Grupo TACA Information & Grupo TACA Links at HealthHaven.com

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 (Chairman)
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.

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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

[edit] 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."^{[citation needed]}. 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.

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.

[edit] 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 and Havana.

LIM-GUA/ LIM-SAL/ LIM-SJO/ LIM-HAV/ LIM-BOG/ LIM-MDE/ LIM-CCS/ LIM-UIO/ LIM-GYE/ LIM-CUZ/ LIM-GIG/ 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/

[edit] 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.

[edit] Fleet

The TACA fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 19 March 2009):^[6]

Aircraft	Total	Passengers (Clase Ejecutiva/Economic)	Routes
Airbus A319-100	9 (4 orders)	124 (12/112)	Medium Haul
Airbus A320-200	25 (9 orders)	154 (12/142)	Medium Haul
Airbus A321-200	5	194 (12/182)	Medium-Long Haul
Embraer 190	7 (4 orders) (15 options)	96 (8/88)	Central America,Mexico,Caribbean,Houston,Dallas, Miami & Orlando

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. ^[7]

[edit] 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 ^[8]
Douglas DC-4
Lockheed 18 Lodestar (The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society has preserved one of TACA's Lockheeds^[9])
Vickers Viscount 768
BAC One-Eleven
Boeing 737
Boeing 767-200ER
Boeing 767-300ER
Metal Aircraft Flamingo^[10]

[edit] 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:

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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.^[11]

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 inflight encounter with an area of very heavy rain and hail. The design of the engines and FAA water ingestion certification standards did not take account of the waterfall rates that can be expected in moderate or higher intensity 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.^[12]

[edit] References

^ "Latin American airlines to merge". BBC Online (BBC): pp. 1. 2009-10-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8296256.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
^ http://www.poder360.com/dailynews_detail.php?blurbid=4034
^ http://www.laprensagrafica.com/economia/internacional/69906-la-fusion-avianca-taca-aerogal-puede-generar-planes-similares-en-america-latina.html
^ Map of routes - TACA.COM
^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. 504.
^ TACA Fleet
^ TACA Fleet Age
^ Smithsonian
^ Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society
^ Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society & Museum Shows a photo inside the Metal Aircraft Factory in Cincinnati
^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19590305-0. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
^ "Plane skids off runway in Honduras, 5 dead". Reuters. May 30, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3029714820080530. Retrieved 2008-05-30.

[edit] External links

[BBC_2009-10-09-0] "Latin American airlines to merge". BBC Online (BBC): pp. 1. 2009-10-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8296256.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-08.

[1] ttp://www.poder360.com/dailynews_detail.php?blurbid=4034

[2] ttp://www.laprensagrafica.com/economia/internacional/69906-la-fusion-avianca-taca-aerogal-puede-generar-planes-similares-en-america-latina.html

[3] Map of routes - TACA.COM

[4] World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. 504.

[5] TACA Fleet

[6] TACA Fleet Age

[7] Smithsonian

[8] Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society

[9] Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society & Museum Shows a photo inside the Metal Aircraft Factory in Cincinnati

[ASN050359-10] "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19590305-0. Retrieved 11 September 2009.

[11] "Plane skids off runway in Honduras, 5 dead". Reuters. May 30, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3029714820080530. Retrieved 2008-05-30.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

Contents