Avianca Cargo
Avianca Cargo (formerly Tampa Cargo-Transportes Aereos Mercantiles PanAmericanos S.A.) is a cargo airline based at José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín, Colombia. It is an all-cargo airline transporting flowers from Latin America to Miami, as well as general cargo throughout the Americas.
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Founded | March 11, 1973 (as Tampa Cargo) | ||||||
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Hubs | José María Córdova International Airport | ||||||
Secondary hubs | Miami International Airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport | ||||||
Alliance | Martinair | ||||||
Fleet size | 6[1] | ||||||
Destinations | 18 | ||||||
Parent company | Avianca Holdings | ||||||
Headquarters | Medellín, Colombia | ||||||
Key people | Kurt Schosinsky, Managing Director; Carlos Arango, Commercial Director; Ivan Galindo, Operations Director Santiago Martinez, Flight Operations Director; Leonardo Carrillo, Optimization and Revenue Management Director | ||||||
Website | www.aviancacargo.com |
History
![](../I/Douglas_DC-6A_HK-1776_Tampa_Col_MIA_04.10.75_edited-2.jpg.webp)
The airline was established in March 11, 1973 by Luís H. Coulson along with Captain Juan Fernando Mesa, Captain Orlando Botero Escobar and Captain Anibal Obando Echeverri. It commenced operations with a Douglas DC-6A piston-engine aircraft formed part of the initial fleet that was acquired. These were retired in the early 1980s.[2]
After overcoming several crises due to drug trafficking problems in one of its aircraft, in 1988 Tampa Cargo decided to renew its fleet by bringing Douglas DC-8-70s with the most modern technology of its time, including GPS positioning systems and CFM engines.
Martinair of the Netherlands acquired a 40% stake in Tampa Cargo in 1996.
On July 26, 2003 the Company inaugurated its Maintenance Hangar in Rionegro-Antioquia and the new route to Peru was placed in operation that same year. In September 2004 Tampa Cargo started its fleet renovation by incorporating four Boeing 767-200ER charter aircraft.
Avianca acquired a 100% stake in Tampa Cargo in 2008.
On February 1, 2010 Tampa Cargo was advised that, after concluding the regulatory approval and the approval of competences required to concrete the union announced in October 2009, Synergy Aerospace, the owner of Avianca, and Kingsland Holding Limited, the owner of Grupo TACA, signed the Agreement through which the closing that started up the strategic union of their businesses was made official, and that the name of the strategic union was AviancaTaca. Then the AviancaTaca Group created the Cargo Vice-Presidency to which Tampa Cargo and its cargo aircraft fleet belong, naming Tampa Cargo the administrator of the Avianca and Taca commercial aircraft capacity.
On September 27, 2011, Avianca ordered four Airbus A330-200F aircraft to replace the existing Tampa Cargo fleet, with deliveries to commence in December 2012. This made Tampa Cargo the first A330F operator in Latin America.[3]
The airline was re-branded as Avianca Cargo in May 28, 2013.[4]
Organizational Structure
- Kurt Schosinsky Echeverría - Director General of Cargo.
- Carlos Andrés Arango - Regional Sales Director.
- Ruben Atehortua Sandoval - Director of Cargo Operations (DOC).
- Leonardo Carrillo - Director of Income Optimization.
- Santiago Martínez - Director of Flight Operations (DOV).
Destinations
![](../I/Boeing_707-324C%252C_Tampa_Colombia_AN0195823.jpg.webp)
Avianca Cargo operates to the following destinations:
Fleet
Current Fleet
![](../I/Tampa_Cargo_Boeing_767-200%253B_N769QT%2540UIO%253B24.06.2008_516ax_(4320724638).jpg.webp)
![](../I/Airbus_A330-243F%252C_Avianca_Cargo_JP7680659.jpg.webp)
The Avianca Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft as of May 2020.[6][7]
Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Airbus A330-200F | 6 | — | [8] |
Total | 6 | — | |
Former Fleet
The airline previously operated the following aircraft:[9]
Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Boeing 707-320C | 1979 | Unknown | |
Boeing 767-200ER/BDSF | 2004 | 2014 | |
Boeing 767-300ERF | 2011 | 2015 | Transferred to Air Japan |
Canadair CL-44 | 1988 | Unknown | |
Douglas DC-6A | 1973 | Unknown | |
Douglas DC-8-50CF | 1992 | 1992 | Leased from Agro Air |
Douglas DC-8-60F | 1989 | 1991 | |
Douglas DC-8-70F | 1992 | 2007 |
Accidents and Incidents
- On the afternoon of December 14, 1983, a Tampa Cargo Boeing 707-300C (with registration HK-2401X), crashed into a factory after taking off from Medellín's Olaya Herrera Airport. The cause of the accident was a failure on engines 3 and 4 by foreign objects during the initial ascent. All 3 crew members on board died, plus 22 on the ground.
References
- http://www.aviancacargo.com/esp/com/fleet.aspx
- Eastwood, 2007, p. 302
- The news at Airbus
- "TAMPA Cargo now renamed to Avianca Cargo". www.ch-aviation.com. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
- "Avianca Cargo adds Brussels freighter flights". www.aircargonews.net. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
- "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 12.
- "Avianca Cargo Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- The news at Airbus
- "TAMPA Cargo Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved October 28, 2020.