Avianca Argentina
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Macair Jet |
| Founded | March 2016 |
| Defunct | June 7, 2019 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Argentina, Uruguay |
Key people | Carlos Colunga (CEO) |
| Products | Passenger and cargo air transport services |
Number of employees | 80 (approximate) (2019) |
| Parent | Synergy Group (via Avianca Holdings licensing) |
Avianca Argentina, officially registered as Avian Líneas Aéreas S.A., was an airline based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with its main operations centered at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Although it operated under the Avianca brand through a licensing arrangement, it functioned independently from Avianca Holdings. The airline discontinued all services on 7 June 2019.
History
Established in March 2016 following the acquisition of the charter carrier Macair Jet by Synergy Group, the parent company of Avianca Holdings, Avianca Argentina intended to grow Argentina’s domestic and international air travel sectors. In November 2016, Synergy Aerospace placed an order for twelve ATR 72-600 aircraft to support this new venture. The first ATR 72 was delivered in January 2017. After commencing charter operations in July 2017, the airline officially launched scheduled flights on 21 November 2017.
Initially, Avianca Argentina planned to operate both passenger and cargo services domestically and internationally, primarily from its hub at Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport in San Miguel de Tucumán. This operation was to utilize Airbus A320 jets transferred from Avianca Brasil. A route to São Paulo was scheduled to begin in February 2019 but was canceled by January due to increased expenses caused by the Argentine peso’s depreciation against the US dollar. Consequently, the single A320 aircraft was returned to Avianca Brasil, which was later incorporated into LATAM Brasil.
By April 2019, the airline had scaled back its network from five destinations to just two, operated only two aircraft instead of the planned four, and had a workforce of roughly 80 pilots. CEO Carlos Colunga described the operational environment as "unsustainable," attributing challenges to the strong US dollar and escalating fuel costs. On 7 June 2019, Avianca Argentina applied for a 90-day suspension aimed at restructuring; however, it ultimately ceased operations.
As of September 2021, there have been considerations to resume Avianca Argentina’s flight services.
Destinations
At the time of its closure in June 2019, Avianca Argentina served these locations:
Fleet
Prior to halting its operations in June 2019, Avianca Argentina's fleet comprised the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passenger Capacity | Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||||
| ATR 72-600 | 2 | 10 | — | 70 | 70 | Both aircraft stored (LV-GUG and LV-GUH). | ||
| — | 72 | 72 | ||||||
| Total | 2 | 10 | ||||||
Retired fleet
Before its transformation into Avianca Argentina, Macair Jet's fleet included:
| Aircraft Type | Quantity | Entry Year | Withdrawal Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 1 | 2018 | 2018 | |
| BAe Jetstream 32 | 6 | 2006 | 2017 | |
| Gulfstream V | 1 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Learjet 25D | 1 | |||
| Learjet 31A | 1 | 2008 | ||
| Learjet 35A | 1 | 2008 | ||
| Learjet 60 | 1 | 1994 | 2002 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-87 | 1 | 2009 | 2012 |