SATENA

SATENA

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IATA ICAO Callsign 9R NSE SATENA
Founded	1962
Hubs	El Dorado International Airport Olaya Herrera Airport
Fleet size	21
Destinations	38
Company slogan	Primero mi país. (2011) SATENA Es Colombia.
Parent company	Colombian Air Force
Headquarters	Bogotá, Colombia
Key people	General Javier Perez
Website	www.satena.com

SATENA (acronym of Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales) is a Colombian government owned airline based in Fontibón, Bogotá, Colombia. It operates domestic routes. Its main hub is El Dorado International Airport.

History

SATENA was first established on April 12, 1962 by the President of the Republic, Alberto Lleras Camargo, who created the airline using Decree 940 in order

"to form an aerial transport service for the benefit of the underdeveloped regions of the country, with the object of promoting the welfare of educational campaigns, agricultural and pastoral development and the economic and social progress of such territories."

In order to achieve this under government auspices, the airline was then entrusted to the control of the 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, two C-47, two Beaver L-20 aircraft, and later added two PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft, property of the Rotatory Fund of the Colombian Air Force. Later, in 1964, it added three additional C-47 and two more C-54 aircraft, 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 was created to facilitate air travel to other areas largely or completely inaccessible by road.

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 was decreed that SATENA would be treated as a public establishment, with all legal functions controlled by the Ministry of National Defence.

In 1972, SATENA acquired newer British-Built AVRO HS-748 turboprop aircraft capable of carrying 48 passengers. Between 1984 and 1985, the airline incorporated two Fokker F28 jet aircraft with the capacity to transport 65 passengers.

Since its creation, the airline has performed many public services on behalf of the Colombian people, having provided service during crises in the country's history, as was the case of the Huila and Cauca earthquake of June 6, 1994, when SATENA performed search and rescue operations, airlifted local residents, as well as transporting needed medicines, foods and aid in general to the site of the tragedy.

In 1996, the largest modernisation of the airline began, with the arrival of six Dornier Do328 turboprop aircraft capable of carrying 32 passengers. These aircraft represent the new generation of equipment for regional routes.

In 2002, SATENA incorporated into its fleet one Embraer ERJ 145 with capacity for 50 passengers which arrived to replace the departing Fokker F28, which was reaching its maximum airframe hours.

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 efficient services to its mostly isolated destinations.

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, La Primavera, El Encanto and Yopal, Corozal

Fleet

File:HK-4528 - FAC-1180 Embraer Emb.170 SATENA (7496799876).jpg

SATENA Embraer 170 at La Vanguardia Airport (July 2012)

As of December 2015, the SATENA fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 11.6 years:

SATENA fleet

Aircraft	In Fleet	Orders	Passengers (economy)	Notes
Let L-410 Turbolet	3	0	19	Operated by SEARCA
ATR 42-500	8	0	46
ATR 42-600	4	0	48
ATR 72-500	1	0	70
Embraer ERJ 145LR	2	0	50
Embraer E-170-100SL	1	0	76
Harbin Y-12E	3	0	18	1 to be delivered in the 1Q of 2015
Total	21	0

The last Dornier 328 is to be phased out by November 14, 2013 with Beech 1900 aircraft replacing them while the passenger demand dies out. Satena also has Let L-410 Turbolet planes, operated by Searca mostly between San Andrés and Providencia and one of the Y-12 is to be implemented into the route. One other Y-12 is to operate between Neiva and Florencia and the other to be based at Medellin's Olaya Herrera Airport.

Accidents and incidents

• On 8 September 1969, Douglas C-47 FAC-685 crashed near Apiay Air Force Base killing all 32 people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Monterrey Airport to Apiay.
• On 21 January 1972, Douglas DC-3 FAC-661 crashed at San Nicolas whilst operating a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight from Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, Medellín to Gerardo Tobar López Airport, Buenaventurea.
• On 8 January 1975, Douglas DC-3 FAC-688 crashed shortly after take-off from Benito Salas Airport, Neiva on a flight to Gustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport, Florencia. All 30 people on board were killed.
• On 3 May 1975, Douglas DC-3 FAC-663 crashed at Sardinata. The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Aguas Claras Airport, Ocaña to Camilo Daza Airport, Cúcuta. Three of the six occupants were killed.
• On 2 April 1976, Douglas DC-3 FAC-676 crashed on approach to Gustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport, Florencia. The aircraft was on a flight from Tres de Mayo Airport, Puerto Asís. Five of the 16 people on board were killed.
• On 17 February 1977, Douglas C-47B FAC-1125 was damaged beyond economic repair in a take-off accident at Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport, Mitú. All 28 people on board survived.
• On 20 November 1977, Douglas C-47B FAC-1127 crashed in Colombia.
• On 20 November 1977, Douglas C-47A FAC-1120 crashed at Llanos del Yori, Colombia.
• On 21 February 1978, Douglas DC-3 FAC-668 crashed at Serranía los Cobardes in Colombia.
• On 25 June 1981, Douglas C-47 FAC-1129 was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The aircraft was subsequently withdrawn from use and stored at La Vanguardia Airport, Villavicencio.
• On 3 May 1983, Douglas C-47B FAC-1126 was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Palmaseca Airport, Cali.
• On 5 May 2010, SATENA Flight 9634, an Embraer ERJ-145 overran the runway at Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport, Mitú, Colombia. The aircraft crashed through the airport fence and then came to rest in a field, suffering substantial damage. None of the 37 passengers and 4 crew were injured. The runway at the time of the accident was wet as it had recently rained in the area.

External links

• SATENA (Spanish)
• SATENA route map
• Satena photos by MyAviation.net
• Video Tribute