Avianca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Avianca

Founded	December 5, 1919; 105 years ago (1919-12-05) (as SCADTA)
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	126
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)
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)

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)

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)

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.

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.

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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  A Boeing 787-8, a modern plane used by Avianca.

See also

In Spanish: Avianca para niños