TACA (Transportes Aereos Centroamericanos / del Continente Americano)

  1931 to October 2009

  El Salvador

TYPE: Airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: TA / TAI

HEADQUARTERS: San Salvador

OTHER NAMES: Transportes Aereos Centroamericanos (1931-1950s), Transportes Aereos del Continente Americano (1950s), TACA International (1950s-2009)

SUBSEQUENT NAME: AviancaTaca (October 2009 merger with Avianca)

TACA was founded in 1931 in Honduras by New Zealander Lowell Yerex. The concept behind it was to establish one airline in each Latin-American country, such as Aerovias Brasil, TACA Mexico, TACA de Venezuela and TACA de Colombia. From the 1940's, these foreign subsidiaries were sold to local airlines: in Honduras to SAHSA, in Venezuela to LAV. Yerex left the company in 1945, and TACA moved to El Salvador where it was modernized and expanded. Postwar, the airline modernized its fleet with Douglas DC3s and DC4s, and later turboprop Viscounts.

TACA merged with Avianca in October 2009.

December 1945 to ca 1970

TACA operated a single Commando.

• Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando: YS-01C / N75393 / YS-35