In a statement, Avianca said conditions set by the regulator "would not allow Viva to be a financially and operationally viable airline," and also put Avianca's stability at risk.
Among the reasons, Avianca said the deal gave little "regulatory flexibility" to reactivate Viva's operations. It also said the deal required Avianca to assume routes, commitments and prices that "don't coincide with Viva's remaining capacity" after having suspended operations for two months. "Regretfully the conditions of this resolution, which is a firm decision, make the rescuing Viva impossible," Avianca CEO Adrian Neuhauser said in the statement, adding that the conditions also but Colombia's connectivity at risk.The merger was a lifeline for embattled Viva, which has struggled financially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and seen its situation worsen due to higher fuel prices in 2022 and the depreciation of Colombia's peso.