SATENA

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SATENA

IATA 9N	ICAO NSE	Callsign SATENA
Founded		1962
Hubs		El Dorado International Airport
Fleet size		11 (2006)
Destinations		38 (2006)
Parent company		Colombian Air Force
Headquarters		Bogotá, Colombia
Key people
Website: www.satena.com

SATENA Embraer ERJ 145

SATENA (acronym of Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales) is an airline based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. It operates regional, domestic and international routes.

1 History
2 Destinations
3 Fleet
4 External links

[edit] History

The airline was first established on April 12, 1962 by the President of the Republic, Alberto Lleras Camargo, who created SATENA using Decree 940 in order to be an aerial transport service in benefit of the underdeveloped regions of the country, with the object to collaborate in the welfare of educational campaigns, cattle and agricultural increase and, colonization and in the economic and social promotion of such territories.

Due to this, the airline was then entrusted to the control of Colombian Air Force, initiating its first operations with the routes Bogotá - Leticia and Leticia - Tarapacá - El Encanto - Puerto Leguízamo. The Government equipped the company with one C-54 aircraft, two C-47, two Beaver L-20, and later added two PBY Catherine amphibious aircraft, property of the Rotatory Fund of the Colombian Air Force. Later, in 1964, it added three C-47 and two C-54, all of them donated by the United States International Development Agency.

In 1965, SATENA, in coordination with the Bank of Bogotá, began a new service named AeroBanco, which weas created to facilitate air travel to all the residents located in the zones unreachable, or difficult to get to via roadway.

Due to great success in the areas served by the airline, President Carlos Lleras Restrepo put into effect, Law 80 of December 12, 1968 where it is decreed that SATENA would be treated as a public establishment, with all legal functions controlled by the Ministry of National Defense

In 1972, SATENA acquires newer English-Made AVRO HS-748 capable of carrying 48 passengers. Between 1984 and 1985, the airlines incorporated two Fokker F28 aircraftwith the capacity to transport 65 passengers.

Since its creation, the the airline has performanced many services on behalf of the Colombian people, having offered service during the most difficult moments of the country's history, as was the case of the earthquake of the Huila and the Cauca the June 6 of 1994, when SATENA, using its aircraft fulfilled search and rescue operations, transporting natives and farmers, as well as perfoming the transfer of 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 six the airplanes Dornier Do328 capable of carrying 32 passengers. These aircraft represent the new generation of planes for the cap of regional routes.

In 2002, SATENA incorporated into its fleet one Embraer ERJ 145 with capacity for 50 passengers which arrived to replace the exit of operation of the Fokker F28, who had fulfilled its maximum number of hours of operations at this point.

In 2004, SATENA became the airline with the newest and most modern aerial fleet in Colombia, when it incorporated two new Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft, allowing it to perform faster and more effecient services to its mostly isolated destinations.

[edit] Destinations

Main article: SATENA destinations

The new Embraer 170 will be used to increase frequencies on existing routes and to open new domestic destinations. These will include Barranquilla, Leticia, Riohacha, Valledupar, La Primavera, El Encanto and El Yopal.

Internationally, will fly from regional airports to destinations in Ecuador, Venezuela and Panamá, although other countries are also under consideration