Avianca
 |
||||
|
||||
| Founded | June 14, 1940 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | December 5, 1919 as SCADTA | |||
| Hubs | El Dorado Int'l Airport (Avianca Colombia) | |||
| Secondary hubs | Guarulhos Int'l Airport (Avianca Brazil) de Olmedo Int'l Airport (Aerogal) |
|||
| Focus cities |
In Colombia:
In United States: In Brazil:
In Ecuador:
|
|||
| Frequent-flyer program | AviancaPlus | |||
| Member lounge | Avianca VIP Lounges | |||
| Subsidiaries | 22 | |||
| Fleet size | 80* (+73 orders, 28 options) *Includes only Avianca Colombia, Avianca Brazil and SAM fleet. |
|||
| Destinations | 64* *Includes only Avianca Colombia, Avianca Brazil and SAM destinations. |
|||
| Company slogan |
|
|||
| Parent company | Avianca-TACA Ltd. | |||
| Headquarters | Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia) | |||
| Key people |
|
|||
| Operating income |  COP 2.8 B [1] (FY 2009) |
|||
| Total assets | COP 2.403.632 M (FY 2008) |
|||
| Website | www.avianca.com | |||
Avianca S.A. (BVC:AVA) (acronym in Spanish for Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A., currently Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A.) is the flag carrier airline of Colombia[1][2] since 5 December 1919 when it was registered initially under the name SCADTA.[3][4] It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and a major one in Latin America: Avianca together with its subsidiaries has the most extended network of (both passenger and cargo) destinations in the Americas and one of the largest and most modern aircraft fleet in the continent.[5] It is wholly owned by Avianca-TACA Ltd., a Latin American holding company established in the Bahamas and specialized in air transport. The airline is listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange but it has not issued shares yet.[6]
On 7 October 2009, it was announced that Avianca would merge with TACA but both airlines have stated that each will maintain their own identity and operate separately for the moment.[7] In 2009 Avianca turned 90 (years) making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation;[8][9] It is actually the oldest continuously operating airline in the Western Hemisphere.[10] At present Avianca is negotiating its admission to a major airline alliance; Star Alliance seems to be the most probable alternative.[11] Since 26 April 2010, OceanAir is being rebranded Avianca in the same way as it was done with SAM years ago and it would do with other subsidiaries (for example, VIP is partially rebranded) to place Avianca as the leading airline in Latin America.[12]
Contents |
History
SCADTA (1919 - 1940)
The airline traces its history back to 5 December 1919, in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. Colombians Ernesto Cortissoz (the first President of the Airline), Rafael Palacio, Cristóbal Restrepo, Jacobo Correa and Aristides Noguera and Germans Werner Kämerer, Stuart Hosie and Alberto Tietjen founded the Colombo-German Company, called Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transporte Aéreo or SCADTA. The company accomplished its first flight between Barranquilla and the nearby town of Puerto Colombia, aboard a Junkers F.13, wherein 57 pieces of mail were transported; the flight was piloted by German Helmuth Von Krohn. This and another aircraft of the same type were completely mechanically constructed monoplanes, the engines of which had to be modified to be able to efficiently operate in the climatic conditions of the country; there were nine aircraft in the fleet with a total range of 850 km (528 mi) (525 Mi) and could carry up to four passengers and two crewmen. Due to the topographic characteristics of the country and the lack of airports at the time, two seaplanes were adapted to the Junkers aircraft, in order for them to accomplish water landings in the rivers of different towns. Using these floats, Helmuth Von Krohn was able to perform the first inland flight over Colombia on 20 October 1920, following the course of the Magdalena River; the flight took eight hours and had to make four emergency landings in the water.
Soon after the vision of the founding group had become a reality, German scientist and philanthropist Peter von Bauer became interested in the airline and contributed general knowledge, capital and a tenth aircraft for the company, as well as obtaining concessions from the Colombian government to operate the country's airmail transportation division using the airline. This new contract allowed SCADTA to thrive in a new frontier of aviation. By the mid 1920s, SCADTA, having overcome many obstacles, inaugurated its first international routes that initially covered destinations in Venezuela and the United States. Regretfully, in 1924, the aircraft that both Ernesto Cortissoz and Helmuth Von Krohn were piloting, crashed into an area currently known as Bocas de Ceniza in Barranquilla, causing their deaths. Despite this tragedy, the airline continued to thrive under the guidance of German Peter von Braun until the early 1940s, where circumstances related to the outbreak of World War II forced him to sell his shares in the airline to the US-owned Pan American World Airways.
National Airways of Colombia (1940 - 1994)
On 14 June 1940, in the city of Barranquilla, SCADTA, under ownership by United States businessmen, merged with Colombian Air Carrier SACO, (acronym of Servicio Aéreo Colombiano), forming the new Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A. or Avianca. Five Colombians participated in this act: (Rafael María Palacio, Jacobo A. Corea, Cristobal Restrepo, Aristides Noguera) and German citizens Alberto Teitjen, Werner Kaemerer and Stuart Hosie, while the post of first President of Avianca was filled by Martín del Corral.
There had been decades of dedicated work and contribution to Colombia's development through actions, among which the following may be highlighted:
- In September 1920, with Fritz Hammer as pilot, Wilhem Schnurrbush as copilot and Stuart Hosie as a passenger, SCADTA accomplished its first flight between Barranquilla and Puerto Berrío.
- On 19 October of that same year, Helmuth Von Krohn accomplished the first flight between Barranquilla and Girardot and by 1921 routes between Barranquilla, Girardot and Neiva were established.
- In 1922, SCADTA began to provide airmail service.
- In August 1922, General Pedro Nel Ospina, then President of Colombia, used a SCADTA aircraft to conduct official business for the first time.
- On 19 July 1923, to save the country from bankruptcy, SCADTA transported a gold and currency load from Puerto Berrío to Girardot.
- On 12 July 1928, a SCADTA Junkers F.13, commanded by Pilot Herbert Boy, crossed the Equator.
- On 23 July 1929, regular routes between Girardot and Bogotá were established.
- The cost of the first SCADTA air tickets were as follows: from Bogotá to Barranquilla, COP $75; from Bogotá to Cartagena, COP $85; from Bogotá to Cartago, COP $35; and from Bogotá to Santiago de Cali, COP $50.
- On 16 July 1931, SCADTA established the first mail service between Bogotá and New York City.
- In 1937, the airline acquired 10 Boeing 247 twin-engine aircraft, extending its domestic routes.
- By October 1939, Avianca acquired the first Douglas DC-3 aircraft arriving in the country, flying at the then-incredible speed of 200 miles per hour.
- Beginning in 1946, Avianca inaugurated flights to Quito, Lima, Panama City, Miami, New York City and finally Europe, using Douglas DC-4 and C-54 Skymaster aircraft,.
- In 1951, Avianca acquired the Lockheed 749 Constellation and the 1049 Super Constellation aircraft, the biggest and fastest at the time.
- A grand feat in Colombian commercial aviation was also conducted by Avianca in 1956, when the airline committed to take the Colombian delegation, that was to participate in the Melbourne Olympic Games in Australia. There were 61 hours of continuous operation, with only one stop for refueling allowed.
- Four years later, in 1961, Avianca leased two Boeing 707 aircraft, to operate its international routes and on November 2, 1961, it acquired its own Boeing 720s, baptizing them with the names Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander.
- 1976 was an important one for Avianca, becoming the first Latin American airline to continuously operate a Boeing 747. Three years later, it started operations with another 747, this time a 747 Combi, mixing cargo and passenger operations.
- In 1981, the possibilities for in-ground service for passengers in Bogotá expanded, thanks to the modern air terminal that Avianca commissioned: Avianca's Air Bridge. The new terminal originally operated routes to Miami, New York City, Santiago de Cali, Medellín, Pasto and Montería.
- By 1990, Avianca had acquired the most modern aircraft in the world: two Boeing 767-200ERs, which were baptized with the names Cristóbal Colón and Américo Vespucio.
Avianca's System (1994 - 2002)
In 1994, a strategic alliance was established to merge three of the most important enterprises of the aeronautical sector of Colombia: Avianca, the regional carrier SAM and the helicopter operator Helicol, which brought life to Avianca's new system of operations. This system offered specialized services in Cargo (Avianca Cargo) and postal services, as well as the most modern fleet in Latin America made up of: Boeing 767-200, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 757-200, McDonnell Douglas MD-83, Fokker 50 and Bell helicopters.
This new system covered the following destinations:
- In Colombia: Bogotá, Arauca, Armenia, Santiago de Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Santa Marta, Leticia, Manizales, Montería, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Riohacha, San Andrés, Valledupar, Providencia, Capurganá, Bahía Solano, Nuquí, Caucasia and Chigorodó.
- In South America: Quito, Guayaquil, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Chile, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Lima and Caracas.
- In North America: Los Angeles, Newark, New York City, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Mexico City.
- In Europe: Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt am Main and London.
- In Central America and the Caribbean: Panama, San José, San Juan, Curaçao, Santo Domingo and Aruba.
By 1996, Avianca Postal Services evolved into Deprisa, providing express mail services through its products Deprisa and Deprisa Empresarial, traditional mail, certified mail, shipment airport-to-airport and P.O. boxes.
On 10 December 1998, Avianca announced the inception of a new "connections center" in Bogotá, offering around 6,000 possible weekly connecting flights and an increased number of frequencies, schedules and destinations, taking advantage of the privileged geographical location of the country's capital, for the benefit of Colombian and international travellers between South America, Europe and North America.
In addition to its Avianca Connection, and alliance partnerships, Avianca offers frequent flyer partnerships with the following airlines:
Summa Alliance (2002 - 2004)
After a rigorous and complex process, the worldwide aviation industry came through after the September 11 attacks. Avianca, the regional carrier SAM Colombia and its major rival ACES Colombia, joined efforts to create Alianza Summa, which began merged operations on 20 May 2002. These three airlines decided to strategically merge their strengths, to offer a more efficient service, with concerns to quality, quantity, security and competition in a new struggling marketplace. However, adverse circumstances within the industry and markets, forced the alliance to disband and airline shareholders decided to initiate the liquidation of Alianza Summa in November 2003, to focus in strengthening the Avianca trademark. These decisions resulted in the liquidation of ACES Colombia altogether and the acquisition of SAM Colombia, as a regional carrier under Avianca's system.
American Continent Airways (2004 - Present)
On 10 December 2004, Avianca concluded one of the most important and ambitious reorganization processes, undertaken after filing for 'Chapter 11' bankruptcy protection, by obtaining confirmation of its reorganization plan, which was financially backed by the Brazilian consortium, OceanAir/Synergy Group and the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, allowing the airline to obtain funds for US$63 million dollars, in the 13 months following withdrawal from C-11.
The plan, with the support of 99.8% of the voting creditors and which obtained the majority endorsement of the Creditors Committee, will enter into force once the Company emerges from bankruptcy. In accordance with United States laws, the administration has the trust obligation to consider any other investment proposal until the final term expiration stipulated. Notwithstanding, such an offer, besides being better than the one that has been approved by Avianca's domestic and international creditors and confirmed today by the Court, must be final, i.e. fully financed and backed with non-reimbursable cash deposits or equivalent mechanisms. Likewise, such proposal must be binding. As known, the only investment that complies with these requirements is that of OceanAir/Synergy Group and the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, which already makes part of the reorganization plan already voted favorably, by the creditors and confirmed by the Judge.
Synergy Group is an evidenced, credit-worthy Brazilian entrepreneurial conglomerate. Its strength lies in the oil sector, building, installing and offering maintenance to offshore oil platforms; it is currently carrying out exploration work in Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. Other businesses include: the extraction of gas in the United States, naval construction, telephony infrastructure, hydroelectric power plants, communications and a hydrocarbons marine exploration company, which extends throughout nine countries, with more than 5,000 workers.
It also owns and operates OceanAir, which services around thirty cities in Brazil, as well as VIP, an airline in Ecuador, Taxi Aero, a charter airline in Brazil and the recently acquired Wayra, in Peru, as well as Turb Serv, dedicated to the maintenance of turbines.
In 2009, OceanAir and VIP Ecuador will be rebranded as Avianca, to consolidate as one airline, following the ambitious expansion plans of the airline.
Avianca-TACA alliance (since 2009)
The merger of Colombia's Avianca and Salvadoran-based TACA is the latest sign that consolidation in the Latin American airline sector is picking up.
The newly formed Holdco - which will be controlled jointly by Avianca and TACA - instantly becomes one of the region's largest airlines after Brazil's TAM and GOL , with 129 aircraft and flights to more than 100 destinations.
In November 2009, the airline's Chief Executive Fabio Villegas announced that the airline is looking to replace its Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 aircraft with newer aircraft of 100 seats or less. The 10 Fokker 50s and 15 Fokker 100s are currently operated on flights shorter than one-and-a-half hours. Aircraft manufactured by Brazil's Embraer and Canada's Bombardier Aerospace are being considered for the replacement.[13]
Subsidiaries
Avianca is a Colombian airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
- SAM is a Colombian airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
- Tampa Cargo is a Colombian cargo airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
- Helicol is a Colombian charter airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
- PAS is a Colombian charter airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
AeroGal is an Ecuadorian airline based at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito.- VIP is an Ecuadorian regional airline based at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito.
Avianca Brazil is a Brazilian airline based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.- OceanAir Táxi Aéreo is a Brazilian charter airline based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.
- Senior Táxi Aéreo is a Brazilian charter airline based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.
- TurbServ is a Brazilian MRO company based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.
- Target is a Brazilian MRO company based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.
- VarigLog is a Brazilian cargo airline based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.
TACA is a El Salvador airline based at Comalapa International Airport in San Salvador.
Volaris is a Mexican low-cost airline based at Lic. Adolfo López Mateos International Airport in Toluca.- Aeroman is a Salvadorian MRO company based at Comalapa International Airport in San Salvador.
Lacsa is a Costa Rican airline based at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José.
TACA Perú is a Peruvian airline based at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima.- TACA Regional is a set of regional airlines based at several airports in Central America.
Aviateca is a Guatemalan regional airline based at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City.
Aeroperlas is a Panamanian regional airline based at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
Isleña is a Honduran regional airline based at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa.
La Costeña is a Nicaraguan regional airline based at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua.- Nica is a Nicaraguan regional airline based at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua.
- Sansa is a Costa Rican regional airline based at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José.
Former subsidiaries
Capital Airlines was a Nigerian regional airline based at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.- ACES was a Colombian airline based at Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín.
- Wayraperú was a Peruvian airline based at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima.
|
|
| Company name | Trademark | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerolíneas Galápagos S.A. | AeroGal (Avianca Ecuador) | 80% | TACA owns the 20% left. |
| Helicópteros Nacionales de Colombia S.A. | Helicol (Avianca Charter) | 100% | - |
| Petroleum Aviation and Services S.A. | PAS (Avianca Charter) | 100% | - |
| OceanAir Linhas Aéreas Ltda. | Avianca Brazil | 100% | Avianca owns directly 20%. It owns indirectly the 80% left via Synergy Group. |
| Senior Táxi Aéreo Ltda. | Senior Táxi Aéreo (Avianca Charter) | 100% | Avianca owns it indirectly via Synergy Group. |
| OceanAir Táxi Aéreo Ltda. | OceanAir Táxi Aéreo (Avianca Charter) | 100% | Avianca owns it indirectly via Synergy Group. |
| Sociedad Aeronáutica de Medellín S.A. | SAM (Avianca) | 100% | - |
| Transportes Aéreos Mercantiles Panamericanos S.A. | Tampa Cargo (Avianca Cargo) | 100% | - |
| Varig Logística S.A. | VarigLog (Avianca Cargo) | ?% | Financial recovery agreement. |
| Vuelos Internos Privados S.A. | VIP (Avianca Ecuador) | 100% | Avianca owns it indirectly via Synergy Group. |
| TACA International S.A. | TACA | 10% | - |
| TurbServ Engenharia de Manutenção Ltda. | TurbServ (Avianca Services) | 100% | Avianca owns it indirectly via Synergy Group. |
| - | Target (Avianca Services) | 100% | Avianca owns it indirectly via Synergy Group. |
| Company name | Trademark | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Aeroman | ?% | - |
| Líneas Aéreas Costarricenses S.A. | Lacsa (TACA Costa Rica) | 86.98% | - |
| Concesionaria Vuela Compañía de Aviación S.A. de C.V. | Volaris | 25% (1/4) | - |
| Trans American Airlines S.A. | TACA Perú | 49% | - |
| Empresa Guatemalteca de Aviación S.A. | Aviateca (TACA Regional) | 100% | - |
| Nicaragüense de Aviación S.A. | Nica (TACA Regional) | 100% | - |
| Aerolíneas Islas de Las Perlas S.A. | Aeroperlas (TACA Regional) | ?% | - |
| Isleña de Inversiones S.A. de C.V. | Isleña (TACA Regional) | 20% | - |
| Aerolíneas Galápagos S.A. | AeroGal (Avianca Ecuador) | 20% | Avianca owns the 80% left. |
| - | La Costeña (TACA Regional) | ?% | - |
| Compañía de Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A. | Sansa (TACA Regional) | 86.98% | It is wholly owned by Lacsa. |
Destinations
Avianca's hub is in Bogotá at El Dorado International Airport. Its focus cities are: Medellín, Santiago de Cali, Cartagena de Indias and Barranquilla, as well as Miami, where Avianca is the largest foreign carrier by number of passengers.
Avianca's expansion during 2008 has added three new international destinations, with new flights to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Washington, D.C. and San José, Costa Rica, as well as new frequencies to Curaçao, Valencia, Venezuela, Santiago, Chile, New York, Madrid and Barcelona, that help strengthen the hub in Bogota.
Avianca has also been granted service to Orlando, Florida but the airline has not yet announced a start date for that service.
Avianca has recently secured slots at London's Heathrow airport. This means that the airline has plans to resume services to London in the next coming months, depending on the delivery of the next few A330s.
The airline has got approvals to start Bogota-Frankfurt flights on a daily basis but it is unknown with what start date or if the airline will start the route at all now that Lufthansa will resume services in late October.[14][15]
Avianca has applied to the Colombian authority "Aerocivil" for permission to fly a new Bogota-San Salvador-Montreal route three times per week with an A319 and a Bogota-San Salvador-Toronto route four times per week, also with A319 equipment. Other potential new routes are Bogota-Panama City-Tegucigalpa seven times per week; Bogota-Havana twice per week, and a new Cali-Panama-San Salvador route seven times per week. [16][17]
The airline has also received authorization from Colombian authorities to fly to Guatemala and El Salvador via Costa Rica.
At the same time, the president of Avianca announced that the airline is seeking routes to Asia, but flights probably won't start until 2012 or later when the airline receives the 787s.
Subsidiaries
| Company | № of destinarions | Coming destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avianca | 69 | - | Main article: Avianca destinations |
| AeroGal | 9 | - | Main article: AeroGal destinations |
| Helicol | ? | - | Main article: Helicol destinations |
| Avianca Brazil | See: Avianca | - | Main article: Avianca destinations |
| SAM | See: Avianca | - | Main article: Avianca destinations |
| Tampa Cargo | 20 | - | Main article: Tampa Cargo destinations |
| VarigLog | 16 | - | Main article: VarigLog destinations |
| VIP | 6 | - | Main article: VIP destinations |
| TACA | 26 | - | Main article: TACA destinations |
| Lacsa | 35 | - | Main article: Lacsa destinations |
| TACA Perú | 22 | - | Main article: TACA Perú destinations |
| Volaris | 25 | - | Main article: Volaris destinations |
| Aviateca | 5 | - | Main article: Aviateca destinations |
| Aeroperlas | 12 | - | Main article: Aeroperlas destinations |
| Isleña | 10 | - | Main article: Isleña destinations |
| La Costeña | 10 | - | Main article: La Costeña destinations |
| Sansa | 15 | - | Main article: Sansa destinations |
| Total | - | - | This total doesn't include repeated destinations |
Presently, Avianca has codeshare agreements with:
Air Canada
Air France
Delta Air Lines
Iberia Airlines- Mexicana
- SATENA
Avianca VIP Lounges
Avianca has VIP lounges at the following airports:
Colombia
- Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (Barranquilla)
- El Dorado International Airport (Bogotá)
- Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (Cali)
- Camilo Daza International Airport (Cúcuta)
- José María Córdova International Airport (Medellín)
Avianca Tours
Avianca Tours is Avianca's commercial division specializing in the design and offer of tour packages, for destinations in Colombia and abroad.
Avianca Tours offers packages to:
- The Colombian Caribbean: Santa Marta, Cartagena and San Andrés Island
- Armenia
- The interior of Colombia: Bogotá, Santiago de Cali and Medellín
- Argentina
- Chile
- Chile plus Argentina (Lake crossing)
- Isla Margarita
- Aruba
- Florida: Miami and Fort Lauderdale
- Panamá
- Mexico: Mexico City plus Taxco, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta
- Brazil
- Perú: Lima and Cusco
- Spain: Madrid
Fleet
The Avianca fleet consists of the following aircraft (at July 2010):[18][19]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-115 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 108 | 120 | 2 operating for Avianca Brazil| /AVOD as IFE |
| Airbus A320-214 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 138 | 150 | AVOD as IFE |
| Airbus A330-243 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 222 | 252 | AVOD as IFE |
| Airbus A350-800 | 0 | 10 | TBA | - | ||
| Boeing 757-200 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 158 | 170 | LCD's as IFE/ Being Retired |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 2 | 0 | 25 | 161 | 186 | LCD's as IFE / Being Retired |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 1 | 0 | 24 | 188 | 212 | LCD's as IFE / Being Retired |
| Boeing 787-8 | 0 | 12 | TBA | - | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 135 | 147 | - |
| Fokker 50 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 52 | - |
| Fokker 100 | 27 | 0 | 8 | 89 | 97 | 14 operating for Avianca Brazil 13 operated by SAM World's largest operator of this aircraft |
| Total[20] | 73 | 51 | - | All these aircraft fly under Avianca livery | ||
Subsidiaries
The Avianca's subsidiaries fleet consists of the following aircraft (at May 2010):[21]
|
|
Retired
|
|
Awards and nominations
Awards
- Avianca VIP Lounge at El Dorado Int'l Airport - Latin America & Caribbean - 2006 Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards
- Certification ISAGO of IATA
Nominations
2007
- South America's Leading Airline - 14th World Travel Awards
- South America's Leading Airline Website - 14th World Travel Awards
- (OceanAir) South America's Leading Budget / No Frills Airline - 14th World Travel Awards
- South America's Leading Business Class Airline - 14th World Travel Awards
2006
- South America's Leading Airline - 13th World Travel Awards
- South America's Leading Business Class Airline - 13th World Travel Awards
2005
- South America's Leading Airline - 12th World Travel Awards
- South America's Leading Business Class Airline - 12th World Travel Awards
Incidents and accidents
The airline suffered a few incidents during the 1980s and early 1990s. Many were caused by warring gangs, under the assumption that a member of a rival gang was aboard. The deadliest of those incidents was Avianca Flight 203, which was bombed in 1989, following orders from Pablo Escobar to kill presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo. In the aftermath, it was found that Gaviria had not boarded the aircraft. Only one successful bombing has occurred in the airline's history, while most other gang related incidents were related to hijackings or shootings on board. In most hijackings, all passengers and crew members, unaffiliated with the hijacker's cause, were immediately released.
On 26 April 1990, M-19 presidential candidate Carlos Pizarro was gunned down during a domestic Avianca flight.[2][3]
Other incidents include:
- On 21 January 1960, Avianca Flight 671, a Lockheed L-1049E, crashed and burned on landing at Montego Bay International Airport in Jamaica, killing 37 aboard.[26]
- On 15 January 1966, Avianca Flight 4 crashed shortly after takeoff from Cartagena-Crespo. The cause was determined as maintenance problems, possibly compounded by pilot error.
- Avianca Flight 011, a Boeing 747-200 that crashed onto a mountain, just short of landing at Barajas Airport in Madrid, in November 1983 had 181 fatalities. The cause was determined to be pilot error.
- Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727 domestic flight, which crashed into low mountains near Cúcuta - Norte de Santander, Colombia, after take-off on 17 of March 1988, killing all 143 on board. It was determined that pilot error was also the cause of this crash, in a situation similar to that of Avianca Flight 011, five years earlier.
- On 25 January 1990, Avianca Flight 52, a Boeing 707-320 jet en route from Bogotá to New York City via Medellín, crashed in the town of Cove Neck, New York, after running out of fuel while in a holding pattern, awaiting landing at New York's Kennedy Airport, killing 73 of the 158 people aboard. There was much controversy surrounding this crash.
Private bus services in the United States
In the United States, Avianca operates a private bus service from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Union City and Elizabeth in New Jersey.[27]
Headquarters
Avianca's current headquarters is on Avenida El Dorado and between Avenida la Esmeralda and Gobernación de Cundinamarca, located in the Ciudad Salitre area of Bogota. The building is located next to the Gran Estación. The current headquarters, which opened in 2009, is a 46 metres (151 ft) tall, 34,536 square metres (371,740 sq ft) building with a 13,800 square metres (149,000 sq ft) glass façade and a shading coefficient of 0.71% to allow natural air and lighting in the floors of the building. The first floor has stores and a parking area.[28]
Popular culture
- Footage of the wreckage of Avianca Flight 052 was used in the 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow.
References
- ↑ (Excelentísimo Señor Presidente de la República de Colombia) Álvaro Uribe Vélez; (Excelentísimo Señor Ministro de Comercio, Industria y Turismo de la República de Colombia) Jorge Humberto Botero Angulo (March 7, 2005). "Decreto número 604 de 2005 por el cual se concede la Orden del Mérito Comercial en la Categoría de Gran Oficial a Avianca [Decree number 604 of 2005 which grants to Avianca the Order of Commercial Merit in the Category of Great Officer]" (in Spanish) (.pdf). Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia): Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo de la República de Colombia. http://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa_new/decretoslinea/2005/marzo/07/DEC604070305.pdf
- ↑ (Excelentísimo Señor Presidente de la República de Colombia) Álvaro Uribe Vélez (March 7, 2005). "Discurso de entrega de la Orden del Mérito Comercial en la Categoría de Gran Oficial a Avianca [Presidential address on the Order of Commercial Merit in the Category of Great Officer to Avianca]" (in Spanish) (.htm). Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia): Presidencia de la República de Colombia. http://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa_new/discursos/discursos2005/junio/avianca.htm. "Nosotros no podemos perder la oportunidad de tener en Bogotá ese gran centro de conexiones. Y por supuesto, que lo haga la compañía bandera de Colombia, que es Avianca. Eso lo tiene que explicar el Gobierno a la opinión pública clara y paladinamente, sin malicias, sin cartas escondidas, y salir a defenderlo y decir por qué hay que hacerlo."
- ↑ (Honorable Magistrado Consejero de Estado de la República de Colombia) Simón Rodríguez Rodríguez (September 21, 1989). "Sentencia del Honorable Consejo de Estado de la República de Colombia con relación al proceso número 132 que reposa en el expediente del año 1989 (ce-sec1-exp1989-n132) [Sentence of the Honourable Council of State of the Republic of Colombia in relation to the process number 132 which rests on the record of 1989 (ce-sec1-exp1989-n132)]" (in Spanish) (.doc). Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia): Consejo de Estado de la República de Colombia. p. 10. http://190.24.134.67/sentencias/seccion%20primera/1989/ce-sec1-exp1989-n132.doc. "Desde ningún punto de vista puede abrigarse duda alguna acerca del carácter eminentemente privado de la empresa Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia AVIANCA S. A. La prueba por excelencia en este caso, como es el certificado expedido por el Secretario de la Cámara de Comercio de Barranquilla así lo determina (fls. 2 a 10). En él se lee que la empresa se constituyó por escritura pública número 2374, otorgada ante Notaría Segunda de Barranquilla, el día 5 de diciembre de 1919, registrada en el Juzgado Tercero del mismo Circuito, llamada inicialmente Sociedad Colombo - Alemana de Transportes Aéreos -SCADTA-."
- ↑ Friedman, Max Paul (April 2000). "Specter of a Nazi Threat: United States-Colombian Relations, 1939-1945". The Americas. 4 (Washington, D.C. (United States): Catholic University of America Press on behalf of Academy of American Franciscan History) 56: 563–589. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1008173. "The first move came against SCADTA. Founded in 1919 by Colombians, Germans, and Austrians in Barranquilla, it was the oldest airline in South America. Pan American Airways purchased a majority financial interest in 1931, but Germans retained control of management and provided all the pilots. Colombians looked upon the airline with pride and gratitude, for it had linked together a country whose mountainous topography made over- land travel a grueling, time-consuming experience. The advent of SCADTA cut travel time from Bogotá to the principal port of Barranquilla from a week-long drift along the Magdalena River to a three-hour flight. U.S. war planners were much more impressed by the implications of German pilots (some of whom were reserve officers in the Luftwaffe or members of the Nazi Party) flying aircraft within range of the Panama Canal. Braden's embassy received reports that some of the planes were fitted with bomb racks. After protracted negotiations, the U.S. government persuaded Pan Am to fire SCADTA's German personnel and replace them with North Americans, even, to President Santos' dismay, at the cost of disrupting service. Pan Am filtered the U.S. pilots and mechanics into Barranquilla two at a time and then, on 10 June 1940, staged a coup, firing all the Germans that night. SCADTA became Avianca (Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia), with a Colombian president and Pan Am the principal stockholder."
- ↑ "Avianca-TACA joint venture ready for implementation". Flightglobal. 02/02/2010. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/02/02/337937/avianca-taca-joint-venture-ready-for-implementation.html. Retrieved 02/02/2010.
- ↑ Avianca's profile on the Colombian Stock Exchange.
- ↑ "Avianca confirms 'strategic merger' with TACA". Flightglobal. 10/07/2009. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/10/07/333194/avianca-confirms-strategic-merger-with-taca.html. Retrieved 10/07/2009.
- ↑ "Avianca cumple 90 años" (in Spanish). Avianca. 12/03/2009. http://www.avianca.com/NR/rdonlyres/7002E3BB-E719-4750-8A6B-D4E5FFBC3E63/13542/No504AV90a%C3%B1os041209.pdf. Retrieved 12/03/2009.
- ↑ 90th anniversary sticker on Avianca's airliner
- ↑ Brown, Claire; Claire Brown (Director of Communications at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum) (07/28/1998). "National Air and Space Museum Exhibition Examines the Development of Latino Aviation". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/pressroom/releaseDetail.cfm?releaseID=108. Retrieved 07/28/1998. "SCADTA Junkers F 13, one of the first commercial airlines in Colombia. SCADTA (now known as AVIANCA) is the oldest, continuously operating airline in the Western Hemisphere."
- ↑ "Avianca's Efromovich sees 'honeymoon' with Star Alliance". Flightglobal. 03/25/2010. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/03/25/339906/aviancas-efromovich-sees-honeymoon-with-star-alliance.html. Retrieved 03/25/2010.
- ↑ "More fast growth expected for Brazil". Flightglobal. 03/25/2010. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340732/more-fast-growth-expected-for-brazil.html. Retrieved 04/29/2010.
- ↑ Avianca looking to replace Fokkers
- ↑ http://presse.lufthansa.com/en/news-releases/view/archive/2010/may/31/article/1715.html
- ↑ http://www.aerolatinnews.com/index.php?sector=noticias¬icia=14426
- ↑ http://www.larepublica.com.co/archivos/EMPRESAS/2010-04-09/aerolineas-quieren-mas-rutas-a-centroamerica_97353.php
- ↑ http://www.noticias.com.co/2010/05/03/colombia-abre-rutas-a-aeromexico-tiara-air-avianca-aerorepublica-y-aires/
- ↑ Avianca Fleet - CH-Aviation
- ↑ Avianca Brazil Fleet - CH-Aviaition
- ↑ http://www.avianca.com/Inicio/Navegacion/AcercaAvianca/Flota+y+destino/es/NuestraFlota.htm
- ↑ CH-Aviation
- ↑ "Avianca cumple 90 años" (in Spanish). Avianca. 12/03/2009. http://www.avianca.com/NR/rdonlyres/7002E3BB-E719-4750-8A6B-D4E5FFBC3E63/13542/No504AV90a%C3%B1os041209.pdf. Retrieved 12/03/2009.
- ↑ Avianca (April 4, 2010). "Nace una historia con alas" (in Spanish) (.htm). Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia): Avianca. http://www.avianca.com/Inicio/Navegacion/AcercaAvianca/Nuestra+historia/es/Naceunahistoriaconalas.htm
- ↑ "Avianca cumple 90 años" (in Spanish). Avianca. 12/03/2009. http://www.avianca.com/NR/rdonlyres/7002E3BB-E719-4750-8A6B-D4E5FFBC3E63/13542/No504AV90a%C3%B1os041209.pdf. Retrieved 12/03/2009.
- ↑ Avianca (April 4, 2010). "Nace una historia con alas" (in Spanish) (.htm). Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia): Avianca. http://www.avianca.com/Inicio/Navegacion/AcercaAvianca/Nuestra+historia/es/Naceunahistoriaconalas.htm
- ↑ Jamaica Observer, "From Avianca to CanJet: MoBay Airport at Centre of J'can Aviation History", 22 April 2009 (accessed 25 April 2009)
- ↑ "Board in New Jersey and Get off in Latin America." Avianca. Retrieved on January 27, 2009.
- ↑ Buitrago, Alejandra. "Avianca tendrá nueva sede administrativa a comienzos del 2009 en Eje Empresarial del Salitre." Portafolio. Retrieved on July 11, 2010. "Será un edificio con 13.800 metros cuadrados de vidrio en sus fachadas, con un coeficiente de sombra de solo el 0,71% en diseño bioclimático que permitirá luz y aire naturales incluso en los sótanos." and "Su altura será de 46 metros y tres sótanos, para un área construida de 34.536 metros cuadrados. El primer piso tendrá locales comerciales y una amplia zona de parqueaderos."
External links
Avianca
- (Spanish) (Portuguese) (English) Avianca.com
- (Spanish) Avianca Deprisa
- (Spanish) Avianca Express
- (Spanish) Avianca FlyBox
- (Spanish) Avianca Services
- (Spanish) (Portuguese) (English) Avianca Tours
Subsidiaries
- (Spanish) (English) AeroGal
- (Spanish) VIP
- (Spanish) (English) Aeroman
- (Spanish) Helicol
- (Spanish) PAS
- (Portuguese) (Spanish) (English) Avianca Brazil
- (Portuguese) Avianca Brazil Cargo
- (Portuguese) Avianca Brazil in Magazine
- (Portuguese) OceanAir Táxi Aéreo
- (Portuguese) Senior Táxi Aéreo
- (Spanish) (English) TACA
- (Spanish) (English) TACA Cargo
- (Spanish) (English) TACA Regional
- (Spanish) (English) TACA Tus Sentidos
- (Portuguese) (Spanish) (English) Tampa Cargo
- (Portuguese) TurbServ
- (Portuguese) (Spanish) (English) VarigLog
- (Spanish) (English) Volaris
- (Spanish) (English) Terraris (Volaris Shuttle)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||