Avianca

Infobox_Airline
airline = Avianca
Aerovías del Continente Americano

---

logo_size = 280
fleet_size = 87^* (+86 orders, 20 options)
^*Include all Synergy Aerospace fleet.
destinations = 43^*
*Only include all Avianca and SAM destinations.
IATA = AV
ICAO = AVA
callsign = AVIANCA
parent = Synergy Group Corp.
Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
company_slogan = "The Airline of Colombia"
"First Airline of the Americas"
"Things Are Happening Here"
founded = December 5, 1919
headquarters = Bogotá, D.C. (Colombia)
key_people = Fabio Villegas R. (President)
Juan Emilio Posada E.
Germán Efromovich (Chairman)
hubs = El Dorado Airport
focus_cities = José María Córdova Airport
Ernesto Cortissoz Airport
Alfonso Bonilla A. Airport
Rafael Nuñez Airport
Matecaña Airport
frequent_flyer = AviancaPlus
lounge = Avianca VIP Lounges
alliance = 6
subsidiaries = Capital Airlines
Helicol
OceanAir
Tampa Cargo
SAM
VIP
website = [http://www.avianca.com www.avianca.com]

Avianca S.A. (Spanish acronym: "Aerovías del Continente Americano", formerly "Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia") has been the national flag air carrier of Colombia since 1919, making it the second-oldest airline in the world today, behind Netherlands-based KLM. Avianca was founded in Barranquilla but its main operation base and headquarters are in Bogotá, D.C. adjacent to El Dorado International Airport. Avianca belongs to South American conglomerate Synergy Group and the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers.

Avianca operates six subsidiary airlines: Helicol, SAM and Tampa Cargo in Colombia; OceanAir in Brazil; VIP in Ecuador; and Capital Airlines in Nigeria. It has three important business units: Avianca Cargo (include Avianca Deprisa), Avianca Services and Avianca Tours (formerly DesKubra). Avianca is also planning the establishment of a new airline in Paraguay, which presumably would be called OceanAir Paraguay. Avianca is attempting to take control of the ecuadorian airline Aerogal.

During 2008, SAM, OceanAir in Brazil, VIP, Tampa Cargo and eventually OceanAir Paraguay, will be rebranded as Avianca, consolidating one of the major airlines in the Americas.

History

SCADTA (1919 - 1940)

The airline traces its history back to December 5, 1919, in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. Germans Werner Kämerer, Stuart Hosie, Alberto Tietjen, and Colombians Ernesto Cortissoz (the first President of the Airline), Rafael Palacio, Cristóbal Restrepo, Jacobo Correa, and Aristides Noguera 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 Junker F13 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 in order 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 (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 floats 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 October 20, 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 U.S. owned Pan American World Airways.

National Airways of Colombia (1940 - 1994)

On June 14, 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 acquired 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 October 19 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 Avianca began to provide airmail service.

*In August 1922, General Pedro Nel Ospina, then President of Colombia, used for the first time a SCADTA aircraft to conduct official business.

*On July 19, 1923, to save the country from bankruptcy, SCADTA transported a gold and currency load from Puerto Berrío to Girardot.

*On July 12, 1928, a SCADTA Junker F13, commanded by Pilot Herbert Boy crossed the Equator.

*On July 23, 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; from Bogotá to Cali, COP $ 50.

*On July 16, 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 DC3 aircraft arriving in the country, flying then at the 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 DC4 and C-54 aircraft,.

*In 1951, Avianca acquired the Lockeed Constellation 0749 and the Super Constellation 1049L aircraft, the biggest and fastest of 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 707-100 aircraft to operate its international routes, and on November 24, 1961, it acquired its own Boeing 720, baptizing them with the names Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander.

*The year 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 mixed 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, Cali, Medellín, Pasto, and Montería.

*By 1990 Avianca had acquired the most modern aircraft in the world: two Boeing B767-200ERs, which were baptized with the names of 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 B767-200, Boeing B767-300, Boeing B757–200, McDonnell Douglas MD83, Fokker F50 and Bell Helicopters. This new system covered the following destinations:

*In Colombia: Bogotá, Arauca, Armenia, 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 de 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 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 December 10, 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:

Livery

Awards and nominations

Awards

* [http://www.avianca.com/QuienesSomos/Boletines/2006/308.htm Avianca VIP Lounge at El Dorado Int'l Airport - Latin America & Caribbean - 2006 Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards]

Nominations

2007

* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees2007-12 South America's Leading Airline - 14th World Travel Awards]
* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees2007-12 South America's Leading Airline Website - 14th World Travel Awards]
* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees2007-12 (OceanAir) South America's Leading Budget / No Frills Airline - 14th World Travel Awards]
* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees2007-12 South America's Leading Business Class Airline - 14th World Travel Awards]

2006

* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/index.php/wta/nominees_2006/2006/south_america South America's Leading Airline - 13th World Travel Awards]
* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/index.php/wta/nominees_2006/2006/south_america South America's Leading Business Class Airline - 13th World Travel Awards]

2005

* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/index.php/wta/nominees_2006/2005/south_america South America's Leading Airline - 12th World Travel Awards]
* [http://www.worldtravelawards.com/index.php/wta/nominees_2006/2005/south_america 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 a politician. In the aftermath, it was found that the politician had not boarded the plane. 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 April 26, 1990, M-19 presidential candidate Carlos Pizarro was gunned down during a domestic Avianca flight [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+co0011)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2138929.stm] .

Other incidents include:

*Avianca Flight 011, a Boeing B747-200 that crashed onto a mountain just short of landing at Barajas International Airport in Madrid in September 1983 and had 181 fatalities . The cause was determined as pilot error.

*Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing B727 domestic flight which crashed into low mountains near Santander, Colombia after take-off on March 17, 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 January 25, 1990, Avianca Flight 52, a Boeing B707-321 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. The Spanish-speaking pilots appeared not to know how to indicate the urgency of their situation in English. Also, air traffic controllers may have contributed to the disaster by not providing sufficient information regarding poor weather conditions around JFK airport and the time, and maintaining the jet in a holding pattern for too long despite being told that Flight 52 was low on fuel.

Private bus services in the United States

In the United States Avianca operates a private bus service from John F. Kennedy Airport to Union City and Elizabeth in New Jersey. [" [http://www.avianca.com/Inicio/Banners/EN/bannerHome3_US Avianca takes you to John F. Kennedy Airport free] ." "Avianca".]

Popular culture

* The airline appears in the 2004 film "The Day After Tomorrow".

References

External links

* en icon pt icon [http://www.avianca.com Avianca.com]
* [http://www.deprisa.com Avianca Deprisa]
* [http://www.miflybox.com/ Avianca FlyBox]
* [http://www.aviancaexpress.com/ Avianca Express]