ATR 42-500
ACES Colombia was operated by what from Feb 2000 to Aug 2003?
ACES Colombia ACES ( Spanish acronym : Aerolíneas Centrales de Colombia ) was an airline with its headquarters in the Edificio del Cafe in Medellín , Colombia and founded on August 30 , 1971 , by a group of 13 Colombian entrepreneurs , amongst them , most notably Orlando Botero Escobar and German Peñaloza Arias from Manizales and Luis H . Coulson , Jorge Coulson R. , Alberto Jaramillo and Hernán Zuluaga from Medellín . History . Mr . Botero and Mr . Peñaloza , were considered pioneers in the early days of Colombian commercial aviation , had tried several times to establish a commuter service between Manizales and Bogotá . They managed to operate a small commuter airline by the name TARCA ( acronym of Taxi Aéreo de Caldas ) , which was forced to shut down due to financial difficulties . With the support and capital of the new partners from Medellín , they embarked on the successful enterprise that would be ACES . The airline began service in 1972 with Saunders ST-27 aircraft for the routes Medellín-Bogotá and Manizales-Bogotá , and soon became a major player in the Colombian market . By 1976 , the airline had expanded its network to smaller regional destinations , for which it purchased DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft . In 1981 , it acquired its first Boeing 727-100 . In 1986 , an expansion began with the acquisition of more 727-100 and the arrival of Fairchild FH-227 aircraft built under license by Fairchild in the United States and with slight modifications . The 727s had a capacity of 129 passengers and the Fairchilds of 44 . At this time the first international charter flights also began to Havana , Varadero , Nassau , Freeport , Montego Bay , Puerto Plata , Punta Cana , St . Kitts , St . Maarten , Porlamar and Cancun . In 1991 , ACES completely replaced its Fokker F27 Friendship fleet with ATR 42 turbo-prop aircraft for its short-haul regional routes , and its Boeing 727-100 with the Boeing 727-200 Advanced variant . In 1992 , ACES expanded its service internationally , operating flights from Medellín and Bogotá to Miami . Soon after , Juan Emilio Posada was appointed CEO and would serve until the airlines demise in 2003 . In the late 1997 , ACES modernized its fleet acquiring brand-new Airbus A320-200 aircraft that replaced its Boeing 727s . It expanded its routes to Fort Lauderdale , Quito , Caracas , Cancún ( served by charters ) , Santo Domingo , Punta Cana and San Juan , Puerto Rico ; as well as additional domestic flights within Colombia . ACES created a corporate culture of service and punctuality that would earn it the recognition and loyalty of its customers , resulting in consistent increases in its market share and revenues in the domestic market , which was dominated for decades by Avianca . It was named the Best airline in Colombia by several industry and consumer publications . On May 20 , 2002 , ACES merged with major competitor Avianca and SAM to form the Alianza Summa , a strategic alliance aimed at joining forces to counteract the adverse circumstances that faced the airline industry in Colombia and the world after the September 11 attacks . ACES operations were halted on August 20 , 2003 , after the boards decision to liquidate the airline . ACES ceased operations on October 24 , 2003 after liquidating . By November 2003 , the Summa Alliance was dissolved and ACES routes taken over by Avianca . Fleet . Final fleet . Since August 2003 , ACES Colombia had only been using these aircraft : Former fleet . ACES Colombia had in the past operated a variety of aircraft , including : Accidents and incidents . - On December 18 , 1981 , a DHC-6 Twin Otter ( registered HK-2216 ) crashed in the municipality of San Antero , during the approach to the Coveñas Airport . In this incident 13 people perished , including the crew composed of Captain Guillermo Alberto García and co-pilot Andrés Rafael Londoño . - On November 29 , 1982 , a DHC-6 Twin Otter ( registered HK-2536 ) crashed in the foothills of the Eastern Cordillera against Cerro Pan de Azúcar in the township of San Juanito , Meta . The flight came on a regular flight from San José del Guaviare and was heading to Bogotá under the command of Captain Marino Jiménez and co-pilot Ricardo Santacoloma , who along with 20 passengers lost their lives . - On August 1 , 1988 , a DHC-6 Twin Otter ( registered HK-2445 ) was hijacked and demanded the pilot to land at an abandoned airstrip in Colombia . The passengers were reportedly robbed and the hijackers escaped , which six of them were later captured . - On November 30 , 1996 , a DHC-6 Twin Otter , operating flight 148 , ( registered HK-2602 ) crashed into Cerro El Barcino a few minutes after takeoff from Olaya Herrera Airport . The flight was operating the route between Medellin , Bahía Solano and Quibdó . 14 people died in the impact and subsequent fire , including the crew commanded by Captain Juan Carlos Bermúdez López ; one passenger survived with serious injuries . - On October 11 , 2000 , an ATR 42-500 ( registered VP-BOF ) and a Boeing 727-200 ( registered HK-3998X ) collided on the El Dorado International Airport apron during the towing process . The ATR 42-500 was declared a total loss after the incident . There were no injuries or fatalities in this event .