Avianca Cargo (Tampa Cargo) (Avianca Cargo (Tampa Cargo))

    Avianca Cargo

    IATA ICAO Callsign
    QT TPA TAMPA
    Founded March 11, 1973; 51 years ago (as Tampa Cargo)
    Commenced operations May 28, 2013; 11 years ago (as Avianca Cargo)
    Hubs Bogotá
    Secondary hubs
    • Medellin–JMC
    • Miami
    Subsidiaries AeroUnion
    Fleet size 7
    Destinations 25
    Parent company Avianca Group
    Headquarters Medellin, Colombia
    Key people Gabriel Oliva (CEO)
    Founder
    • Luis H. Coulson
    • Capt. Juan Fernando Mesa
    • Capt. Orlando Botero Escobar
    • Capt. Anibal Obando Echeverri
    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.

    History

    A Tampa Cargo Douglas DC-6A at Miami International Airport in 1975

    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.

    Destinations

    A Tampa Cargo Boeing 707-320C at Miami International Airport in 1992

    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

    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
    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

    Fleet

    Current

    An Avianca Cargo Airbus A330-200F approaching Toulouse–Blagnac Airport in 2013

    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 fleet
    Aircraft In service Orders Notes
    Airbus A330-200F 6
    Airbus A330-200P2F 2 To be converted from 2024 to 2025.
    Airbus A330-300P2F 1 1
    Total 7 3

    Former

    The airline previously operated the following aircraft:

    Avianca Cargo former fleet
    Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
    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

    Accidents and incidents

    • On December 14, 1983, a Boeing 707-320C (registered HK-2401X) crashed into a factory after taking off from Medellin's Olaya Herrera Airport. The cause of the accident was a failure of engines 3 and 4 by foreign objects during the initial ascent. All 3 crew members on board died, plus 22 on the ground.

    The DC-8-63F, HK-3490X, returning to Miami International Airport after its cargo door opened

    The DC-8-63F, HK-3490X, returning to Miami International Airport after its cargo door opened

    • On July 14, 1989, a Douglas DC-8-63F (registered HK-3490X) took off from Miami International Airport, when the main cargo door opened shortly after. The aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely.
    • On October 9, 1994, a Boeing 707-320C (registered HK-3355X) was flying from S?o Paulo to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. When climbing, the second hydraulic pump light of the engine 3 illuminated. The leak couldn't be stopped and the aircraft returned to S?o Paulo. The nosegear didn't extend and the main gear didn't lock down and the aircraft slid during the emergency landing. None of the 5 occupants on board were killed.
    • On February 4, 2007, a Douglas DC-8-71F (registered HK-4277), operating a cargo flight to Miami, veered to the right during landing approach. The pilot thought it may have been due to a crosswind, but he soon realized that the right main landing gear had collapsed. The NTSB post-accident investigation later determined that the aircraft's landing gear had collapsed due to improper torque of a landing gear lockbolt by company maintenance personnel during landing gear installation. None of the 3 occupants on board were killed, while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.


    Medellín Airline

    Two alphabet codeQT
    Three alphabet codeTPA
    Call lettersTAMPA
    Country and regionColombia
    Fleet quantity6
    Number of destination cities opened30
    Website www.aviancacargo.com
    Phone number+57 4 5699200
    Headquarters addressZona de carga Aeropuerto Jose Maria Cordoba, Rionegro,Medellín, Colombia