- This month the Group granted a Boeing 767-300 F-ER aircraft exclusively for cargo to its affiliate Tampa Cargo, thus increasing the company’s available capacity for merchandize transportation by 53.5 metric tons.

- The Organization also signed an order for the purchase of four modern Airbus A330-200F Cargo planes; so, by the end of 2012, Tampa Cargo will be the first Latin American airline to operate this aircraft.

- Along with its expanded cargo air transportation capacity, Tampa Cargo has renovated its installations and incorporated ground process optimization technology.

Seeking to attend to the needs of the ever growing air cargo market in the region, this air carrier Group has announced the start-up of its plan to enhance and broaden the capability of the processes that comprise this important link in the chain of two-way imports and exports between Latin America and the rest of the world.

Avianca and TACA thus propose to consolidate their cargo product and service portfolio. Implemented through the Avianca affiliate Tampa Cargo, the plan includes a significant investment in aircraft exclusively devoted to the transportation of goods and merchandise, an enhanced ground infrastructure, and cutting-edge on-line reservation and tracking technology.

When AviancaTaca CEO Fabio Villegas Ramírez presented the Group’s cargo strategy, he stated “Air transportation plays a crucial role in making exchanges between countries and regions more dynamic. Bearing that I mind and taking into account the growing demand for cargo mobilization capacity between the northern and southern hubs in the Western Hemisphere and from here to other continents, we have decided to magnify our efforts in this business front. We want the region’s importers and exporters alike to consider AviancaTaca the best of allies, always available to help them accomplish their business goals.

As part of the expansion plan, this month Tampa Cargo added a Boeing 767-300F-ER to its fleet. This aircraft propelled by General Electric engines will enable the Company to augment its net cargo transportation capacity by 53.5 metric tons, which represents a 32% increase in Tampa Cargo’s total on-board cargo capacity.

This new Boeing 767-300F-ER joins the four Boeing 767-200 SF-ER aircraft already in the fleet assigned to Tampa Cargo operations.

Tampa Cargo provides services throughout the Western Hemisphere and is now able to connect points located at both extremes, such as Los Angeles and Montevideo or New York and Santiago, with just one technical stop.

In alignment with its streamlining and strengthening strategy, the Group has signed an order for the purchase of four Airbus A330-200F Cargo planes, also to be assigned to the Tampa Cargo fleet.

One of the A330-200F aircraft, with a capacity of up to 70 metric tons and a range of up to 4,000 nautical miles each, will start operations in December 2012 and will replace some of the cargo airplanes in the Group’s fleet presently used.

The new state-of-the-art technology Airbus A330-200F aircraft is known for its efficiency and operational yield, as well as for its low noise and pollution emission levels. The A330-200F was designed exclusively for cargo transportation purposes, making it an ideal alternative for mobilizing cumbersome freight. Also, its special devices for controlling the temperature in each of the cargo areas make this aircraft perfect for transporting different types of freight on one flight.

Not only has Tampa Cargo augmented its cargo air transportation capacity; it has also increased its storage capacity by over 200%. Indeed, it now has additional space for storing merchandise at the new Eldorado Airport International Cargo Terminal. The space includes a 114% increase in areas for refrigerated freight, which ensures cold chain conservation for merchandise and products that demand special handling.

So Tampa Cargo has gone from 14 to 23 physical receiving lines in the storage areas at the El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá and that had enabled it to simultaneously receive up to 37 metric tons per hour.

Finally, the Company has remodeled its hangar exclusively for Tampa Cargo aircraft, located in Rionegro, Antioquia. The hangar covers a total area of 3,830 square meters, making it a perfect place for the cargo airline to inspect and service Boeing B767-200, B767-300 and B757-200 aircraft and Airbus A330 aircraft, as well as their respective engines.

The cargo process reorganization included implementing SkyChain. That system enabled consolidating all of the Group airline’s cargo information on one sole platform. Now, all on line, customers can view the available capacity on each flight, book their cargo reservations, and do their tracking. They can arrange to have their cargo loaded at any of the Group stations, use the Air Waybills of any of the AviancaTaca Holding airlines, and enter the corresponding documentation. And they can also do account reconciliation and, in general, ensure more efficient dispatching.

The SkyChain System, developed to facilitate supply chain logistics, has become a key component for achieving cargo service excellence. In addition to the benefits that it offers our customers, the system allows the AviancaTaca Holding airlines to monitor the patterns of the freight transported on the Group’s route network. The system connectivity also boasts real-time customer information exchange.