note

Founded by local entrepreneurs lead by Luis H. Coulson (ACES, Tampa) as private cargo airline connecting mountain locked city of Medellin with rest of Colombia and destinations as far as Miami in Florida. Operations commenced in 1946 using Douglas C-47 freighter. In 1958 first passenger route was introduced serving island of San Andres. Airline eventually served cities as far as Santiago de Chile, Mexico City and New York. In the early 1970s SAM and AVIANCA became cooperation which culminated in 1994 in formation of Systema Avianca which also included Helicol. After the slump in airline traffic following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, SAM, another Colombian domestic airline ACES and AVIANCA formed alliance named Alianza Summa which lasted only till November 2003. ACES was liquidated and SAM continued to operate only on behalf of AVIANCA in its livery. AVIANCA was at the time under bankruptcy protection and vulnerable. In 2004 AVIANCA was sold to Synergy Group controlled by Brazilian airline magnate German Efromovich. Last SAM flight was operated on 4th of October 2010.

founded - demised (age)

October 6 1945 - October 4 2010  (65)

headquarters

Calle 53 No. 45-112, Apartado Aero, Medellin

web

base airports

SKMD Enrique Olaya Herrera Medellin
SKBO Eldorado International Bogota

related operators

Avianca	Parent absorbed into
ACES Colombia