia could exceed 130 thousand positive cases.” Epidemiological conditions and their impact will be assessed “every two weeks to set "tentative dates" to reopen the borders.”

“Argentina and Peru announced the opening of their borders between August and September, Brazil continues with its domestic operations planned for international flights.

Linares said that international air operators and neighboring countries asked Bolivia to have a date for the resumption of commercial air transport services, in order to schedule the sale of tickets.”

In order to stimulate the reactivation of internal air transport, the Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing is preparing internal tourist packages on credit, with a 3 percent annual interest rate, for Rurrenabaque and Madidi.

Minister Ivan Arias said: "The airlines are going bankrupt, we are designing tourist packages through December when the pandemic will have diminished.”