Avianca Honduras
{{short description|Honduran domestic airline}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Avianca Honduras
| logo = Avianca Logo.svg
| image =
| image_size =
| IATA = WC
| ICAO = ISV
| callsign = ISLEÑA
| founded = 1981 (as Isleña Airlines)
| commenced = May 31, 1981
| ceased =
| hubs = Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer = LifeMiles
| alliance = Star Alliance (affiliate)
| subsidiaries =
| fleet_size =
| destinations =
| parent = Avianca Group
| headquarters = San Pedro Sula, Honduras
| key_people = Frederico Pedreira (CEO)
| founder = Arturo Alvarado Wood
| website = {{URL|www.avianca.com}}
}}
Isleña de Inversiones S.A. de C.V. branded Avianca Honduras is{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/airlines/WC|title=Isleña Airlines|website=Ch-aviation}} a regional airline based in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It offered mostly scheduled and chartered passenger flights out of its hub at Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport.{{cite news|title= Directory: World Airlines|work=Flight International|page=95|date=2007-04-03}} It was formerly one of the airlines part of Grupo TACA. It is one of the seven nationally branded airlines (Avianca Costa Rica, Avianca Ecuador, etc.) in the Avianca Group of Latin American airlines.
History
File:ATR 42-320, TACA Regional Airlines (Islena Airlines) JP7398563.jpg, operated by TACA Regional, at Toncontín International Airport in 2012]]
The airline was founded as Isleña Airlines in 1981 by Arturo Alvarado Wood in the city of La Ceiba. It began operations on May 31, 1981, with a Cessna 206 between La Ceiba and Roatán. Their central office was formerly located in La Ceiba and its hub was at Golosón International Airport.
In 1998, Grupo TACA acquired a 20% stake in the company, and began operating under the TACA Regional banner.[http://www.aerotransport.org Information about Isleña Airlines at the Aero Transport Data Bank] On May 28, 2013, Isleña was unified with the rest of TACA's subsidiaries into the Avianca Holdings, being renamed Avianca Honduras.
By October 2018, Avianca Honduras had suspended its routes until further notice.{{cite web|url=https://www.elheraldo.hn/economia/avianca-suspede-vuelos-domesticos-en-honduras-BVEH1229080|title=Avianca suspede vuelos domésticos en Honduras|website=Elheraldo.hn|language=es|access-date=October 29, 2018}} In March 2020, the airline retired is remaining aircraft and transferred its operations to Avianca.{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/120461-avianca-group-to-leave-islea-airlines-dormant|title=Avianca Group to leave Isleña Airlines dormant|website=Ch-aviation.com|access-date=October 19, 2022}}
Destinations
Prior to March 2020, Avianca Honduras operated to the following destinations:
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||
| Country
!City !Airport !Notes !class=unsortable|Refs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | Guatemala City | La Aurora International Airport | {{Terminated}} | |
| rowspan=6|Honduras | Guanaja | Guanaja Airport | {{Terminated}} | |
| La Ceiba | Golosón International Airport | {{Terminated}} | ||
| Roatán | Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport | {{Terminated}} | ||
| San Pedro Sula | Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport | {{Terminated|Hub Suspended}} | ||
| Tegucigalpa | Toncontín International Airport | {{Terminated}} | ||
| Utila | Útila Airport | {{Terminated}} |
Further destinations were served by chartered flights.
Fleet
File:Avianca ATR-72 at Roatán Airport, 12-2014 (cropped).JPG taxiing at Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport in 2014]]
Throughout its existence as Isleña Airlines, the airline operated the following aircraft:{{cite web|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Islena-Airlines|title=Isleña Airlines Fleet Details and History|website=Planespotters.net|access-date= November 15, 2021}}{{cite journal|title=Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)|journal=Airliner World|issue=October 2019|page=15}}{{cite web|title=Avianca Honduras Fleet Details and History|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Avianca-Honduras|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=Planespotters.net}}
- 7 ATR 42-300
- 6 ATR 42-320
- 2 ATR 72-600
- 1 Beechcraft 90
- 1 Beechcraft 99Oct. 1, 1993 OAG Desktop Flight Guide Worldwide Edition, Islena Airlines flight schedules
- 1 Boeing 737-200
- 1 Cessna 206
- 3 de Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otter
- 5 Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante
- 3 Fokker F27 Friendship
- 1 Fairchild Hiller FH-227
- 1 Grumman Gulfstream I
- 3 Short 360
- 4 Let L-410 Turbolet{{cite book|last1=Norwood|first1=Tom|last2=Wegg|first2=John|title=North American Airlines Handbook|edition=2nd|year=1999|publisher=Airways Int. Corporation|isbn=0-9653993-5-4}}
Accidents and incidents
- On April 4, 1990, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otter (registered HR-ALH) landed in the water short off the runway at Útila Airport, following a scheduled passenger flight from La Ceiba with 18 passengers on board. The two pilots claimed to have been blinded by the sun, thus misjudging the remaining distance to the runway. All occupants of the aircraft could be saved.{{Cite web |title=Accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 HR-ALH, 1990 |url=https://aviation-safety.net/asndb/326064 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=aviation-safety.net}}
- On March 3, 1997, a Let L-410 Turbolet (registered HR-IAS) did not gain sufficient height upon take-off from Golosón International Airport for a scheduled flight to Puerto Lempira with 19 passengers on board. Following the retraction of the landing gear, the two pilots had applied the wrong engine power setup and were forced to bring the aircraft down again in a belly landing, during which it was damaged beyond repair.{{Cite web |title=Accident Let L-410UVP-E HR-IAS, 1997 |url=https://aviation-safety.net/asndb/324254 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=aviation-safety.net}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category inline|Avianca Honduras}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050424084956/http://www.flyislena.com/ Official website]
{{Avianca}}
{{Portal bar|Latin America|Companies|Aviation}}