SATENA

Airline of Colombia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SATENA (Spanish acronym of Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales) is a Colombian airline based in Bogotá, Colombia.[1][2][3][4] It is majority-owned by the Government of Colombia which operates it to provide connectivity to less connected areas of the country.

Quick Facts IATA, ICAO ...
SATENA
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IATA ICAO Call sign
9R NSE SATENA
FoundedApril 12, 1962; 62 years ago (1962-04-12)
HubsEl Dorado International Airport
Secondary hubsOlaya Herrera Airport
Fleet size15
Destinations54
Parent companyColombian Air Force
HeadquartersEl Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia
Key peopleBrigadier General Óscar Zuluaga Castaño
FounderAlberto Lleras Camargo
Websitewww.satena.com
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Its main hub is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. It also maintains a secondary hub at Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín.

History

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A former SATENA Dornier 328 at El Dorado International Airport in 2009
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A former SATENA Embraer ERJ-170 at La Vanguardia Airport in 2012

SATENA was first established on April 12, 1962, by the President of the Republic, Alberto Lleras Camargo, who created the airline using Decree 940 in order.

"to form an aerial transport service for the benefit of the underdeveloped regions of the country, with the object of promoting the welfare of educational campaigns, agricultural and pastoral development, and the economic and social progress of such territories."

To achieve this under government auspices, the airline was then entrusted to the control of the Colombian Air Force, initiating its first operations with the routes Bogotá - Leticia and LeticiaTarapacáEl EncantoPuerto Leguízamo. The Government equipped the company with one C-54, two C-47, two Beaver L-20, and later added two PBY Catalina amphibious, the property of the Rotary Fund of the Colombian Air Force. Later, in 1964, it added three additional C-47 and two more C-54 aircraft, all of them donated by the United States International Development Agency.

In 1965, SATENA, in coordination with the Bank of Bogotá, began a new service named AeroBanco, which was created to facilitate air travel to other areas largely or completely inaccessible by road. Due to great success in the areas served by the airline, President Carlos Lleras Restrepo put into effect Law 80 of December 12, 1968, where it was decreed that SATENA would be treated as a public establishment, with all legal functions controlled by the Ministry of National Defence.

In 1972, SATENA acquired newer British-Built AVRO HS-748 turboprops capable of carrying 48 passengers. Between 1984 and 1985, the airline incorporated two Fokker F28 jet aircraft with the capacity to transport 65 passengers.

Since its creation, the airline has performed many public services on behalf of the Colombian people, having provided service during crises in the country's history, as was the case of the Huila and Cauca earthquake of June 6, 1994, when SATENA performed search and rescue operations, airlifted residents, as well as transporting needed medicines, foods and aid in general to the site of the tragedy.

In 1996, the largest modernization of the airline began, with the arrival of six Dornier 328s capable of carrying 32 passengers. These aircraft represent the new generation of equipment for regional routes.

In 2002, SATENA incorporated into its fleet one Embraer ERJ-145 with a capacity for 50 passengers which arrived to replace the departing Fokker F28, which was reaching its maximum airframe hours. In 2004, SATENA became the airline with the newest and most modern aerial fleet in Colombia, when it incorporated two new Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft, allowing it to perform faster and more efficient services to its most isolated destinations.

At the end of 2010, SATENA suffered a financial crisis, consisting of bank debts amounting to 120 billion pesos and losses totaling 25 billion pesos. Due to this, the National Government proposed a law that would allow the commercial airline to get out of said crisis and compete in the air transport market in the country. This law consists of capitalizing this company at 98 billion pesos, where 49% of the company's shares will be put up for sale in a democratic process and within two years, while the remaining 51% would continue in the hands of the state, something that was never done in the end.

On April 29, 2018, the airline moved all its routes to Terminal Puente Aéreo belonging to El Dorado International Airport, to facilitate the service to passengers on regional flights.[5]

Destinations

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SATENA operates to the following airports (as of December 2024):[6]

More information Country, City ...
Country City Airport Notes Refs
ColombiaAcandíAlcides Fernández Airport[7]
AguachicaHacaritama Airport
ApartadóAntonio Roldán Betancourt Airport
AraucaSantiago Pérez Quiroz Airport
Bahía SolanoJosé Celestino Mutis Airport
BarranquillaErnesto Cortissoz International Airport
BogotáEl Dorado International AirportHub
BucaramangaPalonegro International Airport
BuenaventuraGerardo Tobar López Airport
CaliAlfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport
CartagenaRafael Núñez International Airport[8]
CartagoSanta Ana Airport
CaucasiaJuan H. White Airport
CondotoMandinga Airport[7]
CorozalLas Brujas Airport
CúcutaCamilo Daza International Airport
El BagreEl Bagre Airport
FlorenciaGustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport
GirardotSantiago Vila Airport
GuapiGuapi Airport
IpialesSan Luis Airport
La ChorreraLa Chorrera Airport
La MacarenaLa Macarena Airport
La PedreraLa Pedrera Airport
LeticiaAlfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport
MedellínOlaya Herrera AirportHub
MitúFabio Alberto León Bentley Airport
MontelíbanoMontelíbano Airport
NuquíReyes Murillo Airport
PaipaJuan José Rondón Airport
PitalitoContador Airport
PopayánGuillermo León Valencia Airport
Providencia IslandEl Embrujo Airport
Puerto AsísTres de Mayo Airport
Puerto CarreñoGermán Olano Airport
Puerto IníridaCésar Gaviria Trujillo Airport
Puerto LeguízamoCaucayá Airport
QuibdóEl Caraño Airport
San AndrésGustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport
San José del GuaviareJorge Enrique González Torres Airport
San Vicente del CaguánEduardo Falla Solano Airport
Santa Cruz de MompoxSan Bernardo Airport[8]
SaravenaLos Colonizadores Airport
TameGabriel Vargas Santos Airport
TarapacáIpiranga Airport
TimbiquíTimbiqui Airport
TolúGolfo de Morrosquillo Airport
TumacoLa Florida Airport
VillagarzónVilla Garzón Airport
VillavicencioLa Vanguardia Airport
YopalEl Alcaraván Airport
Venezuela MaracaiboLa Chinita International Airport
ValenciaArturo Michelena International Airport[9]
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Fleet

Current fleet

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A SATENA Embraer ERJ-145 at El Dorado International Airport in 2014
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ATR 42-500 seen at Gustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport in Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia

As of December 2024, the SATENA fleet consists of the following aircraft:[10]

More information Aircraft, In service ...
SATENA fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers
(economy)
Notes
ATR 42-500 4 48
ATR 42-600 5 48
ATR 72-600 2 70
Embraer ERJ-145 3 50 One leased from SARPA
Viking DHC-6-400 Twin Otter 1 7[11] 19
Total 15 7
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Former fleet

SATENA had formerly operated the following aircraft:

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

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