Declan Ryan’s Irelandia to restart historic seaplane service in Colombia after 70 years

Declan Ryan or Irlandia — Declan Ryan or Irelandia

Irelandia is to invest in Alma Air to launch seaplanes in Colombia, restarting a historic service after 70 years. Rupert Stebbings, a former director of Viva, leads the seventh Irelandia-backed airline.

Irelandia holds stakes in Ryanair, Tiger Airways and minority in Avianca. Alma Air plans low-fare seaplane services pending Civil Aviation Authority approval. The initiative revives seaplane operations in Latin America.

Global capacity growth in Colombia for the year to date remains steady, at 3pc ahead of last year, with 2025 shown as the yellow line, 2024 as the grey line, 2019 as the black line, and the green dotted line indicating where capacity would have been had pre-2019 growth trends continued.

Colombia ranks as the 23rd largest market in capacity terms globally this month, with 10.7m seats across domestic and international markets, where only Brazil and Mexico exceed it among Latin America competitors due to their larger populations and domestic air markets.

Over the last 25 years, Colombia has experienced capacity growth at a CAGR rate of 5.8pc, second only to Panama among the top 10 in Latin America.

Strategies during and after the pandemic boosted Colombia’s post-Covid recovery, as examined in growth trends over the past decade.

Colombia’s location provides opportunities to connect with travellers from across the Americas for inbound travel, while outbound travel sees Colombians flying to specific international destinations.

Rupert Stebbings shared “Alma Air plans to bring seaplanes back to Colombia for the first time in 70 years.”

Valeria Bucheli shared “The dynamic growth of Colombia’s aviation market stems from strategic expansions and regional connectivity that open doors for tourism and business alike.”

Deirdre Fulton shared “Examining airline expansion strategies reveals how players in Colombia are adapting to meet rising demand with targeted routes and partnerships.”

John Grant shared “Post-Covid recovery in Colombia demonstrates resilience through innovative approaches that have accelerated capacity beyond pre-pandemic levels.”