Information About

Aviateca





| Information

  Airline Aviateca
  Fleet Size 3
  Destinations Flores, Cancun, Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, San José
  IATA GU
  ICAO GUG
  Callsign Aviateca
  Parent Aviateca SA
  Founded 1945
  Headquarters Guatemala City , Guatemala
  Hubs La Aurora Int'l Airport
  Frequent Flyer Distancia (TACA)
  Lounge Salones VIP (TACA)
  Alliance Grupo TACA
  Website http://wwwTACAcom



CODE DATA




HISTORY


The airline was established on 14 March 1945 as Empresa Guatemalteca de Aviacion S. A., which was shortened to Aviateca. It was formed as the successor to Aerovias de Guatemala, which had been founded in 1929 . Aviateca started operations in March 1946 and early aircraft operated by the carrier included the Douglas DC-3 . In 1961 , service to the United States ( Miami ) was originated with four engined Douglas DC-6 airliners. Convair 340/440 twin engined medium airliners were also acquired to replace the DC-3's on routes in Latin America . Aviateca was a customer for the British Aerospace BAC 1-11 medium twin jet in 1970 . It also leased temporarily a Fokker F-28 , a Boeing 720 (N421MA) and a Douglas DC-8 in the 1970s. Aviateca acquired two Boeing 727 (TG ALA, TG-AYA) from Eastern Airlines later, which operated for the airline in the 1980s. From 1989 on Aviatecas fleet consisted of several Boeing 737-200 and Boeing 737-300 . A full cargo Boeing 737-300 was also operated for a few months.

Aviateca was under government ownership and remained so until 1989 when it joined the TACA organised Airline Alliance of Central America and was privatised. It has now been fully integrated into TACA.

The aircraft were referred to by locals as "las papayas voladores" (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. As of this date, Aviateca still has a TACA aircraft Airbus A319 (N479TA)with the TACA-style Aviateca logo on the engines. Also, the two TACA Ragional ATR-42 are operating for Aviateca, with guatemalan registration (TG-MYH, TG-RYM).


INFLIGHT MEDIA


Maya Imperial was the Aviateca inflight magazine


INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS


  • The 1977 Guatemala City Air Disaster , which killed 28 people.

  • On August 9 , 1995 , at approximately 2014 local time (0214 UTC August 10, 1995), a Boeing 737-200 (N125GU) was destroyed on impact with terrain 15 miles northeast of San Salvador International Airport, San Salvador . The flight (Flight GUG901) was on an instrument flight plan operating in instrument conditions when it collided with the side of the San Vicente (Chichontepec) volcano. The aircraft was being operated by AVIATECA, SA., the national airline of Guatemala. All of the 7 crew members and 58 passengers were fatally injured. The flight, operating as AVIATECA Flight 901 (GU901), was on an IFR flight plan from La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala City , Guatemala to Comalapa International Airport , San Salvador, El Salvador . Severe weather existed at the time of the 14 CFR 129 flight 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, S.A. 1995 Crash report Aviation Safety report



FLEET


As of August , 3-9 October 2006



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