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Avianca
Avianca Logo.svg
Founded December 5, 1919; 105 years ago (1919-12-05) (as SCADTA)
AOC # ANCF173C
Hubs Bogotá
Secondary hubs
  • Cali
  • Cartagena
  • Medellín–JMC
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program LifeMiles
Alliance Star Alliance
Subsidiaries Helicol
Fleet size 126
Destinations 74
Parent company Avianca Group
Headquarters
Key people
  • Roberto Kriete (Chairman)
  • Frederico Pedreira (CEO)
  • Rohit Philip (CFO)
Operating income Increase COP 100.3 B (FY 2019 Q3)
Total assets Increase COP 2.403.632 M (FY 2008)
Employees 9853 (2020)

Avianca S.A. is the largest airline in Colombia. Its name comes from the Spanish words for "Airways of Colombia". Since December 5, 1919, it has been Colombia's main airline, first known as SCADTA. Avianca's main office is in Bogotá, with its main airport hub at El Dorado International Airport.

Avianca is a leading airline in the Americas. It is the largest airline in Colombia and the second largest in South America. Avianca and its related airlines fly to more places across the Americas than any other airline. Avianca joined the Star Alliance, a big group of airlines, on June 21, 2012. In 2020, Avianca went through a tough time financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it successfully reorganized and continued its operations.

History of Avianca

Early Years (1919–1940)

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

Avianca started on December 5, 1919, in Barranquilla, Colombia. It was first called Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéreos (SCADTA). This means "Colombian-German Air Transport Company." The first flight happened on September 5, 1920. It carried mail between Barranquilla and Puerto Colombia using a Junkers F.13 plane.

Early planes had to be changed to fly well in Colombia's climate. Since there were few airports, some planes were fitted with floats. This allowed them to land on rivers. In 1922, SCADTA started carrying mail for the Colombian government. This helped the airline grow a lot. By the mid-1920s, SCADTA began flying to other countries like Venezuela and the United States.

Becoming Avianca (1940–1994)

Avianca Boeing 747-259B (M); EI-CEO@MIA, June 1993 (5659668614)
A former Avianca Boeing 747-100 at Miami International Airport in 1993.

On June 14, 1940, SCADTA joined with another Colombian airline called SACO. They formed a new company: Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A., or Avianca.

In 1946, Avianca started flying to cities like Quito, Lima, Panama City, Miami, New York City, and places in Europe. They used Douglas DC-4 planes for these trips. In the 1960s, Avianca built its main office building in Bogotá. In 1976, Avianca was the first airline in Latin America to regularly fly the Boeing 747-100 jumbo jet.

In 1981, Avianca opened its own special terminal in Bogotá. It was called the Terminal Puente Aéreo. This terminal was for flights to cities like Cali, Medellín, Miami, and New York.

Joining Forces (1994–2004)

Avianca Boeing 767-200ER Dallimonti
A former Avianca Boeing 767-200ER at José María Córdova International Airport in 2004.

In 1994, Avianca merged with a regional airline called SAM and a helicopter company called Helicol. This helped Avianca offer more services, like cargo and mail delivery. Their fleet became more modern with planes like Boeing 767s and Boeing 757s.

In 1998, Avianca opened a new main hub in Bogotá. This allowed for many more connections each week. It helped travelers flying between South America, Europe, and North America.

After the events of September 11, 2001, Avianca, SAM, and another airline called ACES worked together. They formed the Alianza Summa in 2002. This was to offer better service and compete in a difficult market. However, this alliance did not last. In 2003, ACES closed down, and SAM became part of Avianca.

New Beginnings (2004–2013)

In 2004, Avianca finished a big reorganization. This happened after it had to seek financial protection. A Brazilian company called Synergy Group helped Avianca get the money it needed.

Under this plan, Synergy Group bought Avianca. Avianca's full name changed to Aerovías del Continente Americano. This means "Airways of the American Continent," but it kept the short name Avianca. In 2005, Avianca showed off its new logo and plane design.

Avianca Airbus A330-243 Bogota PAOC
A former Avianca Airbus A330-200 at El Dorado International Airport in 2009.

In 2009, Avianca announced it would merge with TACA Airlines. This created a very large airline group called AviancaTaca Holding. It had 129 planes and flew to over 100 places.

In 2010, Star Alliance announced that Avianca and TACA would become full members. This happened on June 21, 2012. Because of this, Avianca started working closely with United Airlines.

Avianca Holdings and Challenges (2013–2021)

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

In 2018, Avianca had some flight delays and cancellations. This was due to issues with their crew scheduling system. Also, a pilot strike in 2017 affected their flight plans for a while.

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

A320 de Avianca celebrando 100 años con sus colores antiguos
An Avianca Airbus A320-200 in a special old-style paint job, celebrating 100 years of the airline.

Financial Reorganization (2020–2021)

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many problems for airlines worldwide. The Colombian government stopped most flights. This meant Avianca's income dropped a lot.

Because of this, Avianca Holdings had to file for financial reorganization in a US court on May 10, 2020. This was a direct result of the pandemic. 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. They also decided to use only two types of planes: the A320 family and the Boeing 787. They also introduced new, cheaper ticket options.

In November 2021, Avianca Holdings announced it would move its legal address to the United Kingdom. They also changed their name to Avianca Group. Their main office stayed in Bogotá. On December 1, 2021, Avianca successfully completed its financial reorganization.

Recent Developments (2022–Present)

On April 29, 2022, Avianca announced plans to buy a low-cost airline called Viva Air Colombia and its Peruvian branch. On May 11, 2022, it was announced that Avianca planned to merge with Viva Air and another airline, Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, to form a new group called Abra Group. Avianca was to be the main company in this merger.

However, the Colombian aviation authorities did not approve the merger in November 2022. Avianca said this would not stop the plans for the Abra Group. In January 2023, the Colombian government decided to review the merger decision again.

On March 21, 2023, the authorities said they would approve the Avianca–Viva merger with certain conditions. These conditions included refunding or honoring cancelled Viva Air bookings. They also required Avianca to give up some flight slots at Bogotá's El Dorado Airport. Avianca had to keep Viva Air's low-cost model and ensure fair prices.

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

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.

Company Information

Torre Avianca
Avianca's headquarters building in Bogotá.

Avianca's main office is in the Ciudad Salitre area of Bogotá, Colombia. It is located on Avenida El Dorado.

Where Avianca Flies

Avianca's main hub is at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. This airport is known as "The Hub of the Americas." Avianca also has important focus cities in Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, San José, and Miami. In Miami, Avianca is the largest foreign airline by the number of passengers.

Airline Partnerships

Avianca works with many other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This means they can sell tickets on each other's flights. This helps passengers connect to more places.

Here are some of the airlines Avianca partners with:

Avianca also has "interline agreements" with these airlines:

  • APG Airlines
  • French Bee
  • Norse Atlantic Airways
  • Viva

LifeMiles Program

LifeMiles is Avianca's program for frequent flyers. It rewards customers who fly often with Avianca and its partners. Members can earn miles when they fly with Avianca, other Star Alliance airlines, and also with GOL Airlines, Aeromexico, and Iberia.

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

LifeMiles has four special levels for its members:

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

Avianca's Fleet

Current Airplanes

As of March 2025, Avianca uses the following types of airplanes:

Avianca fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
C W Y+ Y Total
Airbus A319-100 7 12 48 84 144 These planes are planned to be retired.
Airbus A320-200 67 12 60 108 180
Airbus A320neo 31 52 12 60 108 180 More planes are on order.
5 188 188 These planes used to belong to Viva Air Colombia.
Boeing 787-8 13 20 36 235 291
3 32 259 These planes used to belong to Norwegian Long Haul.
Total 126 52

Developing the Fleet

In 2007, Avianca ordered 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. The first one was delivered in December 2014. It started flying passengers in January 2015, on the route between Bogotá and New York City.

In 2015, Avianca ordered 100 new Airbus A320neo family planes. In March 2019, some of these orders were changed. Some planes were cancelled, and others were scheduled for later delivery.

In March 2022, Avianca confirmed an order for 88 new A320neo planes. These will be delivered between 2025 and 2031. In June 2023, Avianca leased eight A320neos that used to belong to Viva Air. In September 2023, the airline planned 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

Since it started, Avianca has used many different types of airplanes. Here are some of the planes that are no longer part of its fleet:

Avianca former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A318-100 10 2011 2019
Airbus A321-200 9 2014 2021
Airbus A321neo 2 2017 2020
Airbus A330-200 12 2008 2023
Airbus A330-300 2 2018 2020
ATR 72-600 9 2013 2019 Moved to Avianca Express
Boeing 707-320C 8 1968 1994
Boeing 720B 7 1961 1984
Boeing 727-100 33 1966 1992
Boeing 727-200 18 1978 1999
Boeing 737-100 2 1968 1971 First airline in Latin America to use the 737
Boeing 747-100 3 1976 1996
Boeing 747-100SF 2 1981 1988
Boeing 747-200M 2 1979 1995
Boeing 757-200 21 1992 2010
Boeing 767-200ER 5 1990 2011
Boeing 767-300ER 5 1994 2011
1 2014 2015
Boeing 787-9 1 2019 2023 Delivered but never flew for passengers
Douglas C-47 Skytrain 52 1939 1974
Douglas C-54 Skymaster 26 1946 1975
Douglas DC-3 4 1939 1973
Fokker 50 10 1993 2014
Fokker 100 15 2006 2011
Junkers F 13 31 1920 1940
Lockheed L-749A Constellation 6 1951 1967
Lockheed L-1049E Super Constellation 4 1954 1969
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 18 1992 2011

Awards and Recognitions

Avianca has received many awards for its service:

  • 2010: E-Commerce Company of the Year
  • 2012: Best Company in Customer Service
  • 2013: Best Company in Customer Service
  • 2013: South American Airlines with Best Onboard Service – Skytrax World Airline Awards
  • 2014: Best E-commerce Initiative in Colombia
  • 2015: Best Airline in South America – World Travel Awards
  • 2016: Best Airline in South America and Latin America – Business Traveler North America Magazine
  • 2017: Best Airline in South America – Business Traveler Awards
  • 2017: Best Airline in South America and Best Regional Airline in South America – Skytrax World Airline Awards
  • 2017: Best Mobile Initiative for eCommerce
  • 2017: Second-best airline in the world – Consumers and Users Organization
  • 2018: Best Airline in South America – Skytrax World Airline Awards
  • 2018: Best Regional Airline in South America – Airline Passenger Experience APEX

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Avianca para niños

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