CATA Línea Aérea
CATA Línea Aérea was an Argentine airline that operated domestic scheduled and charter services from Buenos Aires-area airports and regional destinations.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
CATA Línea Aérea was an Argentine airline based in Buenos Aires. Established in 1986, it operated domestic scheduled and charter flights, using Morón Airport as its principal base and also serving or operating from Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Almirante Marco Andrés Zar Airport, and Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport. The airline was wholly owned by Grupo Pesquera ICS Argentina. Its operating model combined regular domestic passenger services with charter flying. The available historical record identifies a small fleet centered on Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprop aircraft, supplemented by one IAI Arava. This fleet profile placed CATA within Argentina’s regional and domestic aviation market, where turboprop aircraft were suited to medium-distance routes and operations from airports outside the country’s principal international hub. CATA’s commercial activity was ultimately discontinued. All of its flights were suspended from 2006, and the company was formally declared bankrupt on March 28, 2008. The airline is therefore a defunct historical carrier rather than an active passenger-airline brand. The company’s history also includes a fatal accident on October 26, 2003. Fairchild Hiller FH-227 aircraft LV-MGV crashed southwest of Buenos Aires shortly after takeoff, killing all five people on board and destroying the aircraft. The reported cause involved an incorrect calculation of the aircraft’s takeoff weight, followed by an engine shutdown after departure. This event is relevant to the airline’s safety history but is not classified here as a scandal because the available reference describes an operational accident rather than alleged misconduct or a legal scandal.
History
CATA Línea Aérea was founded in Argentina in 1986 and operated as a Buenos Aires-based domestic airline. Its ownership was attributed to Grupo Pesquera ICS Argentina, which wholly owned the carrier. The airline’s main operating base was Morón Airport, while its activities also involved Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Almirante Marco Andrés Zar Airport, and Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport. The carrier provided both scheduled domestic flights and charter services. Its documented fleet consisted of five Fairchild Hiller FH-227 aircraft and one IAI Arava. The FH-227s were twin-turboprop regional aircraft, while the Arava was a smaller utility aircraft. The recorded fleet suggests that CATA focused on domestic and regional operations rather than long-haul international flying. On October 26, 2003, one of the airline’s FH-227 aircraft, registered LV-MGV, crashed southwest of Buenos Aires. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed. The available account attributes the accident sequence to an incorrect calculation of takeoff weight, which contributed to an engine shutting down after takeoff. This incident forms the principal documented safety event in the airline’s history. CATA suspended all flights in 2006. The airline did not return to service, and bankruptcy was formally declared on March 28, 2008. With no evidence in the supplied sources of subsequent reactivation, CATA Línea Aérea is treated as a defunct Argentine airline. Publicly documented information about its route network, management, financial performance, marketing activity, and detailed corporate structure is limited.
- 2008
Bankruptcy formally declared
[1]The airline was formally declared bankrupt on March 28, 2008.
- 2006
Flight operations suspended
[1]All CATA Línea Aérea flights were suspended, and the carrier subsequently ceased operating.
- 2003
Fatal FH-227 accident
[1]Fairchild Hiller FH-227 LV-MGV crashed southwest of Buenos Aires on October 26, killing all five occupants.
- 1986
Airline established and begins operations
[1]CATA Línea Aérea was established in Argentina and began operating domestic and charter flights.
Products and positioning
A domestic and charter airline serving Argentina with a small turboprop fleet.
Passenger air transportation · 1986
Domestic scheduled passenger services
CATA Línea Aérea operated scheduled domestic passenger flights within Argentina. Its operations were associated with Morón Airport and several other Argentine airports, including the Buenos Aires metropolitan airports and airports serving destinations outside the capital region. Detailed route schedules are not identified in the available reference material.
Charter air transportation · 1986
Charter flights
In addition to scheduled services, CATA Línea Aérea operated charter flights. These services used the carrier’s regional turboprop fleet and formed part of its broader domestic aviation business. The available sources do not provide a complete list of charter customers, destinations, or contract programs.
Regional turboprop aircraft operations
Fairchild Hiller FH-227 operations
The airline’s documented fleet included five Fairchild Hiller FH-227 aircraft. These twin-turboprop aircraft were used for regional passenger and charter operations and represented the core of CATA’s recorded fleet.
Utility and regional aircraft operations
IAI Arava operations
CATA’s documented fleet also included one IAI Arava. The supplied reference confirms the aircraft type but does not specify its precise routes, role, or period of service.
Brand decisions
2008
Formal bankruptcy declarationOtherBackground
After flight operations had been suspended since 2006, CATA Línea Aérea entered formal bankruptcy proceedings.
Action taken
The airline was formally declared bankrupt on March 28, 2008.
Aftermath
CATA Línea Aérea remained a defunct carrier, with no documented return to commercial operations in the supplied sources.
2006
Suspension of all flight operationsStrategyBackground
CATA Línea Aérea stopped operating flights in 2006 after years of domestic scheduled and charter activity.
Action taken
The airline suspended all flights and did not resume service according to the available historical record.
Aftermath
The suspension was followed by the airline’s formal bankruptcy declaration in 2008.
Recent events
- 2008
CATA Línea Aérea formally declared bankrupt[1]
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy was formally declared on March 28, 2008, following the suspension of the airline’s flights in 2006.
- 2006
CATA Línea Aérea suspends all flights[1]
Other
CATA Línea Aérea ceased operating flights in 2006. The available historical reference does not identify a separate public announcement or specify whether the suspension was temporary at the time.
- 2003
CATA Línea Aérea aircraft crashes southwest of Buenos Aires[1]
Other
On October 26, 2003, Fairchild Hiller FH-227 LV-MGV crashed southwest of Buenos Aires shortly after takeoff. All five occupants died. The reported accident sequence involved an incorrectly calculated takeoff weight and an engine shutdown after departure.
Sources2 sources
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