ACES Colombia

ACES
Aerolíneas Centrales de Colombia
IATA ICAO Callsign
VX AES ACES
Founded 1971
Commenced operations 1972
Ceased operations 20 Aug 2003
Hubs José María Córdova International Airport
Olaya Herrera Airport
Frequent-flyer program Premium Pass (ACES), Privilegios (Summa Alliance)
Destinations See Avianca
Parent company Avianca
Headquarters Medellín, Colombia
Website acescolombia.com.co

ACES (Spanish acronym: Aerolíneas Centrales de Colombia) was an airline with its headquarters in the Edificio del Cafe in Medellín, Colombia [1] and founded on August 30, 1971, by a group of 13 Colombian entrepreneurs, amongst them, most notably Orlando Botero Escobar and German Peñaloza Arias from Manizales and Luis H. Coulson, Jorge Coulson R., Alberto Jaramillo and Hernán Zuluaga from Medellín.

Mr. Botero and Mr. Peñaloza, considered pioneers in the early days of Colombian commercial aviation, had tried several times to establish a commuter service between Manizales and Bogotá. They managed to operate a small commuter airline by the name TARCA (acronym of Taxi Aéreo de Caldas), which was forced to shut down due to financial difficulties. With the support and capital of the new partners from Medellín, they embarked on the successful enterprise that would be ACES. The airline began service in 1972 with Saunders ST-27 aircraft for the routes Medellín-Bogotá and Manizales-Bogotá, and soon became a major player in the Colombian market. By 1976, the airline had expanded its network to smaller regional destinations, for which it purchased DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. 1981 saw the introduction of the first jet aircraft to ACES' fleet with the very popular Boeing 727-100 which allowed for longer routes and shorter flight-time.

In 1991, ACES completely replaced its Fokker F27 Friendship fleet with ATR 42 turbo-prop aircraft for its short-haul regional routes, and its Boeing 727-100 with the Boeing 727-200 Advanced variant. In 1992, ACES expanded its service internationally, operating flights from Medellín and Bogotá to Miami. Soon after, Juan Emilio Posada was appointed CEO and would serve until the airline's demise in 2003. In the late 1990s, ACES modernized its fleet acquiring brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft that replaced its Boeing 727s. It expanded its routes to Fort Lauderdale, Quito, Caracas, Cancún (served by charters), Santo Domingo, Punta Cana and San Juan, Puerto Rico; as well as additional domestic flights within Colombia.

ACES created a corporate culture of service and punctuality that would earn it the recognition and loyalty of its customers, resulting in consistent increases in its market share and revenues in the domestic market, which was dominated for decades by Avianca. It was named the "Best airline in Colombia" by several industry and consumer publications.

On May 20, 2002, ACES merged with major competitor Avianca and SAM to form Alianza Summa, a strategic alliance aimed at joining forces to counteract the adverse circumstances that faced the airline industry in Colombia and the world after the September 11 attacks. ACES' operations were halted on August, 2003,[2] after the board's decision to liquidate the airline. By November, 2003, the Summa Alliance was dissolved and ACES' routes taken over by Avianca.

References

  1. ↑ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 17–23, 1999. 40. "Calle 49, No 50-21, Piso 34, Edificio del Cafe, Medellin, Antioquia, AA 6503, Colombia"
  2. ↑ "ACES Colombia Fleet of ATR (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved 2016-10-19.

Coordinates: 43°26′34″N 6°04′09″W / 43.44278°N 6.06917°W / 43.44278; -6.06917

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