Parent company of Avianca and GOL prepares stockmarket listing 

Aviation Economics & Finance Avianca is retiring its last Airbus A330 aircraft
Skycolors / Shutterstock.com

Abra Group Ltd. the parent company of airlines Avianca (Colombia) and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes (Brazil) and a minority shareholder of SKY Airline (Chile), is said to be considering an initial public offering (IPO) either in London or New York within the next 12 to 18 months. 

Avianca moved its legal domicile to the United Kingdom back in 2021, within the framework of a restructuring prompted by the impact of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, the company was forced to file Chapter 11 and to close its Peruvian subsidiary. 

However, the Colombian carrier has since bounced back and, furthermore, following the demise of two of its low-cost competitors, Viva Colombia and Ultra Air, it has emerged as the undisputed leader in its home market. Earlier in 2023, Avianca initiated the process to acquire Viva Colombia, only to withdraw its offer shortly before the ailing low-cost carrier collapsed at the end of February. 

New York-listed GOL is the third largest airline in Brazil, after LATAM and Azul, operating a fleet of 142 Boeing 737 aircraft.