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Founded | March 11, 1973; 51 years ago (as Tampa Cargo) | ||||||
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Commenced operations | May 28, 2013; 11 years ago (as Avianca Cargo) | ||||||
Hubs | Bogotá | ||||||
Secondary hubs |
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Subsidiaries | AeroUnion | ||||||
Fleet size | 7 | ||||||
Destinations | 25 | ||||||
Parent company | Avianca Group | ||||||
Headquarters | Medellin, Colombia | ||||||
Key people | Gabriel Oliva (CEO) | ||||||
Founder |
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Website | www.aviancacargo.com |
Avianca Cargo (formerly Tampa Cargo - Transportes Aereos Mercantiles PanAmericanos S.A.) is a cargo airline based at Jose Maria Córdova International Airport in Medellin, Colombia. It is an all-cargo airline transporting flowers from Latin America to Miami, as well as general cargo throughout the Americas.
A Tampa Cargo Douglas DC-6A at Miami International Airport in 1975
The airline was established on March 11, 1973, by Luis H. Coulson, Captain Juan Fernando Mesa, Captain Orlando Botero Escobar, and Captain Anibal Obando Echeverri. It commenced operations with a Douglas DC-6A, which formed part of the initial acquired fleet. These were retired in the early 1980s.
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-8s with the most modern technology of its time, including GPS positioning systems and CFM engines.
Martinair signed an agreement to acquire a 40% stake in Tampa Cargo in 1996, which was later increased to 58% in 2003.
On July 26, 2003, the company inaugurated its Maintenance Hangar in Rionegro-Antioquia, and the new route to Perú was placed in operation that same year. In September 2004, Tampa Cargo started its fleet renovation by incorporating the Boeing 767-200ER.
Avianca acquired a 100% stake in Tampa Cargo in July 2008.
On February 1, 2010, Tampa Cargo was advised that after concluding the regulatory approval and the approval of competencies required to concrete the union announced in October 2009, Synergy Group, 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 Holding. Then, the holding 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 A330-200Fs 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.
The airline was rebranded as Avianca Cargo on May 28, 2013.
A Tampa Cargo Boeing 707-320C at Miami International Airport in 1992
A Tampa Cargo Boeing 767-200ER/BDSF at the Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport in 2008
Avianca Cargo operates to the following destinations:
Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
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Argentina | Buenos Aires | Ministro Pistarini International Airport | ||
Barbados | Bridgetown | Grantley Adams International Airport | Terminated | |
Belgium | Brussels | Brussels Airport | Terminated | |
Brazil | Campinas | Viracopos International Airport | ||
Curitiba | Afonso Pena International Airport | |||
Florianópolis | Hercilio Luz International Airport | |||
Manaus | Eduardo Gomes International Airport | |||
Vitória | Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport | |||
Chile | Santiago | Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport | ||
Colombia | Barranquilla | Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport | ||
Bogotá | El Dorado International Airport | Hub | ||
Medellin | Jose Maria Córdova International Airport | Hub | ||
Costa Rica | San Jose | Juan Santamaria International Airport | ||
Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | Las Americas International Airport | ||
Ecuador | Guayaquil | Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport | ||
Quito | Mariscal Sucre International Airport | |||
El Salvador | San Salvador | El Salvador International Airport | ||
Guatemala | Guatemala City | La Aurora International Airport | ||
Mexico | Merida | Merida International Airport | Terminated | |
Mexico City | Mexico City International Airport | |||
Netherlands | Amsterdam | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | ||
Nicaragua | Managua | Augusto C. Sandino International Airport | ||
Panama | Panama City | Tocumen International Airport | ||
Paraguay | Asunción | Silvio Pettirossi International Airport | ||
Ciudad del Este | Guarani International Airport | |||
Peru | Lima | Jorge Chávez International Airport | ||
Puerto Rico | San Juan | Luis Mu?oz Marin International Airport | Terminated | |
Spain | Zaragoza | Zaragoza Airport | Terminated | |
United States | Dallas/Fort Worth | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | Terminated | |
Miami | Miami International Airport | Hub | ||
Uruguay | Montevideo | Carrasco International Airport | ||
Venezuela | Caracas | Simón Bolivar International Airport | Terminated | |
Valencia | Arturo Michelena International Airport | Terminated |
An Avianca Cargo Airbus A330-200F approaching Toulouse–Blagnac Airport in 2013
The Avianca Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft as of May 2024.
Avianca Cargo fleetAircraft | In service | Orders | Notes |
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Airbus A330-200F | 6 | — | |
Airbus A330-200P2F | — | 2 | To be converted from 2024 to 2025. |
Airbus A330-300P2F | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 7 | 3 |
The airline previously operated the following aircraft:
Avianca Cargo former fleetAircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
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Boeing 707-320C | 8 | 1979 | 1999 | |
Boeing 767-200ER/BDSF | 6 | 2004 | 2014 | |
Boeing 767-300ERF | 1 | 2011 | 2015 | Transferred to Air Japan |
Canadair CL-44 | 1 | 1985 | 1986 | |
Douglas DC-6A | 1 | 1975 | 1982 | |
Douglas DC-6B | 1 | 1973 | 1982 | |
Douglas DC-8-55CF | 1 | 1992 | 1992 | Leased from Agro Air |
Douglas DC-8-63F | 1 | 1989 | 1991 | |
Douglas DC-8-71F | 5 | 1992 | 2007 |
The DC-8-63F, HK-3490X, returning to Miami International Airport after its cargo door opened