Abra Group, the parent company of Colombian airline Avianca, is preparing to join the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The group filed a Form F-1 last week for a potential initial public offering (IPO). The move aims to raise hundreds of millions of dollars as part of a broader strategy to expand its operations across Colombia and Latin America.
Abra Group, Avianca’s parent company, aims at NYSE listing
Abra Group is a holding company that controls Avianca, Colombia’s leading domestic airline, and Gol Airlines, Brazil’s largest carrier. Formed in May 2022, it is legally registered in England and Wales and aims to become the leading air transport group in Latin America.
“Entering a stock exchange and conducting an initial public offering (IPO) is a necessity when a company reaches a certain size, because it becomes essential to access deeper and more competitive markets,” explained Manuel Irarrázaval, Abra Group’s Chief Financial Officer, in an interview with Colombian outlet El Tiempo.
Listing Abra on the NYSE would allow the holding company to raise significant capital — over US$300 million targeted — according to the financial director, who said, “With this, we aim to finance investments and reduce part of the holding’s debt.” The choice of NYSE was made considering the size of the U.S. market and its investment capacity. “It is the most liquid and visible market in the world, and it offers access to institutional and retail investors more broadly,” said Irarrazaval.
Joining NYSE is part of an expansion strategy that also includes enlarging its current fleet. Reportedly, Abra Group has already placed orders with Airbus and Boeing, requesting 50 Airbus A320neo, 96 Boeing 737 MAX, which will be delivered progressively until 2030; up to seven Airbus A330neo wide-body aircraft for long-haul routes; and five Airbus A350-900, for a total of 234 new aircraft.
“This announcement confirms that we continue making investments aligned with our commitment to provide more access to air travel for millions of people,” said Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Abra Group. Accordingly, Abra aims to list on NYSE by 2026.
Avianca was listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol AVH starting in 2013 but was delisted in 2020 following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and suspension of trading. With the Abra Group joining the NYSE, Avianca could considerably expand its current activities. As of late 2025, the Colombian airline operates over 160 air routes connecting 82 destinations across 27 countries in the Americas and Europe.