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[[de:TACA]]
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[[es:Grupo TACA]]
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[[fr:Taca International Airlines]]
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[[ja:TACA航空]]
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Revision as of 19:13, 14 November 2010

TACA
Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano S.A.
File:TACA 2008 logo.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
TA TAI TACA
Founded1931
Hubs
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer programDistancia
AllianceStar Alliance website= http://www.taca.com
Fleet size47 (16 orders)
Destinations42 destinations in 22 countries
Parent companyAvianca-TACA Ltd.
HeadquartersSan Salvador
Key peopleFabio Villegas (President), Roberto Kriete (Chairperson)
The headquarters of TACA in San Salvador

TACA is the trade name "brand" comprising 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), 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 44 destinations in 22 different countries. In 2009 TACA received three Skytrax World Airline Awards crowning the airline as "Best Airline in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean", "Best Crew in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean", "Best Regional Airline in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean".

The five airlines are:

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

Avianca-TACA

In October 2009 it was announced that TACA would merge its assets in a strategic alliance with Colombian airline Avianca, in which case each will maintain their own trademark and operations. 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 Avianca-TACA by the end of October 2009.[3]

The Brazilian OceanAir will soon be incorporated to the alliance.

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 three flight hubs or "Centros de Conexiones":[4]

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

TACA's regional airlines system includes the following airlines:

History

File:TACA logo.svg
The former Grupo TACA logo before 2008

TACA was founded 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.[citation needed]Out of all the TACA franchise airlines created, only TACA International of El Salvador survived, and has now ventured in acquisitions and has helped launch airlines such as the Mexican Volaris and has 49% shares in TACA Peru.

Until 1980 TACA was owned by a United States company and had its corporate headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana (due to the civil war raging in El Salvador) in 1980 the Kriete Family of El Salvador who owned a minority stock completed buying all the shares. Today the headquarters returned to San Salvador, El Salvador to a new building which was inaugurated in 2008.

Between 1989 and 1995, TACA bought the majority shares of the flag airlines of Guatemala (AVIATECA), Costa Rica (Lacsa), and Nicaragua (NICA), consolidating operations under a new brand name, Grupo TACA. In 2008, Roberto Kriete and the board of directors decided to revert back to the original name; TACA International Airlines since the consolidation of the acquired airlines was completed.

Lacsa

Lacsa is the only airline of the merger that has current operations.Lacsa operates with its own aircraft, crew, service, and hubs. Its main hub is Juan Santamaría International Airport

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 (Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington), as well as Lima, Perú.

  • The Lacsa hub at Juan Santamaría International Airport is the focus of the Caribbean routes (Havana and Santo Domingo), South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela), as well as three US cities (Los Angeles, Miami and New York) and all of Central America.
  • The hub at Jorge Chavez International Airport handles all connections to the South American routes and serves Costa Rica, El Salvador, Havana and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  • TACA has developed a Secondary hub in La Aurora International Airport, serving North American Destinations (Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami), Central American Destinations (El Salvador, Managua, San Jose (CR), San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa), Mexican Destinations (Cancun, Mexico City) . Most of its flights connect in either SAL or 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 Colombian designer Isabel Henao.[citation needed]

SkyTrax

TACA Airlines won the Skytrax award in the following categories: [6]

2009

  • Best Airline Central America
  • Best Regional Airline
  • Best Cabin Staff Central America and the Caribbean

2010

  • Best Airline Central America
  • Best Regional Airline
  • Best Cabin Staff Central America and the Caribbean

Fleet

The TACA fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 16 August 2010):[7][8][9]


Aircraft Total Orders Options Passengers Leases[10] Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A319-100 11 4 — 12 108 120 3 to TACA Peru
2 to Grupo TACA
2 to Volaris
Airbus A320-200 16 9 — 12 138 150 5 to Grupo TACA
1 to TACA Peru
2 operated for Cubana
Airbus A321-200 5 — — 12 182 194 2 to Grupo TACA
1 to TACA Peru
Airbus A330-243 — 2 — 30 222 252
Embraer 190 9 4 15 8 88 96 4 to Grupo TACA

The A330's are expected to have the same configuration as Avianca's.

The average fleet age is 4.3 years old in August 2010. 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.[11]

Historic fleet

Taca has operated the following types:

Reciprocal Frequent Flyer Agreements

Grupo TACA Office and Ticketing on Bellaire Boulevard in the Gulfton area of Houston, Texas. United States

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:

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]

On Wednesday November 10, 2010 it was announced that TACA Airlines along with Avianca Airlines together part of Avianca-TACA Ltd. had chosen to join the Star Alliance. Both to be accepted in the year 2012.

Accidents and incidents

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

References

  1. ^ "Latin American airlines to merge". BBC Online. BBC. 2009-10-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-10-08. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ http://www.poder360.com/dailynews_detail.php?blurbid=4034
  3. ^ http://www.laprensagrafica.com/economia/internacional/69906-la-fusion-avianca-taca-aerogal-puede-generar-planes-similares-en-america-latina.html
  4. ^ Map of routes - TACA.COM
  5. ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. 504.
  6. ^ http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards-2010/camerica.htm
  7. ^ TACA Official Fleet page
  8. ^ TACA Fleet at Planespotters.net
  9. ^ TACA Fleet
  10. ^ Lease Information from CH-Aviation.ch
  11. ^ TACA Fleet Age
  12. ^ Smithsonian
  13. ^ Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society
  14. ^ Airliners.net
  15. ^ Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society & Museum Shows a photo inside the Metal Aircraft Factory in Cincinnati
  16. ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  17. ^ "Plane skids off runway in Honduras, 5 dead". Reuters. May 30, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grupo TACA.
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