SJOtoLIR wrote:

yellowtail wrote:

No it is not. It is on the EMB 110.

So, the information displayed into the Wikipedia page on TAG is wrong.
Was it ever served on the ERJ-145 ?

Nop never flown on ERJ-145 not even SAAB S340 just EMB-110

Juanchito

Well the TAG 145 and Saabb 340 have been to BZE (the latter a few times and the former once), but these were charters for lindblat cruises BZE FRS.
The E110 is the aircraft scheduled for the regular flight

SJOtoLIR wrote:

yellowtail wrote:

No it is not. It is on the EMB 110.

So, the information displayed into the Wikipedia page on TAG is wrong.
Was it ever served on the ERJ-145 ?

It's served on an EMB-110, not even on a SAAB 250. The ERJ is currently just used for now to show off that they got a jet, on one scheduled flight to FRS, and a few carters.

aer wrote:

SJOtoLIR wrote:

yellowtail wrote:

No it is not. It is on the EMB 110.

So, the information displayed into the Wikipedia page on TAG is wrong.
Was it ever served on the ERJ-145 ?

It's served on an EMB-110, not even on a SAAB 250. The ERJ is currently just used for now to show off that they got a jet, on one scheduled flight to FRS, and a few carters.

The ERJ145 is flying 2 daily flights to FRS and 3 weekly flights to ILS-RTB.
TAG deploys airplanes depending how many passengers they have.

Juanchito

Just returned from Panama. If any of y'all know people who work at CM, please send them a shoutout from me for their great service. Only issues: a 45 minute delay on my return tonight. I suspect they must have had IT problems, because the luggage tag and my boarding pass were written by hand (and the guy wrote a wrong date on the boarding pass) and they had to check everyone by hand during boarding because the scanners didn't work. The boarding pass was fixed by the servicedesk at the lounge, who printed me a new boarding pass. Only the luggage gave me concerns because it was missing the priority tags on the return (not to mention the handwritten tag), but it all eventually worked out just fine. I was irked at their problems, but the staff did their hardest to make things right. My first (and probably only) business class experience was great.

Waiting for my luggage at SJO took longer than the immigration and customs checks at SJO and PTY combined though. Then again, immigration was pretty much deserted, so we all breezed through immigration and reached the belts in less than 5 minutes after deplaning.

LTU932 wrote:

Waiting for my luggage at SJO took longer than the immigration and customs checks at SJO and PTY combined though. Then again, immigration was pretty much deserted, so we all breezed through immigration and reached the belts in less than 5 minutes after deplaning.

In my experience luggage delivery in SJO is taking ages now, at all hours of the day. I've had to wait +30 for my bag after a flight from PTY arriving @10pm with CM. Almost had to wait longer for the luggage than the flight and had similar experiences arriving from BOG (just past midnight AV) and MEX (just past midday 4O)

Avianca will start the following flights. They will start on August 2018

SJO-GUA-MCO 3 Weekly
SAL-MCO 4 Weekly
SA-BOS 4 Weekly
LIM-MCO 7 Weekly

SAL BOS is a complete shock....they must be hoping for lots of connections. Can't think the O&D will be that large

yellowtail wrote:

SAL BOS is a complete shock....they must be hoping for lots of connections. Can't think the O&D will be that large

If AV was looking for SAL O/D then probably SAL-RDU would have made more sense. However for GUA, then GUA-PVD would have been good, for the O/D demand.

Actually, there is a large Salvadorean community in the BOS area. So I think the BOS-SAL flight is going be be a success.

Interesting that "suddenly" so many Central American airlines want to fly to BOS. What changed the last 5 years??

SAL-BOS is loaded: 4 weekly Sun/Mon/Wed/Fri on Airbus A319/A320 mix starts on August 17th.

BOS-SAL 16:05-19:18
SAL-BOS 08:00-14:50

The connections are very tight in SAL for this flight but connects to the larger cities of Central America and MDE/BOG/LIM. It does complement the BOS-BOG flight as well. I though it would be three weekly and a red-eye depature from BOS similar to BOS-BOG.

Kilgen wrote:

Actually, there is a large Salvadorean community in the BOS area. So I think the BOS-SAL flight is going be be a success.

Large Central American Community in greater Boston in general.

2travel2know2 wrote:

yellowtail wrote:

SAL BOS is a complete shock....they must be hoping for lots of connections. Can't think the O&D will be that large

If AV was looking for SAL O/D then probably SAL-RDU would have made more sense. However for GUA, then GUA-PVD would have been good, for the O/D demand.

If >75% of the Central American population of Greater Boston lived South of Boston then PVD would make sense but there's a large share North of the city. Also, AV being a full service carrier needs the business traffic too.

San Salvador - Boston.
AV BOG-BOS 4x weekly just started in 2017.
Furthermore, CM and AV actually have a huge participation in both Washington D.C. and New York City area. That being said, Boston seems to be within their logical expansion plans.
It's noteworthy how CM PTY-BOS commenced in 2013 as 7x weekly and now they're supplying up to 11 weekly flights.
The former Taca already flew to Boston the past decade, if I recall correctly.


San Salvador - Guatemala City - Orlando.
We have to pay attention at the layover in Guatemala City as AV usually tends to deploy these routes from SAL. The extinct TA SAL-GUA-ORD was dropped, in favor of TA SAL-ORD as nonstop.
AV BOG-MCO is active and the openening of both AV SAL-GUA-MCO 3x weekly and AV LIM-MCO 7x weekly are complementing such service.
AV LIM-MCO 7x weekly will face to LP SCL-LIM-MCO 7x weekly and the layover at LIM will funnel passengers from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile through LIM on AV.




Special quote: We'll keep this thread active as it's not necessary to finish it once the 200 mark has been surpassed. We might open a new forum for the second half of the year and named as Central American aviation thead 2018 - (2nd part). Suggestions are more than welcome !

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

San Salvador - Boston.
The former Taca already flew to Boston the past decade.

Source: Explore. TACA magazine. September 2006.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

San Salvador - Boston.
AV BOG-BOS 4x weekly just started in 2017.

It's noteworthy how CM PTY-BOS commenced in 2013 as 7x weekly and now they're supplying up to 11 weekly flights.
The former Taca already flew to Boston the past decade, if I recall correctly.

In the Boston thread we've noted that previously lighter months for CM such as October were strong in 2017. Even though its a bit out of the way, GUA was one of the top 5 connecting destinations through PTY too. I think the other 4 were BOG/MDE/LIM/SJO.

Did the Taca flight continue on to either SJO or GUA?

adamh8297 wrote:

Did the Taca flight continue on to either SJO or GUA?

I don't think so, in terms either of the same plane or the same flight number.
However, TA BOS-SAL could have easily transferred passengers to other stations such as GUA and SJO, once at SAL.
In my view, connections through PTY is the key for the sucess of CM PTY-BOS 11x weekly.

Regards.

Flight is SJO-GUA-MCO not SAL

SJOtoLIR wrote:

San Salvador - Guatemala City - Orlando.
We have to pay attention at the layover in Guatemala City as AV usually tends to deploy these routes from SAL. The extinct TA SAL-GUA-ORD was dropped, in favor of TA SAL-ORD as nonstop.
AV BOG-MCO is active and the openening of both AV SAL-GUA-MCO 3x weekly and AV LIM-MCO 7x weekly are complementing such service.
AV LIM-MCO 7x weekly will face to LP SCL-LIM-MCO 7x weekly and the layover at LIM will funnel passengers from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile through LIM on AV.

No please, just one per year

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Special quote: We'll keep this thread active as it's not necessary to finish it once the 200 mark has been surpassed. We might open a new forum for the second half of the year and named as Central American aviation thead 2018 - (2nd part). Suggestions are more than welcome !

Regards.

juanchito wrote:

Flight is SJO-GUA-MCO not SAL

It smells like a flight entirely operated by LACSA on behalf of AV.
It makes a resemblance to AV SJO-GUA-LAX 7x weekly. That flight is also marketed by LACSA with Costa Rican crew.
Passengers into the SJO-LAX sector usually stay on board during the layover in Guatemala City. I think this situation is not posible if the stopover would be at SAL instead.
Back to the former point, AV SAL-MCO will have their own route as pointing out above.

Regards.

Any news on how the current situation is affecting travel to Nicaragua? Since companies like Ticabus and Transnica had to suspend coach service to Nicaragua (in the case of both, it also affects destinations in the rest of northern Central America), the question is whether AV and CM are considering reducing service or even temporarily increasing service for those stuck with their cancelled Ticabus/Transnica tickets (at least for those who get a refund and can afford to rebook from coach to air travel). I recall during the riots after the Presidential elections in Honduras, there was an impact on air travel as well.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

LATAM [LIM-SJO] operated by Lan Peru división.

April 2018: LP LIM-SJO 4x weekly operates with a mix of 321/320/319 aircraft.




.

LTU932 wrote:

Any news on how the current situation is affecting travel to Nicaragua?

April 24, 2018. I've just checked the status at MGA and their operations are running normally.
Source: flightstats.com

Regards.

LTU932 wrote:

Any news on how the current situation is affecting travel to Nicaragua? Since companies like Ticabus and Transnica had to suspend coach service to Nicaragua (in the case of both, it also affects destinations in the rest of northern Central America), the question is whether AV and CM are considering reducing service or even temporarily increasing service for those stuck with their cancelled Ticabus/Transnica tickets (at least for those who get a refund and can afford to rebook from coach to air travel). I recall during the riots after the Presidential elections in Honduras, there was an impact on air travel as well.

I flew SAL-SJO yesterday (April 23rd) and flights to Managua seamed to be running normal. While I was at the airport the MIA-MGA-SAL flight arrived, and another flight to MGA departed.

Flashback.

NICA was one of the former airlines from GRUPO TACA.
The Nicaraguan airline had its own identity almost 25 years ago.
NICA basically operated a Boeing 737-200 and registered as N501NG from 1992 till 2004.
They ceased operations under its commercial brand and merged with the Salvadoran airline.
IATA code: 6Y.
Commercial name: NICA. Spanish acronymus of Nicaragüense de Aviación.




Own livery.
December 1992.





GRUPO TACA paint-scheme.
January 2001.




Regards.

Aeronica also had somo Russian airliners on their fleet.
I think they where TU-154

juanchito wrote:

Aeronica also had somo Russian airliners on their fleet.
I think they where TU-154

AeroNica came after LaNica.
As I remember Grupo Taca's Nica flew at least daily MGA-MIA-MGA and perhaps 1-2 other routes with its own B737. It also operated domestic flights.
Can't confirm if when Grupo Taca's Aviateca, Nica and AeroPerlas stopped operations its airline operation licenses in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama were kept effective.

2travel2know2 wrote:

AeroNica came after LaNica.

1945 - 1981: Lanica
1981 - 1992: Aeronica
1994 - 2004: Nica
From 2004 NICA merged definitely into GRUPO TACA, being currently named as Avianca Central America.
The main route was 6Y MGA-MIA. The dedicated AV MIA-MGA is still in service.

Regards.

juanchito wrote:

Aeronica also had somo Russian airliners on their fleet.
I think they where TU-154

Taken from the database.


Tupolev TU-154





Antonov An-26





Antonov An-32





Boeing 707





Boeing 720





Boeing 727





Douglas DC-6





Aviocar C-212





Douglas C-47

Regards.

Proposed schedule on AV SJO-GUA-MCO 3x weekly.

AV 619.....GUA 09.18 - 14.13 MCO....Tu, Th, Sa....319
AV 618.....MCO 18.45 - 19.50 GUA....Tu, Th, Sa....319
Effective: August 02nd.

No info yet for the SJO-GUA segment.
It will be marketed by LACSA.
AV LIM-MCO 7x weekly with 319 is due to start on August 01st.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Proposed schedule on AV SJO-GUA-MCO 3x weekly.

AV 619.....GUA 09.18 - 14.13 MCO....Tu, Th, Sa....319
AV 618.....MCO 18.45 - 19.50 GUA....Tu, Th, Sa....319
Effective: August 02nd.

No info yet for the SJO-GUA segment.
It will be marketed by LACSA.
AV LIM-MCO 7x weekly with 319 is due to start on August 01st.

SJO-GUA market is currently operated 1 daily by Avianca with A320

On August the ATR will re-start service and Aviancas fights will be this.

Avianca Costa Rica (Lacsa)
7 weekly SJO-GUA-LAX (A320)
3 weekly SJO-GUA-MCO (A319)

Avianca Guatemala (Aviateca)
11 weekly GUA-SJO

Regards

Another good news for GUA
Avianca will start daily operations from GUA to ORD with A320 starting April 1, 2019

Schedule
AV572 GUA1735 – 2320ORD 320 D
AV573 ORD0130 – 0500GUA 320 D

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... pril-2019/

juanchito wrote:

Another good news for GUA
Avianca will start daily operations from GUA to ORD with A320 starting April 1, 2019

Schedule
AV572 GUA1735 – 2320ORD 320 D
AV573 ORD0130 – 0500GUA 320 D

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... pril-2019/

Well I guess that's UA's response to AA's flight. Good news then, this was one of the legacy GU routes that TA took away to SAL back in the day.

juanchito wrote:

Avianca Costa Rica (Lacsa)
7 weekly SJO-GUA-LAX (A320)
3 weekly SJO-GUA-MCO (A319)

My interpretation is that AV SJO-GUA 3x weekly will be departing early in the morning to Guatemala City whereas the southbound flight into the GUA-SJO sector would be programmed after 20:30.

Regards.

aer wrote:

juanchito wrote:

Another good news for GUA
Avianca will start daily operations from GUA to ORD with A320 starting April 1, 2019

Schedule
AV572 GUA1735 – 2320ORD 320 D
AV573 ORD0130 – 0500GUA 320 D

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... pril-2019/

Well I guess that's UA's response to AA's flight. Good news then, this was one of the legacy GU routes that TA took away to SAL back in the day.

What do you mean by “UA’s response”? The flight does not connect to any UA flights out of ORD and the joint venture between UA and AV has not yet been approved.

New airlines in Costa Rica.
TAC Airlines, TAG airlines from Guatemala is one of the investors

http://ticosnews.com/2018/04/27/costa-r ... mbre-2018/

avi8 wrote:

aer wrote:

juanchito wrote:

Another good news for GUA
Avianca will start daily operations from GUA to ORD with A320 starting April 1, 2019

Schedule
AV572 GUA1735 – 2320ORD 320 D
AV573 ORD0130 – 0500GUA 320 D

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... pril-2019/

Well I guess that's UA's response to AA's flight. Good news then, this was one of the legacy GU routes that TA took away to SAL back in the day.

What do you mean by “UA’s response”? The flight does not connect to any UA flights out of ORD and the joint venture between UA and AV has not yet been approved.

When AA started its expansion at ORD (GUA-ORD was one of these flights) it was thought UA would try to match a few of those flights to retain market share at ORD even if it were just a weekly flight as well and with the new UA-AV JV although it may not be approved, it doesn't mean that, as *A members, they can't work together. It's not about connecting flights or VFR, its about maintaining the market share one has (UA) over the other (AA).

juanchito wrote:

New airlines in Costa Rica.
TAC Airlines, TAG airlines from Guatemala is one of the investors

http://ticosnews.com/2018/04/27/costa-r ... mbre-2018/

Good on TAG, but IMO, I would've liked for them to organize their hub at GUA and routing this capital to organizing their operation (which is all over the place, for example no flights on weekends other than FRS, what's up with that?) before venturing into subsidiary investment.

In other news the first A320NEO por Central America arrived yesterday N769AV


Juanchito

juanchito wrote:

In other news the first A320NEO por Central America arrived yesterday N769AV


Juanchito

Hello. I saw some pictures of it parked in MSLP (plane spotter account on instagram). Beautiful plane. Do you know which routes it will be flying?

YSAPW wrote:

juanchito wrote:

In other news the first A320NEO por Central America arrived yesterday N769AV


Juanchito

Hello. I saw some pictures of it parked in MSLP (plane spotter account on instagram). Beautiful plane. Do you know which routes it will be flying?

Not sure what routes will they fly the NEO. I assume that routes to the US and rotate them with Central America.

Regards.

https://www.crhoy.com/economia/suspende ... osta-rica/

DGAC has officially suspended the AOCs of both Nature Air and Air Costa Rica effective immediately. 5C will hold a press conference on that tomorrow, no idea what will happen with Air Costa Rica though.

So much for both. They're done.

YSAPW wrote:

Beautiful plane. Do you know which routes it will be flying?

I'll look forward for these upcoming routes.

Looks nice !



Type: Airbus 320-251N.
First flight date: March 26, 2018.
Delivery date: April 24, 2018.
Test registration: F-WWBQ
Current registration: N769AV
Engines: 2 @ CFMI LEAP-IA26

Regards.

https://elcapitalfinanciero.com/vivacolombia-cancela-sus-rutas-a-panama-a-partir-del-20-de-mayo/
Viva Colombia FC stops BLB Panama Pacifico Howard Airport operations May 20.
(news in Spanish)

According to FC, PTY Tocumen Airport (BLB managers) airport user fee increase forces the Colombian LCC to leave Panama.
Social media is full of CM-haters right now blaming the Panamanian airline for foul-play to favour Wingo P5 and lobbying PTY airport to increase the fee charged to use the tiny spartan BLB airport terminal.
I wonder if FC was to choose to fly to ONX Colon France Field or RIH Rio Hato Aerodrome, PTY airport would also charge the Colombian airline the same fees.

LTU932 wrote:

no idea what will happen with Air Costa Rica though.

This project never worked.
Air Costa Rica had announced some years ago the launching of routes such as Guatemala City, Bogota, San Andres Island and so forth and serving gallo pinto and sour cream for breakfast time.
Volaris Costa Rica moved their cards very well and eclipsed to Air Costa Rica and even Wingo in San Jose.
The sole 733 belonging to Air Costa Rica barely worked as isolated charters and is not parked at SJO tarmac anymore.



Type: Boeing 737-36E (QC).
Status: Stored in October 2017.
First flight date: June 11, 1991.
Registration: TI-BGV.
Remarks: ex-Iberia, ex-Air Panama, among others. Leased from Gecas.

Regards.

2travel2know2 wrote:

https://elcapitalfinanciero.com/vivacolombia-cancela-sus-rutas-a-panama-a-partir-del-20-de-mayo/
Viva Colombia FC stops BLB Panama Pacifico Howard Airport operations May 20.
(news in Spanish)

According to FC, PTY Tocumen Airport (BLB managers) airport user fee increase forces the Colombian LCC to leave Panama.
Social media is full of CM-haters right now blaming the Panamanian airline for foul-play to favour Wingo P5 and lobbying PTY airport to increase the fee charged to use the tiny spartan BLB airport terminal.
I wonder if FC was to choose to fly to ONX Colon France Field or RIH Rio Hato Aerodrome, PTY airport would also charge the Colombian airline the same fees.

The fees for BLB were raised in August of 2015 from $US15 to $US35. https://impresa.prensa.com/Panama_Pacif ... 65614.html

And they are still complaining about them? That was almost 3 years ago!

The reason why Viva is leaving Panama, is that with the opening of Viva Air Peru, they need the capacity for the flights within Colombia and in Peru. Also FC has closed several routes within Colombia because they don't have the capacity for both Viva Air Colombia and Viva Air Peru with the existing fleet. To add to that, Wingo has given them a good fight. To the point that P5 under the Wingo brand has been expanding destinations from BLB and has grown within Colombia. https://impresa.prensa.com/economia/Win ... 47918.html

FC only flies to MDE and BOG from BLB, while P5 flies to MDE, CLO, BOG and CTG.

And the ones that have been complaining about FC not flying anymore, are Ursula Kiener and the Panama America. Ursula Kiener if not mistaken works or worked for Air Panama (whose Costarican subsidiary got their AOC canceled by the Costa Rica Government for not operating their schedules) and El Panama America, is a newspaper that is pro former president Ricardo Martinelli and in opposition of the current government.

LTU932 wrote:

https://www.crhoy.com/economia/suspenden-certificados-de-operacion-a-nature-air-y-air-costa-rica/

DGAC has officially suspended the AOCs of both Nature Air and Air Costa Rica effective immediately. 5C will hold a press conference on that tomorrow, no idea what will happen with Air Costa Rica though.

So much for both. They're done.

The problem with Air Costa Rica is that the Panamanian partners (Air Panama) don't have the big pockets, know how and connections as the investors of Volaris Costa Rica (Roberto Kriete and his connections in El Salvador and his experience with Taca). Thus Air Costa Rica was practically born death.

In hindsight, Air Costa Rica was indeed a stillbirth. But what about all the back and forth with 5C? I mean, first they get their AOC suspended, then after a meeting (or at least a plea with the President), it miraculously gets reinstated only to be suspended indefinitely again because they didn't restart flights in time. What a sad ending to an airline that used to have nearby SYQ as its hub (before moving to SJO).

Today a 747-400 from Air India arrived in Guatemala City La Aurora Airport. Vice President of India official visit. On Tuesday it will depart to Panama PTY.

Regards.

Traffic at SJO will be filled with VIPs for the Presidential inauguration on Tuesday. The first one to arrive today is Ecuadorian President Moreno. I don't have the list of dignitaries, so I wonder who will represent Spain. This is the first inauguration with Felipe as King, so this may be the first time in a while that we don't see any aircraft from the Spanish Air Force arriving at SJO, because I don't think his oldest daughter, the Princess of Asturias, is old enough to go alone on an international trip on official business.

I still expect security to be very tight in SJO, especially since there will also be a delegation from the US arriving.

LTU932 wrote:

Traffic at SJO will be filled with VIPs for the Presidential inauguration on Tuesday. The first one to arrive today is Ecuadorian President Moreno. I don't have the list of dignitaries, so I wonder who will represent Spain. This is the first inauguration with Felipe as King, so this may be the first time in a while that we don't see any aircraft from the Spanish Air Force arriving at SJO, because I don't think his oldest daughter, the Princess of Asturias, is old enough to go alone on an international trip on official business.

I still expect security to be very tight in SJO, especially since there will also be a delegation from the US arriving.

According to La Nacion Spain will send Ana Pastor, the President of the Congress. Perhaps she'll come in something smaller and not the usual A310 they used to send with the now king. don't think they'll send her flying commercial.

Copa Airlines is celebrating 70 years of commercial operations: 1947-2017.
One of their 738s is featuring a special livery displaying "70 years. Connecting the Americas", whereas the other side shows the same message in Spanish: "70 años. Conectando América".
CM is actually transporting a remarkable amount of Brazilian passengers. Perhaps they would add a new logo written in Portuguese language.





Type: Boeing 737-8V3. Next generation.
First flight date: 07-05-2010.
Registration: HP-1711CMP

Regards.

Flight changed and it is now available starting October 29 of 2018 and it looks like SAL-ORD will stop.

juanchito wrote:

Another good news for GUA
Avianca will start daily operations from GUA to ORD with A320 starting April 1, 2019

Schedule
AV572 GUA1735 – 2320ORD 320 D
AV573 ORD0130 – 0500GUA 320 D

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... pril-2019/

SJOtoLIR wrote:

CM is actually transporting a remarkable amount of Brazilian passengers. Perhaps they would add a new logo written in Portuguese language.

If I remember correctly from their own Twitter, CM is actually a sponsor of São Paulo FC in the Brasileirão. Dunno if they still are but for what it's worth, they do have a major connection to Brazil.