Fusion TACA / Avianca

TACA et Avianca fusionnent

L’une des plus importantes compagnies d’Amérique Latine est sur le point d’être créée. TACA et Avianca ont annoncé le 7 octobre qu’elles allaient fusionner dans la création d’un nouveau groupe. La holding sera détenue aux deux tiers par Synergy Aerospace – la maison mère d’Avianca – et à un tiers par TACA. Elle n’a pas encore de nom et est soumise à l’approbation des autorités de régulation.

Chacune des deux compagnies conservera son identité au sein de la holding ainsi créée. Elles opèreront donc séparément et conserveront la physionomie de leur réseau actuel mais coordonneront leurs programmes. Le groupe devrait être le premier de la région en terme de réseau, de flotte et de passagers.


TACA et Avianca ont en effet des réseaux très complémentaires et ne sont aujourd’hui en concurrence que sur 1% de leurs liaisons combinées. Lorsque le rapprochement sera effectif, elles desserviront plus d’une centaine de destinations, dont soixante-quinze en Amérique Latine, et pourront donc se targuer d’une offre 50% plus importante que celle de LAN. A l’image de la politique multi hubs de TACA, leurs opérations seront articulées autour de quatre hubs : celui d’Avianca à Bogota, Lima, San Salvadore et San José (Costa-Rica).

Quant à la flotte combinée, elle comptera cent vingt-neuf appareils. La flotte d’Avianca, qui compte des long-courriers (quatre Airbus A330 et quatre Boeing 767), offrira de nouvelles opportunités depuis les hubs de San Salvador et de Lima. Quant à celle de TACA, elle est essentiellement composée de monocouloirs d’Airbus et permettra de soutenir sa partenaire colombienne dans le renouvellement de sa flotte. Avianca est en train de passer à une flotte majoritairement composée d’Airbus : elle remplace ses MD-83 par des A319 et A320, ainsi que ses B757 et B767 par des A330 puis des A350.

Avianca, TACA Merger To Stimulate Demand

Oct 16, 2009



By Darren Shannon


The parent company to be created under the proposed merger of Avianca and TACA intends to stimulate new demand in Latin America through a revamped schedule, while keeping both brands intact.

The benefits of this partnership, therefore, will come from the cost advantages of a large company and increased revenues through improved scheduling, according to the top executives of both carriers.

Speaking at ALTA’s Airline Leaders Forum in Cartagena, Colombia, yesterday, Avianca CEO Fabio Villegas and TACA Chairman and CEO Roberto Kriete, along with Avianca’s owner German Efromovich, also noted that the proposed agreement to bring the two airline groups together meets all regulatory requirements, and should easily gain the requisite approvals.

“We expect to stimulate the market” through this merger, Kriete told the conference. “We are not going after anyone…We are not going to pick a fight, not with Copa, not with LAN. We can stimulate demand.”

That demand will be driven by a revamped schedule that will link both carriers’ networks. “With the same number of airplanes, with the same utilization or even more utilization, we will be able to offer a better service,” said TACA’s chief, noting that a new schedule will not only allow both companies to provide improved connections, it may also provide the opportunity to open new city-pairs. “With this, we can improve revenue substantially,” he added.

But increased revenues are only part of the decision to bring Avianca and TACA together. “From a cost view, size does matter,” said Kriete, noting that the negotiating power of a combined airline group will allow them to broker improved deals with suppliers. “Even a 2% improvement in costs would give us $100 million a year. And in this industry that is no small amount,” added Kriete.

Despite these changes, the two airlines will remain separate operating entities that could even align with competing alliances: Avianca with SkyTeam and TACA with Star Alliance. “There are several things we can consider,” Kriete said during the panel discussion.

Brands will also remain untouched, he continued, adding that “there is value to the individual brands that we do not want to lose.” Eventually, though, a full merger will occur, said Kriete, although it “would be a merger of equals” regardless of Avianca’s larger 67% equity stake in the proposed holding company.

The deal as it stands “is a win-win for everyone,” noted Avianca’s Villegas. “We do not see any significant risk with the integration itself,” he added.

However, there is an admittance that regulatory issues will have to be resolved, notably over Efromovich’s citizenship (although born in Bolivia he has Brazilian and Colombian citizenship) and conditions of bilateral agreements with the U.S.