Avianca

Avianca is the world's second-oldest airline still flying. It began on December 5, 1919, in Barranquilla, Colombia, as SCADTA, a Colombian-German venture. Its Junkers floatplanes followed the Magdalena River. In 1940 SCADTA merged with SACO to form Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia, better known as Avianca. The airline opened up flying across the Andes and was one of the first in Latin America to reach Europe.

It brought jets to Colombia with the Boeing 707 in the early 1960s. Avianca survived turbulent decades in Colombian history. It settled in as the flag carrier, the airline that represents the country, working from its Bogotá base. In 2010 Avianca merged with El Salvador's TACA group, joining two of the region's oldest airlines. That created hubs in Bogotá and San Salvador, airports where it connects many flights.

The holding company took the Avianca brand in 2013 and joined Star Alliance in 2012. The pandemic forced a US Chapter 11 filing in 2020. Avianca emerged in late 2021 with lower costs, denser cabins, and a simpler fleet. It now belongs to the Abra Group, which also controls Brazil's GOL. Avianca still dominates travel in Colombia and Central America, and it flies to North America and Europe.

Avianca operates roughly 140 aircraft, almost all from the Airbus A320 family. A320s, A320neos, and A321s cover the busy Colombian network, Central American flying from San Salvador, and much of the US network. Their cabins were packed with extra seats after the restructuring.

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners handle long routes to Europe and select US cities. The A330s and Embraer jets were retired during the Chapter 11 reorganization. Avianca has A320neo-family orders to renew and expand the smaller fleet, and its cargo arm flies Airbus A330-200 freighters from Bogotá and Miami.