Avianca: 105 milestones in their 105 years

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The airline Avianca celebrated his anniversary 105 as the oldest airline on the American continent and the second oldest in the world. Avianca press photo

The 5 from December to 2024, Avianca celebrated a historic milestone: 105 years connecting people and cultures through the skies. As the oldest airline in America and the second oldest in the world, His career is a testimony to the evolution of aviation and its fundamental role in the development of the region..

105 years of Avianca

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, What SCADTA (Colombo German Air Transport Company), Avianca was a pioneer in commercial aviation in Latin America. His first flights, carried out in seaplanes, They opened unprecedented routes and connected previously isolated regions. Throughout its history, The airline has been a witness and protagonist of great transformations, adapting to new technologies and the demands of an increasingly globalized market.

As a way to celebrate this long history, Avianca presented his 105 most important milestones you have seen in this time, which I share with you below:

1. 1919: Foundation of the German-Colombian Air Transport Society (Scadta) In Barranquilla.
2. 1920: The first official flight of the Scadta was made, from Barranquilla to Girardot, using the Junkers F-13 “Colombia” seaplane.
3. 1921: Scadta established regular operations between Barranquilla, Girardot and Neiva.
4. 1922: The Junkers F-13 “Cauca” by Scadta, piloted by Von Krohn, completed the first direct flight of 1.200 kilometers between Barranquilla and Cali.
5. 1922: Scadta signed a contract with the Colombian government to operate national airmail services.
6. 1923: Scadta transported a shipment of gold and foreign currency from Puerto Berrío to Girardot to save the country from bankruptcy.
7. 1924: Scadta operated three regular routes with its seaplanes: Barranquilla-Girardot, Girardot-Neiva and Cartagena-Barranquilla-Ciénaga.
8. 1925: Scadta made an exploratory flight from Barranquilla to Palm Beach, the first flight between Latin America and the United States.
9. 1926: Scadta executives, the brothers Bauer and Olaya Herrera, Negotiations continued in Washington and New York to obtain permanent landing rights in the Panama Canal Zone.
10. 1958: Avianca transports Luz Marina Zuluaga, the first Colombian Miss Universe, from Miami to Barranquilla.
11. 1959: El Dorado International Airport opens, the most ambitious project in Colombia.
12. 1960: the boeing 707-120 It is the first jet aircraft operated by Avianca. On 1961 720B is incorporated, which becomes the first aircraft ordered directly from the manufacturer.
13. 1964: Avianca's first jet, a Boeing Tri-jet 727, lands in Medellín.
14. 1965: Avianca transports the famous French actress Brigitte Bardot, who stopped in Bogotá while traveling to Mexico to film the movie Viva María!
15. 1966: Avianca receives its first 727-100, introducing the comfort and speed of a jet on domestic and international short and medium distance routes.
16. 1968: Avianca transports Pope Paul VI during his visit to Colombia, the first papal visit to a Latin American country.
17. 1969: Avianca pays tribute to the Apollo moon landing 11 with a cover article in Notes on Board, the airline magazine.
18. 1969: The Avianca Building is inaugurated, the first skyscraper in Colombia.
19. 1969: Avianca celebrates its 50 anniversary, updates its corporate image and paints its planes red.
20. 1970: Avianca made its first excursion to the Soviet Union.
21. 1971: Avianca operated its first flight from Colombia to Switzerland.
22. 1972: With a fleet of 33 planes, Avianca transported the 75% of the country's passengers, totalizing 1.841.000 people.
23. 1974: Avianca modernized its fleet for short-haul flights with Hawker Siddeley HS aircraft 748 —o Avro 748—.
24. 1976: Avianca began domestic demonstration flights with the largest plane in the world, the boeing 747 «Jumbo Jet».
25. 1979: Avianca received the HK-2300, a Boeing 747-200B named Cartagena de Indias.
26. 1981: Avianca began the construction of the Puente Aéreo Terminal in Bogotá in collaboration with the Civil Aviation authorities.
27. 1986: Pope John Paul II arrived in Colombia on an Avianca flight. The airline accompanied him to Cali, Medellin, Popayan, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Pereira.
28. 1990: Avianca begins the renewal of its fleet with the acquisition of two Boeing 767-200ER aircraft.
29. 1992: Avianca adds eleven MD-83s and two Boeings 757-200 to your fleet, standing out in short distance and high frequency routes.
30. 1992: Avianca launches the Avianca Plus program to reward frequent travelers.
31. 1993: With the arrival of the FOKKER 50, Avianca makes a strong investment in the secondary route market in Colombia.
32. 1994: Avianca forms a strategic alliance with SAM and Helicol SA, creating the Avianca System.
33. 1996: The Ministry of Communications grants Avianca a license for specialized courier transportation, starting Deprisa.
34. 1928: Scadta inaugurated its first international route, Barranquilla-Guayaquil.
35. 1929: El Sikorsky S-38, nicknamed "Amphibians", joined the Scadta fleet, facilitating aviation on the Magdalena River.
36. 1930: The Roof Airport was inaugurated, which served as a connection for the seaplanes that arrived from Flanders to Barranquilla.
37. 1931: Scadta established mail services between Bogotá and New York.
38. 1932: Scadta was designated as the official airmail agency in Colombia and supported the Colombian Army during the Colombian-Peruvian War.
39. 1935: The first Scadta ticket was issued for the Barranquilla-Cartagena route.
40. 1937: Scadta acquires “Los Conquistadores”, ten Boeing 247D aircraft with retractable wheels and two engines, capable of carrying ten passengers.
41. 1939: Scadta merges with the Colombian Air Service (SACO). The new company is called Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia SA, Avianca.
42. 1940: Douglas DC-3 aircraft join the Avianca fleet, expanding routes to the eastern plains of Colombia and the Amazon.
43. 1946: Avianca introduces cabin crew service, now known as flight attendants, to serve meals, provide first aid and distribute earplugs or gum.
44. 1946: Avianca's first exploratory flight to Europe takes place from Bogotá to London.
45. 1947: “El Colombiano” was the name of Avianca's weekly Bogotá-Barranquilla-Miami flight, its first regular service to the United States.
46. 1948: Avianca founded Aerotaxi, a subsidiary airline intended to serve the most remote communities in Colombia.
47. 1949: Avianca extended its “El Colombiano” route to New York City.
48. 1950: On the occasion of the Jubilee declared by Pope Pius XII, Avianca scheduled flights to Rome to meet the high demand of pilgrims.
49. 1951: The Lockheed L-749 Constellation joined the Avianca fleet, Bolstering long-haul routes with the airline's first pressurized aircraft.
50. 1952: Avianca introduced the “Ruana Roja” service on Lockheed Constellation flights, Known for in-flight meals and distinctive flight attendant uniforms.
51. 1954: Avianca adjusted its European routes with the range of the Lockheed Constellation, reaching cities like Lisbon, Paris and Frankfurt.
52. 1956: Avianca transported 32 Colombian athletes to the Melbourne Olympic Games.
53. 1998: Avianca turned Bogotá into the airline's hub, offering 6.000 weekly connections.
54. 2002: Avianca joins Summa Alliance, an alliance with Aces and SAM airlines.
55. 2005: Avianca presented a new corporate image with a condor designed with lines of three colors and formalizes its new name: Aerovías del Continente Americano SA, Avianca.
56. 2006: Avianca brought the Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize 1989, to Bogotá during his Latin American tour, where he gave talks on the cultivation of inner peace.
57. 2006: The Mileage Bank program was launched with miles donated by Avianca and its frequent travelers.
58. 2007: Avianca placed an order for 57 new Airbus planes – 47 A320 and ten A330-200 – starting a fleet renewal program.
59. 2008: For $35 millions, Avianca acquired the 100% of Pan American Mercantile Air Transport, Tampa Cargo.
60. 2009: The Avianca Administrative Center is inaugurated in Bogotá (CAV), which has cutting-edge technological innovations in energy efficiency and respect for the environment.
61. 2010: The merger between Avianca and TACA is finalized (Air Transport of the American Continent).
62. 2011: LifeMiles is created, which merges the frequent flyer programs Avianca Plus and TACA Distancia.
63. 2012: Avianca announces its membership in Star Alliance, the world's largest global airline network.
64. 2013: Avianca was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the name AVH, becoming the third company with Colombian capital to do so.
65. 2014: After 13 years, Avianca resumed service to England with a non-stop flight between Bogotá and London.
66. 2014: Avianca became the official airline of the Colombian national soccer team during its historic participation in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
67. 2014: Avianca received its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the most modern plane in its fleet.
68. 2016: Avianca inaugurated its MRO center (Maintenance, Repair and Review) in Rionegro.
69. 2019: Avianca Holdings exceeded 30 million passengers per year for the first time in its history.
70. 2019: Avianca transported Pope Francis from Panama to Rome.
71. 2019: Avianca presented a new fare model for domestic flights.
72. 2019: Avianca inaugurated its Day Care operation in Bogotá, thanks to its alliance with Compensar.
73. 2019: Avianca celebrated its centenary: a century of history in aviation.
74. 2021: Avianca revealed an aircraft with an external design inspired by the Disney movie Encanto.
75. 2021: Avianca became the first airline in South America to launch the IATA Travel Pass.
76. 2021: Avianca and its app showed their commitment to improving the digital experience and self-service for travelers.
77. 2022: Avianca and the United Kingdom Embassy in Colombia celebrated the launch of the first visa-free flight to London.
78. 2022: Avianca announced its expansion to Manaus, Belo Horizonte and Boston, and the launch of four new routes for sale.
79. 2023: Avianca launched the “EVERYONE GIVING EVERYTHING” campaign, in recognition of his 12.000 collaborators, and presented operational and service results.
80. 2023: Moody's raised Avianca's credit rating from B3 to B2 due to the solid execution of its business plan.
81. 2023: Avianca made the largest investment in its history in Colombia: USD 473 million to continue connecting regions.
82. 2023: “Heaven belongs to everyone”: Avianca unveiled its new brand and the results of its reinvention.
83. 2023: For the first time in its history, Avianca graduated its first class of pilots composed entirely of women and launched a scholarship program for female pilots in Colombia.
84. 2023: Avianca resumed operations on the Bogotá-Caracas route.
85. 2023: Avianca boosted business growth by exhibiting three Colombian brands at 36.000 feet tall.
86. 2023: Avianca and Ernesto Cortissoz Airport celebrated passenger number 3 million a year.
87. 2024: Avianca was recognized as the most punctual airline in the world in 2023.
88. 2024: Colombia celebrated a historical record by receiving its number tourist 5,5 millions, who was transported by Avianca.
89. 2024: Colombia and Canada come closer with Avianca's announcement of the sale of tickets for the new Bogotá-Montreal route.
90. 2024: Avianca was recognized by the Carbon Disclosure Project for its transparency and environmental commitment.
91. 2024: more than 40% of the Avianca team are women, more than 400 in leadership positions.
92. 2024: Avianca reduced CO2 emissions per passenger transported on a 26% compared to its operations 2019.
93. 2024: Avianca announced new routes that connect Medellín with Buenos Aires, Santiago and Lima.
94. 2024: Avianca became the official airline of the Colombian Olympic Committees, Ecuador and El Salvador.
95. 2024: Latin America approaches Europe with the new direct Avianca Bogotá-Paris route.
96. 2024: Avianca presented a plane with a new image in honor of the Colombian Olympic Committees, Ecuador and El Salvador.
97. 2024: Avianca renews its Business Class experience for flights to Europe and America.
98. 2024: Avianca returns to Cuba with a direct route from Bogotá.
99. 2024: Avianca implements more than 30 actions to improve accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
100. 2024: Avianca and WCS extend their alliance, promoting biodiversity conservation in Latin America with a new commemorative design.
101. 2024: Avianca announces a new direct route from Bogotá to Chicago.
102. 2024: Proudly Colombian: Avianca became ambassador of “Country Brand”.
103. 2024: Avianca celebrated 10 years of its direct Bogotá-London route.
104. 2024: Avianca announced a new route that will connect Medellín with Panama City.
105. 2024: Avianca joined as an airline partner of COP16.

What do you think of Avianca in its 105 years and what do they expect for the following years with this airline?

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