One of the largest airlines in South America has added new nonstop service between the capital of Guatemala and the San Francisco Bay Area to align with this month’s FIFA World Cup games.
Avianca announced earlier this week that it would be adding a seasonal direct route between La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City and San Francisco International Airport.
The temporary seasonal route will be in operation for the summer, with its first flights having taken off earlier this week and its final departures scheduled for Aug. 31, 2026.
Avianca says four weekly flights will be offered through the end of August, with more than 1,440 seats per week. Travelers will fly in an Avianca branded Airbus A320 aircraft between the two cities on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Avianca will also offer four weekly flights connecting San Francisco with San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.
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The decision to add these weekly flights was made in order to provide more connectivity options for South American residents who plan to attend 2026 FIFA World Cup games in person later this month.
San Francisco is one of the cities chosen to host matches for the World Cup, which is taking the unprecedented route of having a host continent, rather than a single host country. Games will be played across Canada, Mexico and the U.S., with several matches to be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, about 30 miles southeast of SFO.
Levi’s Stadium, temporarily named San Francisco Stadium for the duration of the tournament, will host five group-stage games and one Round of 32 knockout fixture.
“At Avianca, we continue strengthening our network to offer more connectivity options to our customers and enable more travelers to fly to the United States for the World Cup festivities,” said Rolando Damas, Avianca’s sales director for North America. “This new seasonal direct route between Guatemala City and San Francisco will further enhance our U.S. offering.”
What is Avianca?
Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and one of the biggest carriers in South America.
Currently, Avianca provides service to much of Central and South America, and has slowly added more regularly routes in the U.S.
The company says it currently boasts 400 weekly flights across 14 cities in the U.S., which recorded more than 4.9 million passengers in 2025.
Earlier this year, Avianca debuted its “Business Class Americas” service across most of its routes, including flights that connect the United States with Colombia, Ecuador and Central American destinations.
In April, the company announced it was adding 42 flights to its summer schedule as part of a big summer push in the U.S.
Below is the complete flight schedule for the new San Francisco-Guatemala City route, as well as the timeline for San Francisco-San Salvador.
| Route | Flight | Start of service | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Frequency |
| San Salvador -Guatemala | AV055 | May 31, 2026 | 11:20 p.m. | 0:10 a.m. | Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays |
| Guatemala – San Francisco | AV552 | June 1, 2026 | 1:20 a.m. | 6:25 a.m. | Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays |
| San Francisco – Guatemala | AV553 | June 1, 2026 | 7:45 a.m. | 2:15 p.m. | |
| Guatemala – San Salvador | AV553 | June 1, 2026 | 3.20 p.m. | 4:10 p.m. |
While the new service is geared toward World Cup soccer fans, it will also give travelers the option to take advantage of direct service to the Guatemalan capital.
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Guatemala is home to rich culture, beautiful mountainous scenery and a vibrant food scene, as well as world famous coffee.
The nation is also known for its many volcanoes, some active and some not, that dot the landscape and are both attractions for hikers and outdoorsmen, while also serving as important pillars of the country’s heritage and national identity.
Tickets for these new routes are available on Avianca’s website and app, or at physical sales locations and travel agencies.
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