Avianca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Avianca S.A.

Founded	December 5, 1919; 105 years ago (1919-12-05) (as SCADTA)
Commenced operations	June 14, 1940; 85 years ago (1940-06-14) (as Avianca)
AOC #	ANCF173C
Hubs	Bogotá
Secondary hubs	Cali Cartagena Medellín–JMC
Focus cities	Barranquilla Miami San José (CR) Quito
Frequent-flyer program	LifeMiles
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	Helicol
Fleet size	123
Destinations	74
Parent company	Avianca Group
Headquarters	Registered office: Barranquilla, Colombia Corporate headquarters: Bogotá, Colombia
Key people	Roberto Kriete (Chairman) Frederico Pedreira (CEO) Rohit Philip (CFO)
Operating income	COP 100.3 B (FY 2019 Q3)
Total assets	COP 2.403.632 M (FY 2008)

Avianca S.A. is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been Colombia's main airline since December 5, 1919. At first, it was called SCADTA. Avianca's main office is in Bogotá, Colombia, and its main airport hub is El Dorado International Airport.

Avianca is the leading airline in a group of airlines across the Americas. It is the largest airline in Colombia and the second largest in South America, after LATAM. Avianca and its partner airlines fly to the most places in the Americas.

Through SCADTA, Avianca is the second oldest airline still flying in the world, after KLM. It is also the oldest airline in the Western Hemisphere. Avianca became a member of Star Alliance on June 21, 2012. This is a big group of airlines that work together.

A Look at Avianca's History

SCADTA: The Early Years (1919–1940)

A SCADTA Junkers W 34 "Magdalena" airplane from the 1920s.

Avianca's story began on December 5, 1919, in Barranquilla, Colombia. A group of Colombians and Germans started a company called Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéreos, or SCADTA.

Their first flight was on September 5, 1920. It carried 57 pieces of mail between Barranquilla and Puerto Colombia. The plane was a Junkers F.13, flown by Helmuth von Krohn. These early planes were special because their engines had to be changed to work well in Colombia's climate.

Since there weren't many airports, some planes were fitted with floats. This allowed them to land on rivers. On October 20, 1920, Helmuth von Krohn made the first inland flight over Colombia using these floats. He followed the Magdalena River.

Later, a German scientist named Peter von Bauer helped the airline. He brought money and another plane. He also helped SCADTA get a contract to carry mail for the Colombian government. This helped the airline grow. By the mid-1920s, SCADTA started flying to other countries, like Venezuela and the United States.

Avianca: National Airways of Colombia (1940–1994)

An Avianca Boeing 747-100 airplane at Miami International Airport in 1993.

On June 14, 1940, SCADTA merged with another Colombian airline called SACO. They formed a new company: Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A., or Avianca. Avianca considers SCADTA's history as its own.

In 1946, Avianca started flying to cities like Quito, Lima, Panama City, Miami, New York City, and even Europe. They used planes like the Douglas DC-4 and C-54 Skymaster.

In the 1960s, Avianca built its own building in Bogotá, called the Avianca Building. In 1961, Avianca started using Boeing 707s and Boeing 720s for international flights. In 1976, Avianca became the first airline in Latin America to regularly fly the Boeing 747-100.

In 1981, Avianca built a special terminal at Bogotá's airport called the Terminal Puente Aéreo. It was for flights to cities like Cali, Medellín, Miami, and New York.

Growing Through Mergers (1994–2002)

An Avianca Boeing 767-200ER airplane at José María Córdova International Airport in 2004.

In 1994, Avianca joined with a regional airline called SAM and a helicopter company called Helicol. This helped Avianca offer more services, like cargo flights (Avianca Cargo) and mail services (Deprisa). They also got newer planes like Boeing 767s and Boeing 757s.

On December 10, 1998, Avianca opened its new main hub in Bogotá. This allowed for many more flight connections each week. It helped travelers connect between South America, Europe, and North America.

The Summa Alliance (2002–2004)

After the September 11 attacks, Avianca, SAM, and another airline called ACES worked together. They created the Alianza Summa in 2002 to offer better service. However, this alliance did not last, and it ended in November 2003. ACES closed down, and SAM became a regional airline under Avianca.

New Ownership and Name (2004–2009)

On December 10, 2004, Avianca finished a big reorganization. This happened after they had to seek financial protection. A Brazilian company called Synergy Group and the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia helped Avianca get money.

Avianca's logo from 2005 to 2013.

Under this plan, Synergy Group bought Avianca. The airline's full legal name changed from Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia (National Airways of Colombia) to Aerovías del Continente Americano (Airways of the American Continent). But it kept the short name Avianca. On February 28, 2005, Avianca showed off its new logo and look.

Avianca and TACA Join Forces (2009–2013)

An Avianca Airbus A330-200 airplane at El Dorado International Airport in 2009.

In October 2009, Avianca announced it would merge with TACA Airlines. This created AviancaTaca Holding, which became one of the biggest airlines in the region. They had many planes and flew to over 100 places.

In 2011, Avianca decided to replace its older Fokker 100 planes with newer Airbus A318s.

Joining Star Alliance

On November 10, 2010, Star Alliance announced that Avianca and TACA would become full members in 2012. Star Alliance is a global network of airlines that work together to make travel easier for passengers. Because of this, Avianca changed its partnerships with other airlines. On June 21, 2012, Avianca and TACA officially joined Star Alliance.

Becoming Avianca Holdings (2013–2019)

On March 21, 2013, the company's shareholders voted to change the name from AviancaTaca Holding to Avianca Holdings. TACA and other airlines in the group also changed their brand to Avianca on May 28, 2013.

In August 2018, Avianca faced some problems with its flight schedules. This led to many flights being canceled within Colombia. It took some time for all flights to return to normal.

On March 1, 2019, Avianca started a new regional airline called Avianca Express. It used ATR-72 planes for short flights within Colombia.

An Avianca Airbus A320-200 airplane, painted in a special old-style design, celebrating the airline's 100th birthday.

Dealing with Challenges (2020-2021)

Like many airlines, Avianca faced big financial problems in 2019. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The Colombian government stopped most flights, which meant Avianca's planes couldn't fly. This caused the company to lose a lot of money.

Because of this, Avianca Holdings had to file for a type of financial protection called Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States on May 10, 2020. This helped them reorganize their business. They also closed their airline in Peru, Avianca Perú.

During this time, Avianca made many changes to save money. They made their Airbus A320 planes carry more passengers and redesigned the inside of the cabins. They also decided to use fewer types of planes, focusing on the A320 family and Boeing 787s. They also introduced new, cheaper ticket options.

In November 2021, Avianca Holdings announced they would move their legal address to the United Kingdom and change their name to Avianca Group. Their main office stayed in Bogotá. On December 1, 2021, Avianca successfully came out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In October 2023, the company changed its brand name to "avianca" (with a small 'a'). They also changed their business model to be more like a low-cost airline.

Recent Developments (2022-Present)

On April 29, 2022, Avianca announced plans to buy another low-cost airline called Viva Air Colombia and its partner Viva Air Perú. On May 11, 2022, it was announced that Avianca planned to merge with Viva Air and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes to form a new group called Abra Group.

The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority first rejected the merger in November 2022. However, in January 2023, the government decided to review the merger again.

On March 21, 2023, the aviation authority said it would approve the merger if Avianca met certain conditions. These included refunding passengers whose Viva Air flights were canceled, giving up some flight slots at Bogotá's airport, and keeping Viva Air's low-cost model.

However, on May 13, 2023, Avianca decided not to go through with the Viva Air acquisition. They felt the conditions were too strict and would harm their business.

Avianca's Offices

Avianca's headquarters building in Bogotá.

Avianca's main offices are in the Ciudad Salitre area of Bogotá, Colombia. The building is located near the Gran Estación shopping mall.

Where Avianca Flies

Avianca's main hub is in Bogotá. They also have important cities they focus on, like Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, San José, and Miami. In Miami, Avianca is the biggest foreign airline based on the number of passengers.

Airline Partnerships (Codeshare Agreements)

Avianca works with other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This means they can sell tickets on each other's flights. Here are some of the airlines Avianca partners with:

• Aeroméxico
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• All Nippon Airways
• Austrian Airlines
• Avianca El Salvador
• Azul Brazilian Airlines
• Brussels Airlines
• Clic Air
• Copa Airlines
• Cubana de Aviación
• Etihad Airways
• EVA Air
• Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes
• Iberia
• ITA Airways
• Lufthansa
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Silver Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Swiss International Air Lines
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways International
• Turkish Airlines
• United Airlines

Avianca also has an "interline agreement" with Boliviana de Aviación. This is another way airlines work together to help passengers connect flights.

LifeMiles: Avianca's Rewards Program

LifeMiles is Avianca's program that rewards loyal customers. You can earn miles every time you fly with Avianca, other Star Alliance airlines, and partners like GOL Airlines, Aeromexico, and Iberia. These miles can be used for flights, travel, and other things.

The LifeMiles program started in 2011. It has won many awards for being a great rewards program in the Americas.

LifeMiles has different levels for frequent flyers:

• Red Plus (Star Alliance Silver)
• Silver (Star Alliance Silver)
• Gold (Star Alliance Gold)
• Diamond (Star Alliance Gold)

Avianca's Airplanes

Current Fleet

An Avianca Airbus A319-100 airplane at Miami International Airport in 2014.

An Avianca Airbus A320-200 airplane at Miami International Airport in 2016.

An Avianca Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner airplane at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport in 2015.

As of February 2024, Avianca uses these types of airplanes:

New Planes for the Future

In March 2007, Avianca ordered 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. The first one arrived on December 17, 2014, and started flying on January 16, 2015.

In 2015, Avianca ordered 100 new Airbus A320neo family planes. In March 2019, they changed some of these orders, canceling 17 planes and rescheduling others for later delivery.

In March 2022, Avianca confirmed an order for 88 new A320neo planes, to be delivered between 2025 and 2031. In June 2023, Avianca leased eight A320neos that used to belong to Viva Air. In September 2023, they announced plans to lease 14 more Airbus A320neo planes and two A320ceo planes.

In February 2024, Avianca received one of three Boeing 787-8s from Norwegian Air Shuttle. The airline wants to own its planes rather than lease them from other companies.

Past Airplanes Avianca Has Used

Since it started, Avianca has flown many different types of airplanes:

Awards and Recognitions

Avianca has received many awards for its service:

• 2010: E-Commerce Company of the Year
• 2012 & 2013: Best Company in Customer Service
• 2013: South American Airlines with Best Onboard Service (from Skytrax)
• 2015: Best Airline in South America (from World Travel Awards)
• 2016 & 2017: Best Airline in South America and Latin America (from Business Traveler North America Magazine)
• 2017 & 2018: Best Airline in South America (from Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• 2017: Best Mobile Initiative for eCommerce
• 2017: Second-best airline in the world (from Consumers and Users Organization)
• 2018: Best Regional Airline in South America (from Airline Passenger Experience APEX)

See Also

• List of airlines of Colombia