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Avianca
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- AV/AVA
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- El Dorado International Airport, El Salvador International Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1919
- Alliance:
- Star Alliance
- Airline Group:
- Avianca Group
- CEO:
- Adrian Neuhauser
- Country:
- Colombia
- Region:
- South America
The South American airline Avianca presented an Airbus A320, registration N724AV, wearing a pride flag, launching a tribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With this aircraft, the airline is reiterating its long history of promoting equality, it said in a statement. Let’s find out more.
A tribute to the diversity
Yesterday, at Avianca’s maintenance center, the airline paid tribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion, said the airline’s CEO, Adrian Neuhauser, in a statement.
He added,
“It was our own people who unveiled this aircraft showing the pride flag. Our airline is an Avianca for everyone. We are a team of more than 13,000 people with multiple races, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, values, and ideals - everyone is welcome here!”
The airline revealed an Airbus A320, with registration number N724AV, with a unique livery showing the pride flag on its tail.
The painting process of the aircraft took about 450 person-hours at the airline’s MRO located in Rionegro, Colombia. This plane will be flying throughout the South American country as of July 3. The first flights it will operate will be from Bogotá to Villavicencio, Neiva, and Armenia.
This aircraft has a capacity to carry 180 passengers.
Painting the aircraft
This is not the first time Avianca has introduced a unique livery to promote something. In the recent past, Avianca has introduced several aircraft promoting movies (Disney’s Encanto) and touristic destinations (for instance, El Salvador with its Surf City livery).
Albert Perez, Avianca's Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance, added,
"Bringing geographies closer and eliminating barriers is one of the commitments we have as an airline. For nearly a week and with a team of almost 20 people in the Maintenance Center, we worked on the design of this aircraft: a flag that today is part of our principles as a company and that ratifies our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, aware that differences make us great.”
Discover more aviation news.
The aircraft
Avianca chose an Airbus A320-200 to be painted with the pride flag. This aircraft had its first flight on June 6, 2014, and was delivered by Airbus on July 17 that same year.
According to data by ch-aviation, it has CFM56 engines, and it is owned by Jackson Square Aviation.
It has only flown with Avianca throughout its history, amassing nearly 18,400 flight hours and over 13,000 flight cycles.
The aircraft’s last commercial service before flying to Avianca’s MRO was a domestic service between Neiva and Bogota on June 14.
Overall, Avianca has around 140 aircraft in Colombia. The airline employs an Airbus A320-family-based narrowbody fleet and a Boeing 787-family-based widebody fleet. Very recently, Avianca said goodbye to its final ATR aircraft after several years of employing turboprop operations to several destinations.
Following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, Avianca is looking to invest heavily in the addition of new Airbus A320 narrowbody jets. It is expected the airline will receive at least 88 Airbus A320neos by 2031, although the order could be increased to 138 planes.
What do you think about Avianca’s latest livery? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: www.ch-aviation.com