Leveraging newly acquired 5th Freedom Traffic Rights, Martinair is set to begin scheduled services from Viracopus, Brazil (VCP) to Ecuador (Quito and Guayaquil) and Colombia (Bogota) on its four weekly MD11 freighter flights. Martinair was able to obtain the traffic rights from Sao Paulo to Ecuador and Colombia from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency – Agência Nacional de Aviacão Civil (ANAC) in cooperation with Grupo BETA (Brazilian Express Transportes Aéreos), a Brazilian cargo and logistics company, the Dutch carrier said.

Martinair said it experienced tremendous growth in Brazil last year, launching twice weekly service in March 2009, growing to four frequencies by October with possible further expansion this year. “We are very pleased with our results in Brazil and expect 2010 to be even better now that we have obtained 5th Freedom Traffic Rights,” said Meta Ullings, SVP Martinair Cargo. The carrier uses Bogotá as its hub for the Andean and Central American regions.