Colombian regulator allows restart of Avianca-Viva merger bid

Citing a procedural misstep, Colombia’s aviation authority has annulled the 2022 merger application submitted by Avianca and Viva, and the process is to restart without a new application being filed. The regulator said on January 19 there had been a “substantial irregularity in the processing of the administrative action” related to the application. The stillborn merger attempt had earlier been dismissed by the Colombian regulator on the grounds it would undermine competition in the industry. The applicants appealed in late 2022, saying they would rejig their proposal to allow competitors access some routes and get first option on some preferred