Avianca Guatemala

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Avianca Guatemala
Avianca Logo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
GU GUG AVIATECA
Founded1929 (as Aerovías de Guatemala)
HubsLa Aurora International Airport
Focus citiesMundo Maya International Airport
Frequent-flyer programLifeMiles
AllianceStar Alliance (affiliate)
Fleet size2
Destinations8
Parent companyAvianca Holdings
HeadquartersGuatemala City, Guatemala
Websiteavianca.com

Avianca Guatemala (formerly branded Aviateca S.A.) is an airline headquartered in Guatemala City.[1] Aviateca was under government ownership and remained so until 1989 when it joined the TACA-organised Airline Alliance of Central America and was privatized. It was fully integrated into TACA, which later merged with Avianca.

History[]

The airline was established in 1929 as Aerovías de Guatemala and was founded by Alfredo Denby Chattfield. In March 14, 1945, the airline was nationalized during the government of Juan José Arevalo and established as Empresa Guatemalteca de Aviación S.A. which was shortened to Aviateca. One of the original founders was Alfredo Castaneda Duarte who also served as a pilot. Aviateca started operations in March 1946 and early aircraft operated by the carrier including the Douglas DC-3.

In 1961, service to Miami was originated with four-engined Douglas DC-6 airliners. The airline later operated the Douglas DC-6B version as well. Convair 340/440 twin-engined medium airliners were also acquired to replace some of the DC-3s on short-haul routes in Latin America.

Aviateca introduced jet service as a customer for the BAC One-Eleven medium twin jet in 1970. In 1974, the airline was operating the stretched BAC One-Eleven series 500 version of the British-manufactured jet on international flights to Miami, New Orleans, Mexico City, Mérida and San Jose, Costa Rica.[2] It also temporarily leased a Fokker F28 Fellowship, a Boeing 720 and a Douglas DC-8-61 in the 1970s. Aviateca later acquired two Boeing 727-100s, which operated for the airline in the 1980s. From 1989 on Aviateca's fleet consisted of several Boeing 737-200 and Boeing 737-300 jetliners. A full cargo Boeing 737-300 was also operated for a few months.

The aircraft was referred to by locals as "las papayas voladoras" (the flying papayas) due to the paint scheme used during the 1970s, in which the underbelly was painted a reddish orange. Later Aviateca switched to blue. From 2006 to 2007, Aviateca operated an Airbus A319 with the TACA-style Aviateca logo on the engines. Five of TACA's ATR 42-300s were registered for Aviateca in Guatemala. Due to reorganization measures at Avianca Holdings, Aviateca was renamed Avianca Guatemala in 2013.

Destinations[]

A Douglas DC-6A of Aviateca Cargo at Miami Airport in 1971
The 1980s "flying papaya" livery, shown on a Boeing 727-100 in 1980
A hybrid Aviateca/TACA Boeing 737-200 in the late 90s livery, photographed in January 1999

This is a list of both current and terminated destinations of Aviateca.[3]

Country City Airport Notes
Belize Belize City Belize International Airport Terminated
Colombia San Andrés Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport
Costa Rica Liberia Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport Terminated
Costa Rica San José Juan Santamaría International Airport
El Salvador San Salvador El Salvador International Airport
El Salvador San Salvador Ilopango International Airport Terminated
Guatemala Flores Mundo Maya International Airport Focus city
Guatemala Guatemala City La Aurora International Airport Hub
Guatemala Puerto Barrios Puerto Barrios Airport Terminated
Guatemala Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango Airport Terminated
Guatemala Uaxactun Uaxactun Airport Terminated
Honduras Roatan Roatan International Airport
Honduras San Pedro Sula Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport
Honduras Tegucigalpa Toncontín International Airport Terminated
Mexico Cancún Cancún International Airport Terminated
Mexico Mexico Mérida-Rejón Airport Terminated
Mexico Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport Terminated
Nicaragua Managua Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport Terminated
Panama Panama City Tocumen International Airport
United States Chicago O'Hare International Airport Terminated
United States Los Angeles Los Angeles International Airport Terminated
United States Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminated
United States Miami Miami International Airport Terminated
United States New Orleans Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Terminated

Fleet[]

Current fleet[]

An Avianca Guatemala ATR 72-600 landing at Toncontín International Airport in 2018

The Avianca Guatemala fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of December 2020):[4][5]

Avianca Guatemala fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
ATR 72-600 2 68 68
Total 2

Former fleet[]

The airline previously operated the following aircraft:[6][7]

Avianca Guatemala former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A319-100 1 2006 2007 Operated by TACA Perú
ATR 42-300 5 2006 2018
BAC One-Eleven Series 500 4 1970 1980
Boeing 720 3 1977 1979
Boeing 727-100C 4 1979 1989
Boeing 737-200 12 1990 2004
Boeing 737-300 9 1989 1996
Convair CV-440 4 1954 1979
Curtiss C-46 Commando 6 1949 1975
Douglas C-47 Skytrain 11 1945 1981
Douglas C-54 Skymaster 2 1954 1970
Douglas DC-2 2 1945 1952
Douglas DC-6 10 1965 1984
Douglas DC-8-61 1 1988 1989 Leased from Trans International Airlines
Fairchild C-82 Packet 5 1957 1961
Fokker F-27 Friendship 3 1978 1987
Fokker F-28 Fellowship 1 1974 1976 Leased from Fokker
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 1 1975 1975
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation 1 1972 1972 Leased from Balair

Accidents and incidents[]

  • On 17 February 1975, Douglas C-47A TG-AMA was destroyed by fire at , Tikal.[8]
  • On 18 November 1975, Douglas C-47 TG-AGA crashed within Petén Department whilst on a passenger flight from Uaxactun Airport to Flores International Airport, Santa Elena.[9]
  • On 27 April 1977, Convair 240 TG-ACA crashed near Guatemala City, Guatemala, killing all 28 people on board.
  • On 30 September 1977, Douglas C-47A TG-AKA was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Flores International Airport, Santa Elena. One of the three crew members was killed.[10]
  • On 26 July 1978, Douglas DC-3 TG-AFA overran the runway at Flores International Airport following a birdstrike on take-off and was reported to have been damaged beyond economic repair.[11] The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.[12]
  • On August 9, 1995, at approximately 2014 local time (0214 UTC August 10, 1995), a Boeing 737-200 (N125GU) was destroyed when it collided with the side of the San Vicente (Chichontepec) volcano, 24 kilometres (15 mi) northeast of San Salvador International Airport, San Salvador. The flight (GU901) was on an IFR flight plan from La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala City, Guatemala to Comalapa International Airport, San Salvador, El Salvador. All 7 crew members and 58 passengers died on the crash. Severe weather existed at the time, and the aircraft had deviated from airway G436 to the north to avoid thunderstorms. The aircraft was owned by CIT Leasing Corporation and leased to Aviateca.[13][14]

References[]

  1. ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 22–28, 1995. 46.
  2. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, May 12, 1974 Aviateca system timetable
  3. ^ https://airline-memorabilia.blogspot.com/2009/08/aviateca-1993.html
  4. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 15.
  5. ^ "Avianca Guatemala Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2018 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2018): 15.
  7. ^ "AVIATECA fleet". aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "TC-AMA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  9. ^ "TG-AGA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  10. ^ "TG-AKA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  11. ^ "TG-AFA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  12. ^ "Photo: Aviateca, Douglas DC-3 TG-AFA". Airline Fan. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  13. ^ 1995 Crash report
  14. ^ Aviation Safety report

External links[]

Media related to Avianca Guatemala at Wikimedia Commons

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