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TACA

IATA TA ICAO TAI Callsign TACA
Founded	1931
Hubs	Comalapa Int'l Airport Juan Santamaría Int'l Airport Jorge Chávez Int'l Airport
Secondary hubs	La Aurora International Airport
Frequent flyer program	Distancia
Member lounge	Salones VIP
Alliance	All airlines in Synergy Group
Fleet size	46 (17 orders)
Destinations	42 destinations in 22 countries
Parent company	HOLDCO (Synergy Group)
Headquarters	San Salvador
Key people	Fabio Villegas (President), Roberto Kriete (Chairperson)
Website	http://www.taca.com

The headquarters of TACA in San Salvador

TACA as the trade name "brand" comprises a group of five independently IATA coded and owned Central American airlines, whose operations are combined to function as one and a number of other independently owned and IATA coded regional airlines which code-share and feed the TACA brand system. TACA, originally an acronym of Transportes Aéreos Centroamericanos (Central American Air Transport), it now stands for Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano (Air Transport of the American Continent), reflecting its expansion to North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. It flies to 39 destinations in 22 different countries. In 2009 TACA received three Skytrax World Airline Awards effectively crowning the airline as "Best Airline in Central America, Mexico and the Carribbean", "Best Crew in Central America, Mexico and the Carribbean", "Best Regional Airline in Central America, Mexico and the Carribbean".

The five airlines are:

• TACA International (TA) (El Salvador)
• Aviateca (GU) (Guatemala)

Regional (GU) - Formerly Inter, it operates under Aviateca's code.

• Lacsa (LR) (Costa Rica)

Lacsa is the only airline of the group that still operates international flights with its own flight numbers. Its hub is at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica.

SANSA (RZ)

• Islena Airlines (WC) Honduras.
• NICA (6Y) (Nicaragua) La Costeña
• TACA Perú (T0) (Peru) is now an important part of Grupo TACA.

Avianca-TACA-Aerogal

In October 2009 it was announced that TACA would merge with Colombian airline Avianca but they have said that each will maintain their own trademark for now. Avianca and TACA currently operate a combined fleet of 129 aircraft, serving over 100 destinations in the Americas and Europe.^[1] In December 2009 approval for the merger was given by the Colombian Civil Aeronautical Agency.^[2]

Ecuadorian airline Aerogal also announced its merger into Grupo TACA by the end of October 2009.^[3]

Service

Two Airbus aircraft from Grupo TACA at the Juan Santamaria International Airport. TACA operates at SJO one of its three major hubs.

SANSA aircraft at Juan Santamaría International Airport.

TACA has scheduled flights to some airports in the Western Hemisphere, but it also has charter flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Andrés, Colombia. Its three flight hubs or "Centros de Conexiones" are:^[4]

• TACA hub at Comalapa International Airport in San Salvador, El Salvador
• TACA Perú hub at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru
• Lacsa hub at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica.

TACA's headquarters are in San Salvador, El Salvador.^[5]

TACA's regional airlines system includes the following airlines:

• Aeroperlas
• Regional Operating under Aviateca's code
• Islena Airlines
• La Costeña
• SANSA

History

The former Grupo TACA logo

TACA was founded in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 1931 by New Zealander Lowell Yerex. TACA was once the "world's largest cargo carrier.". The idea of its founder was to establish one airline in each Latin-American country, such as Aerovias Brasil in Brazil and other TACAs in Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia.

In the 1980s TACA was owned by a United States company and had its corporate headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana.^[6] In 1985 the U.S. Supreme Court prevented TACA from moving the pilots' headquarters from New Orleans, Louisiana to San Salvador.^[7]

Between 1989 and 1995, following the original dream of its founder, TACA built a strategic alliance with the flag airlines of Guatemala (AVIATECA), Costa Rica (Lacsa), and Nicaragua (NICA), consolidating operations under the name of Grupo TACA. Panama's Copa Airlines used to be a member of Grupo TACA alliance, separating from it before consolidation.

Destinations

Main Article: TACA destinations, Lacsa destinations, TACA Perú destinations

Airbus from TACA Perú flying for Grupo TACA at Juan Santamaria International Airport, Costa Rica.

Embraer 190 from Lacsa flying for Grupo TACA at Juan Santamaria International Airport, Costa Rica.

TACA's new Embraer 190 with the new paint scheme.

TACA has a total of 50 destinations around the world and continues to grow.

The hub at Comalapa International Airport makes connections between all of Central America and North America (Los Angeles, San Francisco,Chicago, Washington, New York, Miami, Dallas, Toronto, Houston, Mexico City, Oakland [service discontinued]) as well as Lima, Perú. SAL-YYZ/ SAL-LAX/ SAL-SFO/ SAL-DFW/ SAL-MIA/ SAL-IAD/ SAL-JFK/ SAL-BOS/ SAL-BZE-IAH/ SAL-MEX/ SAL-GUA/ SAL-SAP/ SAL-TGU/ SAL-RTB/ SAL-MGA/ SAL-SJO/ SAL-PTY/ SAL-LIM/

• The Lacsa hub at Juan Santamaría International Airport is the focus of the Caribbean routes (Havana and Santo Domingo), South America (Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Lima), as well as three US cities (Los Angeles, New York and Miami) and all of Central America.

SJO-LAX/ SJO-MIA/ SJO-JFK/ SJO-MEX/ SJO-HAV/ SJO-SDQ/ SJO-GUA/ SJO-SAL/ SJO-SAP/ SJO-MGA/ SJO-PTY/ SJO-BOG/ SJO-UIO/ SJO-CCS/ SJO-GYE/ SJO-ADZ/ SJO-LIM/

• The hub at Jorge Chavez International Airport handles all connections to the South American routes and serves El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Havana and Santo Domingo, Dominican republic..

LIM-GUA/ LIM-SAL/ LIM-SJO/ LIM-HAV/ LIM-BOG/ LIM-MDE/ LIM-CCS/ LIM-UIO/ LIM-GYE/ LIM-CUZ/ LIM-GIG/ LIM-SDQ/ LIM-GRU/ LIM-LPB-VIV/ LIM-ASU/ LIM-MVD/ LIM-EZE/ LIM-SCL/

• TACA has developed a Secondary hub in La Aurora International Airport, serving North American Destinations (Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami), Central American Destinations (El Salvador, Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Managua, San Jose (CR)), Mexican Destinations (Cancun, Mexico City) and Serving also Lima, and Peru. Most of its flights are stop overs from either SAL or SJO.

GUA-ORD/ GUA-LAX/ GUA-MIA/ GUA-SAL/ GUA-FRS/ GUA-FRS-CUN/ GUA-MEX/ GUA-TGU/ GUA-SAP/ GUA-MGA/ GUA-SJO/

TACA's Evolution

On September 24, 2008, TACA Chairman and CEO Roberto Kriete introduced a new brand of identity by unveiling a new Airbus aircraft painted in TACA's new colour scheme. The event also included a fashion show featuring the new uniforms for TACA staff designed by internationally acclaimed Colombian designer Isabel Henao. As TACA and Avianca began the merger process, the airlines' president Fabio Villegas announced that they have created the biggest and most important airline in Latin America.

Fleet

The TACA fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 19 March 2009):^[8]

The average fleet age is 3.8 years old in September 2008. The A321s are used in the higher density routes including these destinations: San Salvador-Los Angeles, San Salvador-Miami, San Salvador-Washington, D.C., San Salvador-Guatemala City, San Salvador-Mexico City, Managua-Miami, San Jose-San Salvador, San Jose-Panama, San Jose-Bogotá, Lima-Caracas, Lima-Buenos Aires. ^[9]

Historic fleet

Taca has operated the following types:

• Stinson Reliant
• Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket ref>The Smithsonian keeps a photo of TACA's Bellanca </ref>
• Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor (The Smithsonian has preserved one of TACA's Fords ^[10]
• Douglas DC-4
• Lockheed 18 Lodestar (The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society has preserved one of TACA's Lockheeds^[11])
• Vickers Viscount 768
• BAC One-Eleven
• Airbus A300 (For Cargo Only)^[12]
• Boeing 737
• Boeing 767-200ER
• Boeing 767-300ER
• Metal Aircraft Flamingo^[13]

Reciprocal Frequent Flyer Agreements

Grupo TACA Office and Ticketing at Suite A in 5601 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston

Distancia is TACA's frequent flyer program. It also has a corporate incentive program called Avancia that can be converted 1-to-1 to "Distancia" miles.

In addition to earning miles on TACA and TACA Regional flights, Taca has partnerships with the following airlines:

• Aerosur
• Avianca
• Iberia Airlines
• Lufthansa[1]
• TAME
• United Airlines
• US Airways (Begins January 12th)

Joining of a Major "Airline Alliance"

TACA was not a part of a formal airline alliance prior to November 2008, although it did exchange frequent flyer incentives to other airlines customers prior to this.

In November 2008 the chief executive of TACA Roberto Kriete revealed on the ALTA airline leaders forum in Cancun that TACA has submitted an application to join the Star Alliance.[2]

Accidents and incidents

TACA Flight 510 Crash in Guatemala City, April 6, 1993

• On March 5, 1959, Vickers Viscount YS-09C crashed shortly after take-off from Managua Airport, Nicaragua when both port engines failed. Fifteen of the 19 people on board were killed.^[14]

• On May 24, 1988, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, Boeing 737-300: TACA Flight 110: A double engine flameout due to water ingestion, a result of an in-flight encounter with an area of very heavy rain and hail. The design of the engines and FAA water ingestion certification standards did not take into account the higher water volume of strong or severe thunderstorms. NTSB Report

• On April 6, 1993, Guatemala City, Guatemala, Boeing 767-200, TACA Flight 510, Overran the runway after not being able to brake on flooded landing field.

• On May 30, 2008, Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Airbus A320 EI-TAF: TACA Flight 390, from San Salvador overran a rain-soaked runway in approach to Tegucigalpa Airport. There were five fatalities, three of which were occupants.^[15]

References

External links

	El Salvador portal
	New Orleans portal
	Companies portal

• Grupo TACA
• TACA Regional
• Aeroman
• Tus Sentidos