SATENA

SATENA

IATA ICAO Callsign 9R NSE SATENA
Founded	April 12, 1962(1962-04-12)
Hubs	El Dorado International Airport
Secondary hubs	Olaya Herrera Airport
Fleet size	13
Destinations	42
Parent company	Colombian Aerospace Force
Headquarters	El Dorado International Airport,Bogotá,Colombia
Key people	Brigadier General Óscar Zuluaga Castaño
Founder	Alberto Lleras Camargo
Website	www.satena.com

SATENA(SpanishacronymofServicioAéreo aTerritoriosNacionales) is a Colombianairlinebased inBogotá,Colombia.It is majority-owned by theGovernment of Colombiawhich operates it with a goal of providing connectivity to less connected areas of the country.

Its main hub isEl Dorado International AirportinBogotá.It also maintains a secondary hub atOlaya Herrera AirportinMedellín.

History

A former SATENADornier Do 328atEl Dorado International Airportin 2009

A former SATENAEmbraer ERJ-170atLa Vanguardia Airportin 2012

ATR 42-500seen atGustavo Artunduaga Paredes AirportinFlorencia,Caquetá,Colombia

SATENA was first established on April 12, 1962, by thePresident of the Republic,Alberto Lleras Camargo,who created theairlineusing 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."

In order to achieve this under government auspices, the airline was then entrusted to the control of theColombian Air Force,initiating its first operations with the routesBogotá-LeticiaandLeticia–Tarapacá–El Encanto–Puerto Leguízamo.The Government equipped the company with oneC-54,twoC-47,two Beaver L-20, and later added twoPBY Catalinaamphibious, the property of the Rotary Fund of theColombian Air Force.Later, in 1964, it added three additionalC-47and two moreC-54aircraft, all of them donated by theUnited StatesInternational Development Agency.

In 1965, SATENA, in coordination with theBank of Bogotá,began a new service namedAeroBanco,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, PresidentCarlos Lleras Restrepoput 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 theMinistry of National Defence.

In 1972, SATENA acquired newer British-BuiltAVRO HS-748turbopropscapable of carrying 48 passengers. Between 1984 and 1985, the airline incorporated twoFokker F28jet aircraft with the capacity to transport 65 passengers.

Since its creation, the airline has performed many public services on behalf of theColombian people,having provided service during crises in the country's history, as was the case of theHuilaandCaucaearthquake of June 6, 1994, when SATENA performed search and rescue operations, airlifted local 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 sixDornier 328scapable of carrying 32 passengers. These aircraft represent the new generation of equipment for regional routes.

In 2002, SATENA incorporated into its fleet oneEmbraer ERJ-145with capacity for 50 passengers which arrived to replace the departingFokker F28,which was reaching its maximum airframe hours. In 2004, SATENA became the airline with the newest and most modern aerial fleet inColombia,when it incorporated two newEmbraer ERJ 145aircraft, 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 proposes the 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 a period of two years, while the remaining 51% would continue in hands of the state, something that was never done in the end.

On April 29, 2018, the airline moved all its routes to the Terminal Puente Aéreo belonging toEl Dorado International Airport,in order to facilitate the service to passengers on regional flights.

Fleet

Current fleet

A SATENAEmbraer ERJ-145atEl Dorado International Airportin 2014

As of March 2023, the SATENA fleet consists of the following aircraft:

SATENA fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers (economy)	Notes
ATR 42-500	4	—	48
ATR 42-600	4	1	48
ATR 72-600	2	—	70
Embraer ERJ-145	3	—	50	One leased fromSARPA
Total	13	1

Former fleet

SATENA had formerly operated the following aircraft:

• ATR 72-500
• Boeing 727-100
• Boeing 727-200
• CASA C-212 Aviocar
• de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
• Dornier 328
• Douglas C-47 Skytrain
• Douglas C-54 Skymaster
• Douglas DC-9-10
• Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
• Embraer ERJ-170
• Fokker F-28 Fellowship
• Harbin Y-12E
• Hawker Siddeley HS 748
• Let L-410 Turbolet
• PBY Catalina
• Pilatus PC-6 Porter

Accidents and incidents

• On September 8, 1969,Douglas C-47FAC-685 crashed nearApiay Air Force Basekilling all 32 people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight fromMonterrey Airportto Apiay.
• On January 21, 1972,Douglas DC-3FAC-661 crashed atSan Nicolaswhilst operating a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight fromEnrique Olaya Herrera Airport,MedellíntoGerardo Tobar López Airport,Buenaventura.
• On January 9, 1974, HS 748 (FAC 1103) crashed into the Gabinete Peak 50 km north ofGustavo Artunduaga Paredes AirportFlorencia whilst on a flight from Florencia to Bogota. All 31 people on board were killed.
• On January 8, 1975, Douglas DC-3 (FAC-688) crashed shortly after take-off fromBenito Salas Airport,Neivaon a flight toGustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport,Florencia.All 30 people on board were killed.
• On May 3, 1975, Douglas DC-3 (FAC-663) crashed atSardinata.The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled passenger flight fromAguas Claras Airport,OcañatoCamilo Daza Airport,Cúcuta.Three of the six occupants were killed.
• On April 2, 1976, Douglas DC-3 (FAC-676) crashed on approach toTres de Mayo Airport,Puerto Asís.The aircraft was on a flight fromGustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport,Florencia.Five of the 16 people on board were killed.
• On February 17, 1977,Douglas C-47B(FAC-1125) was damaged beyond economic repair in a take-off accident atFabio Alberto León Bentley Airport,Mitú.All 28 people on board survived.
• On November 20, 1977, Douglas C-47B (FAC-1127) crashed in Colombia.
• On November 20, 1977, Douglas C-47A (FAC-1120) crashed atLlanos del Yori,Colombia.
• On February 21, 1978, Douglas DC-3 (FAC-668) crashed atSerranía los Cobardesin Colombia.
• On June 25, 1981, Douglas C-47 (FAC-1129) was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The aircraft was subsequently withdrawn from use and stored atLa Vanguardia Airport,Villavicencio.
• On May 3, 1983, Douglas C-47B (FAC-1126) was damaged beyond repair in an accident atPalmaseca Airport,Cali.
• On May 5, 2010, anEmbraer ERJ-145overran the runway atFabio Alberto León Bentley Airport,Mitú,Colombia.The aircraft crashed through the airport fence and then came to rest in a field, suffering substantial damage. None of the 37 passengers and 4 crew was injured.The runway at the time of the accident was wet as it had recently rained in the area.

See also

• List of airlines of Colombia

External links

• SATENA(in Spanish)
• SATENA route map
• Satena photos by MyAviation.net
• Video Tribute