TACA International Airlines History: Central America, 1931–2013 – Airline Employee Shop

TACA International Airlines History

TACA began in 1931 as one New Zealander's bush airline in Honduras, grew into El Salvador's international carrier and the heart of Grupo TACA, and folded its name into Avianca in 2013. Here's a short history of TACA International Airlines, plus the TACA collection that celebrates it.

Lowell Yerex and Central America (1931–1945)

Lowell Yerex, a New Zealander from Wellington who had flown with the Royal Flying Corps, founded Transportes Aéreos Centro-Americanos in Honduras in 1931. It started out carrying cargo with a single-engine Stinson and won a Honduran airmail contract in 1932. The first international route, Tegucigalpa to San Salvador, opened in 1933, and by 1936 TACA was flying in five Central American countries. Yerex also founded British West Indian Airways in 1940. He was forced out of TACA at the end of 1945, and the airline moved its base to El Salvador.

TACA International (1946–1980s)

A 1949 restructuring made the El Salvador company TACA International Airlines. The Kriete family of El Salvador became its controlling owners. TACA entered the jet age with two BAC One-Eleven twinjets, the first named "El Centroamericano," which arrived in 1966 and 1967 and flew to Miami and New Orleans. Leased Boeing 737-200s arrived from 1978.

Grupo TACA (1990s–2009)

Between 1990 and 1995 TACA took majority stakes in Aviateca of Guatemala, LACSA of Costa Rica and Nica of Nicaragua, forming Grupo TACA. The group shared one network across Central America, and in 1998 it joined TAM and LAN in a large Airbus order.

Joining Avianca (2009–2013)

On October 7, 2009, TACA announced a merger with Colombia's Avianca. The combined group joined Star Alliance in June 2012. The last flight under the TACA callsign operated on May 20, 2013, and the airline now flies as Avianca El Salvador.

A few things collectors love

  • The macaw emblem. Avianca brought it back on an Airbus A320 (N564AV) painted in TACA's 1990s colors in 2022.
  • The first BAC One-Eleven, YS-17C, carried the name "El Centroamericano."
  • Founder Lowell Yerex also started British West Indian Airways.

Shop TACA

Browse TACA logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the TACA collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for anyone who flew Central America's airline.

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