| Airline: | Avian Líneas Aéreas S.A. |
| Fleet Size: | 2 |
| Destinations: | 3 |
| Iata: | A0 |
| Icao: | ANC |
| Callsign: | AVIAN |
| Parent: | Synergy Group[1] |
| Founded: | 1995 (as Macair Jet) |
| Commenced: | 21 November 2017 |
| Ceased: | 7 June 2019 |
| Hubs: | Aeroparque Jorge Newbery |
| Key People: | Carlos Colunga (CEO) Sergio Mastropietro |
| Frequent Flyer: | LifeMiles |
| Website: | (defunct) |
Avianca Argentina, legally incorporated as Avian Líneas Aéreas S.A., was an Argentine airline headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with its operational hub at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in the city. The airline operated commercially under the Avianca brand through a license agreement; however, it was independent of the Avianca Holdings. The airline ceased all operations on 7 June 2019.
The airline was founded in March 2016, after Synergy Group, the parent company of Avianca Holdings, acquired Argentina-based charter airline Macair Jet.[2] In November 2016, Synergy Aerospace announced a firm order for the purchase of 12 ATR 72-600s for the airline to be operated under the Avianca brand.[3] The first ATR 72 was delivered on 13 January 2017.[4] Following the use of the two ATR 72 aircraft for charter flights from July 2017, the airline began scheduled services on 21 November 2017.[5] [6]
The airline originally planned to operate passenger and cargo flights both internationally and within Argentina from a primary hub at Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport serving San Miguel de Tucumán, with a fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft.[7] The initial plans included the transferal of Airbus A320s from Avianca Brasil, followed by the launch of international services to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport on 5 February 2019. However, by January 2019, Avianca Argentina's plans for international services were canceled, with its sole Airbus A320 to be returned to Avianca Brasil (later taken up by LATAM Brasil), as the Argentine airline cited rising operating costs due to the weakening of the Argentine peso relative to the strengthening United States dollar.[8] [9]
By April 2019, Avianca Argentina was reported to be struggling, having cut its route network to two destinations from the five it had planned to operate from Buenos Aires, and employing as many as 80 pilots while the airline's fleet remained at two aircraft, out of the four aircraft it had originally planned to operate at the time.[10] The airline's CEO Carlos Colunga described the conditions as "unsustainable" and attributed the operational difficulties to the strengthening US dollar and rising fuel costs.[10] On 7 June 2019, the airline requested a 90-day suspension of operations starting from 9 June in order to restructure the company, but the airline subsequently ceased operations.[11]
As of September 2021, the airline is looking into restarting operations sometime.
Avianca Argentina served or previously served the following destinations by the time of the airline's closure in June 2019:
, before service was suspended, the Avianca Argentina fleet included the following aircraft:[14]
| In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | |||||||
| ATR 72-600 | 2 | 10 | - | 70 | 70 | Both stored (LV-GUG and LV-GUH). | |||
| - | 72 | 72 | |||||||
| Total | 2 | 10 | |||||||
Macair Jet, and later Avianca Argentina, formerly operated the following aircraft:[15]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Operated for Aerochaco |