AviancaTaca Holding (Bogota) has signed a contract for the purchase of 15 ATR 72-600s, plus options for 15 additional aircraft. The deal, including the options, is valued at close to $700 million. Avianca and Taca recently made its final choice after an exhaustive evaluation of all the competing alternatives, opting for the ATR 72-600 to provide the best overall solution. The deliveries of the firm aircraft will start in June 2013.
AviancaTaca is one of the largest and fastest growing aviation groups in Latin America. It currently operates a combined fleet of more than 150 aircraft, the second largest fleet in Latin America. The group serves more than 100 destinations in Latin America, US, Canada, Caribbean region and Europe, and has 4 major hubs in Bogota, San Salvador, Lima and San José de Costa Rica.
With the introduction of their fleet of 15 brand new 70-seat ATR 72-600, AviancaTaca will progressively replace their Fokker 50s and ATR 42s currently in operation. Avianca will fly the new ATR 72-600s to destinations like Barrancabermeja, Florencia, Manizales, Neiva, Pasto, Popayán, Tumaco and Yopal, in Colombia. Taca will fly the aircraft to Guatemala city and Flores (Guatemala), Tegucigalpa, Roatán and San Pedro Sula (Honduras), San Salvador (El Salvador), Managua (Nicaragua), and San José and Liberia (Costa Rica).
The new aircraft will be painted in Avianca’s colors as the TACA brand is being retired. The new holding company issued this statement back in October:
The new Avianca brand will officially be launched in the first half of 2013.
After rigorous market research and business analysis carried out with Lippincott – a world recognized marketing firm – Avianca was selected to be the brand for the airlines that today comprise AviancaTaca Holding S.A.
According to the results of the studies, the history, positioning and brand equity of Avianca make it the best choice to expand and commercialize the products and services of all the airlines integrated in AviancaTaca Holding S.A.
From its official launch in 2013, the Avianca brand will be adopted as the commercial name for: Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. Avianca and Tampa Cargo S.A., incorporated in Colombia, Aerolíneas Galápagos Aerogal S.A., incorporated in Ecuador and the airlines of the TACA Group: TACA Internacional Airlines S.A. incorporated in El Salvador, Líneas Aéreas Costarricences S.A. LACSA, incorporated in Costa Rica, Transamerican Airlines S.A. (TACA Peru) incorporated in Peru and Aviateca S.A., incorporated in Guatemala.
The companies will retain their legal name and add the trading name Avianca in their respective territory of incorporation. The airlines will maintain their respective legal and labor structures. The brand Avianca will be used in communication with clients and marketing in all the territories where the airlines operate.
Filed under: Avianca, AviancaTaca Tagged: Avianca, AviancaTaca, aviation, transportation
