ACES Colombia
Encyclopedia
ACES was an airline
with its headquarters in the Edificio del Cafe in Medellín
, Colombia
and founded on August 30, 1971 by a group of 13 Colombian entrepreneurs, amongst them, most notably Orlando Botero Escobar and German Peñaloza Arias from Manizales and Luis H. Coulson, Jorge Coulson R., Alberto Jaramillo and Hernán Zuluaga from Medellín.
Mr. Botero and Mr. Peñaloza, considered pioneers in the early days of Colombian commercial aviation, had tried several times to establish a commuter service between Manizales
and Bogotá
. They managed to operate a small commuter airline by the name TARCA (acronym
of Taxi Aéreo de Caldas), which was forced to shut down due to financial difficulties. With the support and capital of the new partners from Medellín, they embarked on the successful enterprise that would be ACES, a company that would earn the respect of its competition and the love of its customers. The airline began service in 1972 with Saunders ST-27
aircraft for the routes Medellín-Bogotá and Manizales-Bogotá, and soon became a major player in the Colombian market. By 1976, the airline had expanded its network to smaller regional destinations, for which it purchased DHC-6 Twin Otter
aircraft. 1981 saw the introduction of the first jet aircraft to ACES' fleet with the very popular Boeing 727-100
which allowed for longer routes and shorter flight-time.
In 1991, ACES completely replaced its Fokker F27 Friendship
fleet with ATR 42
turbo-prop aircraft for its short-haul regional routes, and its Boeing 727-100
with the Boeing 727-200 Advanced
variant. In 1992, ACES expanded its service internationally, operating flights from Medellín and Bogotá to Miami. Soon after, Juan Emilio Posada was appointed CEO and would serve until the airline's demise in 2003. In the late 1990s, ACES modernized its fleet acquiring brand-new Airbus A320
aircraft that replaced its Boeing 727s. It expanded its routes to Fort Lauderdale
, Quito
, Caracas
, Cancún
(served by charters), Santo Domingo
, Punta Cana
and San Juan, Puerto Rico
; as well as additional domestic flights within Colombia
.
ACES created a corporate culture of service and punctuality that would earn it the recognition and loyalty of its customers, resulting in consistent increases in its market share and revenues in the domestic market, which was dominated for decades by Avianca
. It was named the "Best airline in Colombia" by several industry and consumer publications.
On May 20, 2002, ACES merged with major competitor Avianca
and SAM
to form Alianza Summa
, a strategic alliance aimed at joining forces to counteract the adverse circumstances that faced the airline industry in Colombia
and the world after the September 11 attacks. ACES' operations were haulted on August, 2003, after the board's decision to liquidate the airline. By November, 2003, the Summa Alliance was dissolved and ACES' routes taken over by Avianca
.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with its headquarters in the Edificio del Cafe in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and founded on August 30, 1971 by a group of 13 Colombian entrepreneurs, amongst them, most notably Orlando Botero Escobar and German Peñaloza Arias from Manizales and Luis H. Coulson, Jorge Coulson R., Alberto Jaramillo and Hernán Zuluaga from Medellín.
Mr. Botero and Mr. Peñaloza, considered pioneers in the early days of Colombian commercial aviation, had tried several times to establish a commuter service between Manizales
Manizales
Manizales is a city and municipality in central Colombia, capital of Department of Caldas and part of the region of Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis, near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano....
and Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. They managed to operate a small commuter airline by the name TARCA (acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
of Taxi Aéreo de Caldas), which was forced to shut down due to financial difficulties. With the support and capital of the new partners from Medellín, they embarked on the successful enterprise that would be ACES, a company that would earn the respect of its competition and the love of its customers. The airline began service in 1972 with Saunders ST-27
Saunders ST-27
|-References:NotesBibliography* Gerritsma, Joop. "The Saunders ST-27: A Prop-Jet Commuter Liner by Conversion." Canadian Aviation Historical Society – Journal, Vol. 35, No. 4, Winter 1997....
aircraft for the routes Medellín-Bogotá and Manizales-Bogotá, and soon became a major player in the Colombian market. By 1976, the airline had expanded its network to smaller regional destinations, for which it purchased DHC-6 Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
aircraft. 1981 saw the introduction of the first jet aircraft to ACES' fleet with the very popular Boeing 727-100
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
which allowed for longer routes and shorter flight-time.
In 1991, ACES completely replaced its Fokker F27 Friendship
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
fleet with ATR 42
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
turbo-prop aircraft for its short-haul regional routes, and its Boeing 727-100
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
with the Boeing 727-200 Advanced
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
variant. In 1992, ACES expanded its service internationally, operating flights from Medellín and Bogotá to Miami. Soon after, Juan Emilio Posada was appointed CEO and would serve until the airline's demise in 2003. In the late 1990s, ACES modernized its fleet acquiring brand-new Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft that replaced its Boeing 727s. It expanded its routes to Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
(served by charters), Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...
and San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
; as well as additional domestic flights within Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
ACES created a corporate culture of service and punctuality that would earn it the recognition and loyalty of its customers, resulting in consistent increases in its market share and revenues in the domestic market, which was dominated for decades by Avianca
Avianca
Avianca S.A. is the flag carrier airline of Colombia since December 5, 1919 when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport...
. It was named the "Best airline in Colombia" by several industry and consumer publications.
On May 20, 2002, ACES merged with major competitor Avianca
Avianca
Avianca S.A. is the flag carrier airline of Colombia since December 5, 1919 when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport...
and SAM
SAM Colombia
SAM was a Colombian airline. The airline, with its main hub at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, is operating domestic and international routes and is a subsidiary airline of Avianca...
to form Alianza Summa
Avianca
Avianca S.A. is the flag carrier airline of Colombia since December 5, 1919 when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport...
, a strategic alliance aimed at joining forces to counteract the adverse circumstances that faced the airline industry in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and the world after the September 11 attacks. ACES' operations were haulted on August, 2003, after the board's decision to liquidate the airline. By November, 2003, the Summa Alliance was dissolved and ACES' routes taken over by Avianca
Avianca
Avianca S.A. is the flag carrier airline of Colombia since December 5, 1919 when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport...
.