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This month the group added a Boeing 767-300 F-ER, exclusively for cargo, to the fleet of its subsidiary Tampa Cargo, increasing its freight capacity by 53.5 tons.

The organization also signed an order for four modern Airbus A330-200 Freighters, making it the first airline in Latin America to operate these aircraft from the end of 2012.

In parallel with the expansion of its air freight capacity, the Company also renovated its facilities and incorporated new technology to optimize its ground processes.

In order to attend to the needs of the fast growing regional air cargo market, the airline group announced that it had launched its plan to improve and expand the capacity of its process that make up this important part of the chain of imports and exports that link Latin America to the world and vice versa.

Avianca and TACA aims to consolidate its portfolio of products and cargo services. The plan, implemented through its subsidiary Tampa Cargo, includes significant investment in aircraft dedicated exclusively to transporting goods and products, the improvement of ground infrastructure and the incorporation of the latest cutting edge technology and online tracking.

When presenting the group cargo strategy, the CEO of AviancaTaca, Fabio Villegas Ramirez, noted: "Air transportation plays a key role in the dynamic exchange between countries and regions. Given this and the growing demand for capacity for freight transportation in the north-south-north centers of the Americas and from there to other continents, we have taken the decision to make a strong bet on this side of our business. We want both importers and exporters in the region to see AviancaTaca as an optimal partner to help them meet their business goals."

Incorporation of the Boeing B767-300 , the Preferred Freighter for Cargo Markets
As part of the implementation of this expansion plan, Tampa Cargo this month added a Boeing 767-300 freighter aircraft to its operation. With this new aircraft, powered by General Electric engines, the company expanded its cargo capacity by 53.5 tonnes, equivalent to a 32% growth in the total capacity of the Tampa fleet.

The new Boeing 767-300 aircraft is added to the four Boeing 767-200 ER SF planes that already make up part of the fleet assigned to the cargo airline operation.

Tampa Cargo offers its services throughout the Americas and is now in a position to be able to join destinations located in extreme geographic points such as: Los Angeles-Montevideo or New York-Santiago, serviced with just one technical stopover.

Four Airbus A330-200 Freighters ordered
In line with the modernization strategy the group signed an order for four Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft, which are also assigned to the Tampa Cargo fleet.

The A330-200F aircraft, with a capacity of 70 tonnes and a range of 4,000 nautical miles, will be incorporated into the operation from December 2012 and will replace the existing group cargo airline aircraft fleet.

The new Airbus A330-200F aircraft, boasting advanced technology, are noted for their efficiency and operational performance, as well as their low noise pollution and emission levels. They have been specially designed for cargo transport, making the A330-200 Freighter the ideal option to transport large cargo. Similarly, special equipment allows temperature control zones, making it the optimal solution for taking different types of cargo on the same flight.

Expansion of warehouses, hangar and ground infrastructure
In tandem with the increased capacity for air cargo transportation, Tampa also increased its storage capacity by over 200%. The freight airline now has additional space to store goods in the new International Cargo Terminal at El Dorado Airport. This includes a 114% increase in the size of refrigerated cargo zones, ensuring preservation of the cold chain for goods and products that require special handling.

Tampa Cargo has grown from 14 to 23 physical receipt lines in the warehouses in El Dorado Airport in Bogota, allowing the simultaneous reception of up to 37 tons / hour.

Finally, the company also refitted the exclusive hangar for Tampa Cargo aircraft in Rionegro (Antioquia). With a total area of 3,830 square meters, the freight airline has optimal space for its Boeing B767-200, B767-300, B757-200, Airbus A330 fleet and their respective engines.

New system for complete cargo management
The reorganization of cargo processes included the implementation of the Sky Chain system that consolidated all the group airlines information into a single platform. Thanks to this system, clients can view the available capacity on each flight, make reservations and perform tracking online, ship their cargo at any group station, use airway bills of any of the Aviancataca Holding airlines, enter the relevant documentation, reconcile their accounts and make their shipments even more efficient.

This tool -Sky Chain- was developed to facilitate supply chain logistics, and has been a key part of us achieving excellence in our freight service. In addition to the benefits for the customer, the system allows the airlines of AviancaTaca Holding to monitor behavior and patterns of cargo transported through the group's route network. The system also permits the airline to exchange information in real time with customers.