Avianca Group
Avianca Group is a pan-regional airline holding company associated with Avianca and a portfolio of passenger, cargo, airport-services, and loyalty businesses.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Avianca Group International Limited is a pan-regional airline holding company with Colombian operating roots and a registered office in England. Its principal airline brand is Avianca, one of Latin America's longest-established air transport names. The group was created in February 2010 through the combination of Avianca, Colombia's flag carrier, and TACA Airlines, the Salvadoran airline group. Under the transaction, Avianca shareholders received 71% of the new holding company and TACA shareholders received 29%. The resulting organization became a vehicle for coordinating a multinational network of airlines and aviation-related businesses across the Americas. The group historically operated under the name Avianca Holdings S.A., after an earlier corporate structure known as AviancaTaca Holding Inc. It subsequently expanded beyond the original Avianca-TACA combination. In 2014, it acquired the Mexican cargo carrier AeroUnion, adding a dedicated Mexican freight operation to its portfolio. The broader group has also been associated with Avianca Express, Avianca Cargo, cargo and logistics services, airport and aviation services, the Deprisa parcel and logistics business, and LifeMiles, its customer-rewards program. Its historical airline portfolio included operations in Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Argentina, and other Latin American markets, although the status of individual subsidiaries has changed over time. At its pre-pandemic scale, the group ranked among Latin America's largest airline holdings by fleet, revenue, and passenger activity. Reference material describes a fleet of 173 aircraft, more than 19,000 employees, service to more than 100 destinations in the Americas and Europe, and connectivity to more than 750 additional destinations through codeshare relationships. The group reported carrying 24.6 million passengers in 2013. Its business model combined scheduled passenger aviation with air cargo, regional and feeder services, loyalty marketing, courier and logistics operations, and aviation support services. A major turning point came in May 2020, when Avianca Holdings sought protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code after the COVID-19 crisis severely disrupted air travel and the company was unable to meet bond obligations. The restructuring was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in November 2020 through a refinancing plan reported at approximately US$2 billion. Avianca emerged from Chapter 11 on December 1, 2021, marking its second emergence from U.S. bankruptcy proceedings. During the restructuring period, the group also changed its legal and corporate identity: in November 2021 it announced plans to move its legal address from Panama to the United Kingdom and adopt the name Avianca Group. The group's identity therefore spans two levels. Avianca remains the customer-facing airline brand, while Avianca Group represents the holding-company structure and its associated aviation businesses. Its network has traditionally emphasized connecting Latin America with North America and Europe, supported by hubs and operating companies in several countries. The group competes in a market shaped by flag-carrier heritage, growing low-cost competition, currency and fuel volatility, regulatory constraints, and the cyclical economics of commercial aviation. Current details concerning ownership, management, fleet composition, and the precise status of former subsidiaries require verification against up-to-date corporate disclosures.
History
Avianca Group's modern holding-company history began in February 2010, when Avianca and TACA Airlines combined their corporate interests. Avianca was Colombia's flag carrier, while TACA represented El Salvador and a wider Central American airline network. The transaction created a multinational parent company intended to coordinate both airlines and provide a platform for further regional expansion. Avianca shareholders received 71% of the new entity and TACA shareholders received 29%. The company was initially known as AviancaTaca Holding Inc. and later operated as Avianca Holdings S.A. The combination gave the group a broad geographic footprint rather than a single-country operating model. Its associated companies served Colombia, Central America, Ecuador, Peru, and other Latin American markets, while its network connected the region with destinations in North America and Europe. The group developed a portfolio that included passenger airlines, cargo operators, regional brands, airport and aviation services, parcel logistics, and the LifeMiles frequent-flyer program. Codeshare agreements extended the practical reach of its network beyond the destinations directly operated by its subsidiaries. Expansion continued in 2014 with the acquisition of the Mexican carrier AeroUnion. AeroUnion became part of the group's cargo portfolio and was later associated with the Avianca Cargo México identity. Other historical businesses and brands included Tampa Cargo, Avianca Express, Deprisa, Avianca Services, and national airline operations using the Avianca brand or predecessor names in countries including Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru. The structure also included former or discontinued interests such as Avianca Perú, Aeroperlas, La Costeña, SANSA, and Servicios Aeroportuarios Integrados. The precise current status of each subsidiary is not established by the supplied material. Before the pandemic, Avianca Group was described as the second-largest airline holding group in Latin America after LATAM Airlines by revenue and fleet size. In 2013, the group carried 24.6 million passengers. Reference material describes a later operating scale of 173 aircraft, more than 19,000 employees, service to over 100 destinations in the Americas and Europe, and codeshare connectivity to more than 750 destinations worldwide. These figures illustrate the scale of the pre-restructuring organization, but they should not be treated as current operating metrics. The group faced reputational and governance scrutiny in 2017 after the Paradise Papers connected former chairman Germán Efromovich with an offshore conglomerate involving companies in Bermuda, Panama, and Cyprus. The reporting concerned the use of offshore entities in connection with the purchase of MacAir Jet in Argentina and related route-assignment matters. Argentine federal authorities investigated the arrangements. The available reference material does not establish a final legal outcome. The most consequential corporate event was the COVID-19 crisis. On May 10, 2020, Avianca Holdings filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States after the collapse in passenger demand and inability to pay bondholders. A refinancing plan reported at approximately US$2 billion was approved in November 2020. In November 2021, the company announced a legal-address move from Panama to the United Kingdom and a change of name to Avianca Group. It emerged from Chapter 11 on December 1, 2021. The reorganization marked a second emergence from U.S. bankruptcy proceedings and separated the group's post-restructuring identity from its former Avianca Holdings corporate name. Subsequent operational and ownership details require current-source verification.
- 2021
Corporate reorganization announced
[1]The company announced a move of its legal address to the United Kingdom and a transition from Avianca Holdings to Avianca Group.
- 2021
Emergence from Chapter 11
[1]The group emerged from its U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings on December 1.
- 2020
Chapter 11 filing
[1]Avianca Holdings filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States amid the COVID-19 aviation crisis.
- 2020
Refinancing plan approved
[1]A U.S. bankruptcy court approved the group's restructuring and refinancing plan.
- 2014
AeroUnion acquisition
[1]Avianca Holdings expanded into Mexican cargo aviation by acquiring AeroUnion.
- 2013
Pre-pandemic passenger scale
[1]The group carried 24.6 million passengers during the year, according to the supplied reference material.
- 2010
Avianca and TACA combine
[1]Avianca and TACA Airlines formed a new pan-regional holding structure. Avianca shareholders received 71% and TACA shareholders 29%.
Products and positioning
Pan-regional Latin American airline group combining a legacy full-service carrier identity with passenger, cargo, regional, loyalty, and logistics operations
Passenger airline
Avianca
The principal passenger airline brand associated with the group. Avianca provides scheduled air transport linking Latin American markets with North America and Europe, and historically served as the core operating platform created through the Avianca-TACA combination.
Air cargo
Avianca Cargo
The group's cargo business, historically associated with Tampa Cargo, transports freight through dedicated cargo operations and the passenger network. Its portfolio was expanded through the acquisition of Mexico's AeroUnion in 2014.
Loyalty program
LifeMiles
Avianca's customer-rewards and frequent-flyer program. LifeMiles supports customer retention and partner engagement by linking air travel with rewards and broader commercial partnerships.
Logistics and parcel services
Deprisa
A parcel and logistics business associated with the group, extending its commercial scope beyond passenger tickets and conventional airline cargo into courier and delivery services.
Regional airline services
Avianca Express
A regional or feeder-oriented brand associated with Avianca Group's effort to serve shorter-haul markets and connect them with the broader Avianca network.
Aviation services
Avianca Services
An aviation-support business associated with the group. The supplied material identifies the brand but does not provide enough detail to specify its current service portfolio or operating footprint.
Controversies
2017
Paradise Papers offshore-structure investigation
Paradise Papers reporting linked former chairman Germán Efromovich to an offshore conglomerate involving entities in Bermuda, Panama, and Cyprus. The reporting concerned the use of offshore companies in connection with Avianca's acquisition of MacAir Jet in Argentina and the assignment of air routes. Argentine federal authorities investigated the matter; the supplied material does not establish a final disposition.
Brand decisions
2021
Adopt Avianca Group identity and move legal addressStrategyBackground
The post-bankruptcy organization required a revised corporate structure and identity.
Action taken
The company announced that its legal address would move from Panama to the United Kingdom and that Avianca Holdings would become Avianca Group.
Aftermath
The holding company emerged from Chapter 11 under the Avianca Group name on December 1, 2021.
2020
Enter Chapter 11 restructuringStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented collapse in air travel and the company was unable to meet bondholder obligations.
Action taken
Avianca Holdings filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on May 10, 2020.
Aftermath
The court later approved a refinancing and restructuring plan, allowing the company to emerge from bankruptcy in December 2021.
Reported refinancing plan size. Approximately US$2 billion refinancing plan approved (November 2020)
2014
Acquire AeroUnionM&ABackground
The group sought to broaden its regional aviation portfolio and strengthen its presence in Mexican cargo operations.
Action taken
Avianca Holdings acquired the Mexican carrier AeroUnion.
Aftermath
AeroUnion became associated with the group's Mexican cargo activities and later with Avianca Cargo México.
Recent events
- 2021
Avianca Holdings announces legal-address and name change[1]
Leadership change
The holding company announced that it would move its legal address from Panama to the United Kingdom and change its name to Avianca Group.
- 2021
Avianca emerges from Chapter 11 restructuring[1]
Bankruptcy
Avianca Holdings completed its second emergence from U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings on December 1, following the court-approved restructuring.
- 2020
Avianca Holdings files for Chapter 11 protection[1]
Bankruptcy
The company entered U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings after the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced air travel and the group failed to meet bond-payment obligations.
- 2020
U.S. court approves Avianca refinancing plan[1]
Bankruptcy
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved a refinancing plan reported at approximately US$2 billion, supporting the group's restructuring.
- 2014
Avianca Group acquires Mexican carrier AeroUnion[1]
M&A
The group expanded its cargo and regional aviation portfolio through the acquisition of Mexican airline AeroUnion.
Sources5 sources
- 1Avianca Groupen.wikipedia.org
- 2又一大航空公司“轰然倒下”！3月以来公司收入锐减80％，申请破产finance.sina.com.cn
- 3Avianca files for bankruptcy protectionbusinesstraveller.com
- 4Avianca Holdings Files for Bankruptcy Reorganization Because of Covid-19riotimesonline.com
- 5Avianca, World’s Second-Oldest Airline, Files for Bankruptcy Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemicfrequentbusinesstraveler.com
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/avianca-group · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled