1.
Airline codes
–
This is a list of airline codes. The table lists IATAs two-character airline designators, ICAOs three-character airline designators, IATA airline designators, sometimes called IATA reservation codes, are two-character codes assigned by the International Air Transport Association to the worlds airlines. The standard is described in IATAs Standard Schedules Information Manual and the codes themselves are described in IATAs Airline Coding Directory, Airline designator codes follow the format xx, i. e. two alphanumeric characters followed by an optional letter. Although the IATA standard provides for three-character airline designators, IATA has not used the third character in any assigned code. This is because some legacy computer systems, especially the central reservations systems, have failed to comply with the standard, the codes issued to date comply with IATA Resolution 762, which provides for only two characters. These codes thus comply with the current airline designator standard, there are three types of designator, unique, numeric/alpha and controlled duplicate. IATA airline designators are used to identify an airline for commercial purposes in reservations, timetables, tickets, tariffs, air waybills, a flight designator is the concatenation of the airline designator, xx, and the numeric flight number, n, plus an optional one-letter operational suffix. Therefore, the format of a flight designator is xxn. After an airline is delisted, IATA can make the code available for reuse after six months, controlled duplicates are issued to regional airlines whose destinations are not likely to overlap, so that the same code is shared by two airlines. The controlled duplicate is denoted here, and in IATA literature, an example of this is the code 6Y, which refers to both Mid Airlines, a charter airline in Sudan, and Med Airways, a charter airline in Lebanon. IATA also issues an accounting or prefix code and this number is used on tickets as the first three characters of the ticket number. The IATA codes originally based on the ICAO designators which were issued in 1947 as two-letter airline identification codes and these codes are unique by airline, unlike the IATA airline designator codes. The designators are listed in ICAO Document 8585, Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, ICAO codes have been issued since 1947. The ICAO codes originally based on a two-letter-system and were identical to the codes used by IATA. After an airline joined IATA its existing ICAO-two-letter-code was taken over as IATA code, so in the 1970s the abbreviation BA was the ICAO code and the IATA code of British Airways while non-IATA-airlines like Court Line used their 2-letter-abbreviation as ICAO code only. In the early 1980s ICAO introduced the current three-letter-system due to the number of airlines. It became the new standard system in November 1987. Other designators, particularly starting with Y and Z, are reserved for government organizations
2.
Airline hub
–
Airline hubs or hub airports are used by one or more airliners to concentrate passenger traffic and flight operations at a given airport. They serve as points to get passengers to their final destination. It is part of the hub-and-spoke system, an airline operates flights from several non-hub cities to the hub airport, and passengers traveling between spoke cities need to connect through the hub. This paradigm creates economies of scale that allow an airline to serve city-pairs that could not be economically served on a non-stop basis. This system contrasts with the point-to-point model, in there are no hubs. Hub airports also serve origin and destination traffic, the hub-and-spoke system allows an airline to serve fewer routes, so fewer aircraft are needed. The system also increases passenger loads, a flight from a hub to a spoke carries not just passengers originating at the hub, additional employees and facilities are needed to cater to connecting passengers. To serve spoke cities of varying populations and demand, an airline requires several aircraft types, in addition, airlines may experience capacity constraints as they expand at their hub airports. For the passenger, the system offers one-stop air service to a wide array of destinations. However, having to make connections en route to their final destination increases travel time. Additionally, airlines can come to monopolise their hubs, allowing them to increase fares. Airlines may operate banks of flights at their hubs, in several flights arrive. The banks may be known as peaks of activity at the hubs, banking allows for short connection times for passengers. In addition, banking could result in inefficient aircraft utilisation, with aircraft waiting at spoke cities for the next bank, instead, some airlines have debanked their hubs, introducing a rolling hub in which flight arrivals and departures are spread throughout the day. This phenomenon is known as depeaking. While costs may decrease, connection times are longer at a rolling hub, American Airlines was the first to depeak its hubs, trying to improve profitability following the September 11 attacks. It rebanked its hubs in 2015, however, feeling the gain in connecting passengers would outweigh the rise in costs, the hub-and-spoke system is also used by some cargo airlines. FedEx Express established its main hub in Memphis in 1973, prior to the deregulation of the air industry in the United States
3.
Airline alliance
–
An airline alliance is an aviation industry arrangement between two or more airlines agreeing to cooperate on a substantial level. Alliances may provide marketing branding to facilitate travelers making inter-airline codeshare connections within countries and this branding may involve unified aircraft liveries of member aircraft. In 2015, Star Alliance was the largest with 23% of total scheduled traffic in RPK, followed by SkyTeam with 20. 4% and Oneworld with 17. 8%, benefits can consist of, An extended network, often realised through codeshare agreements. Many alliances started as only codeshare networks, cost reduction from sharing of, sales offices maintenance facilities operational facilities, e. g. catering or computer systems. Operational staff, e. g. ground handling personnel, at check-in, investments and purchases, e. g. in order to negotiate extra volume discounts. Traveler benefits can include, lower prices due to lowered operational costs for a given route, more departure times to choose from on a given route. Shorter travel times as a result of optimised transfers, a wider range of airport lounges shared with alliance members faster mileage rewards by earning miles for a single account on several different carriers. Round-the-world tickets, enabling travelers to fly over the world for a low price. Airline alliances may also create disadvantages for the traveler, such as, less frequent flights, for instance, if two airlines separately fly three and two times a day respectively on a shared route, their alliance might fly less than 5 times a day on the same route. This might be especially true between hub cities for each airline, E. g. flights between Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The ability of an airline to join an alliance may be restricted by laws, competition law issues must also be considered in some countries. The first airline alliance was formed in the 1930s, when Panair do Brasil, the first large alliance began in 1989, when Northwest Airlines and KLM agreed to large-scale codesharing. Normally landing rights are granted for a number of flights per week to a fixed destination. Each adjustment requires negotiations, often between governments rather than between the companies involved, in return, the United States granted antitrust immunity to the alliance between Northwest Airlines and KLM. Other alliances would struggle for years to overcome the barriers and lack of antitrust immunity. The Star Alliance was founded in 1997, which brought competing airlines to form Oneworld in 1999, in 2010 Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group, announced his intention to form a fourth alliance among Virgin branded airlines. Then in September 2011, Branson said that Virgin would join one of the existing alliances, in December 2012, Delta Air Lines purchased Singapore Airlines 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic for £224 million. On February 14,2013, it was announced that American Airlines and US Airways would merge, retaining the American Airlines name, US Airways participation in the Star Alliance lapsed
4.
Star Alliance
–
Star Alliance is one of the worlds largest global airline alliances. Founded on 14 May 1997, its current CEO is Mark Schwab and its headquarters is in Frankfurt am Main, as of 7 August 2016, Star Alliance is the second largest global alliance by passenger count with 641.1 million, after SkyTeam and ahead of Oneworld. Its slogan is The Way The Earth Connects, the alliance has a two-tier rewards program, Silver and Gold, with incentives including priority boarding and upgrades. Like other airline alliances, Star Alliance airlines share airport terminals, on 14 May 1997, an agreement was announced forming Star Alliance from five airlines on three continents, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and United Airlines. The alliance chose Young & Rubicam for advertising, with a budget of $25 million, the airlines shared the star logo from the beginning, with its five points representing the founding airlines. The alliance adopted its first slogan, The Airline Network for Earth, with its goal an alliance that will take passengers to major city on earth. The now defunct Brazilian airline VARIG joined the Star Alliance network on 22 October 1997, also joining were Ansett Australia and Air New Zealand, expanding Star Alliance to Australia and the Pacific. With the addition of the two carriers, the alliance served 720 destinations in 110 countries with a combined fleet of 1,650 aircraft. The next airline to join was All Nippon Airways, the groups second Asian airline, during the early 2000s, a number of airlines joined Star Alliance, the Austrian Airlines Group joined on 26 March 2000 and Singapore Airlines on 1 April. BMI and Mexicana Airlines joined on 1 July, bringing the membership to 13. The addition of BMI made London Heathrow the only European hub with two alliances, during the year, Emirates considered joining Star Alliance, but decided against it. That year the now-defunct BWIA West Indies Airways, which had entered an alliance with United Airlines, considered becoming a member, in 2000, the alliance also opened its first three business centers and announced the formation of an Alliance Management Team, the partnerships executive body. In September 2001, Ansett Australia left Star Alliance due to bankruptcy and that year, Star Alliance announced the appointment of a new CEO, Jaan Albrecht. Asiana Airlines joined the alliance on 1 March 2003, Spanair on 1 May, around this time, Mexicana Airlines left the alliance after deciding not to renew a codeshare agreement with United Airlines, later joining Oneworld. US Airways joined the alliance in May 2004, becoming its second US-based airline, in November Adria Airways, Blue1 and Croatia Airlines joined the alliance as its first three regional members. Although Star Alliance invited Lineas Aereas Azteca in 2005 to join in mid-2007, TAP Portugal joined on 14 March 2005, adding African destinations to the network. In April 2006 Swiss International Air Lines, the alliances sixth European airline, by May 2007, Star Alliances 10th anniversary, its members had a combined 16,000 daily departures to 855 destinations in 155 countries and served 406 million passengers annually. VARIG left the alliance on 31 January 2007, and the two Chinese airlines Air China and Shanghai Airlines joined on 12 December
5.
Avianca
–
Avianca S. A. (acronym in Spanish for Aerovías del Continente Americano S. A. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D. C. with its hub at El Dorado International Airport. Avianca also comprises a group of seven Latin American airlines, whose operations are combined to function as one using a code sharing system. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and second largest in Latin America, Avianca together with its subsidiaries has the most extensive network of destinations in Latin America. It is wholly owned by Synergy Group S. A. a South American holding company established by Germán Efromovich and it is listed on the Colombia Stock Exchange. Avianca is the second oldest airline after KLM, and celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2009. It is the oldest airline in the Western Hemisphere and it became an official member of Star Alliance on 21 June 2012, after a process that lasted approximately 18 months from the initial announcement of their invitation to join the Alliance. The airline traces its history back to 5 December 1919, in the city of Barranquilla, the company accomplished their first flight between Barranquilla and the nearby town of Puerto Colombia using a Junkers F.13, transporting 57 pieces of mail. The flight was piloted by German Helmuth von Krohn and this and another aircraft of the same type were completely mechanically constructed monoplanes, the engines of which had to be modified to efficiently operate in the climate of the country. There were nine aircraft in the fleet with a range of 850 km which could carry up to four passengers. This new contract allowed SCADTA to thrive in a new frontier of aviation, by the mid-1920s, SCADTA started its first international routes that initially covered destinations in Venezuela and the United States. In 1924, the aircraft that both Ernesto Cortissoz and Helmuth von Krohn were flying crashed into an area known as Bocas de Ceniza in Barranquilla. In the early 1940s, Peter von Bauer sold his shares in the airline to the US-owned Pan American World Airways, five Colombians participated in this, Rafael María Palacio, Jacobo A. In 1946, Avianca began flights to Quito, Lima, Panama City, Miami, New York City and Europe, using Douglas DC-4s, in 1951, Avianca acquired Lockheed 749 Constellations and 1049 Super Constellations. In 1961, Avianca leased two Boeing 707 aircraft, to operate its routes and on 2 November 1961, it acquired its own Boeing 720s. In 1976, Avianca became the first Latin American airline to operate a Boeing 747. Three years later, it started operations with another 747, this time a 747 Combi, mixing cargo, in 1994, Avianca, the regional carrier SAM and the helicopter operator Helicol, merged, beginning Aviancas new system of operations. By 1996, Avianca Postal Services became Deprisa, which provided mail services
6.
Synergy Group
–
Synergy Group Corp. is a South American conglomerate created and owned by Germán Efromovich, an entrepreneur holding multiple citizenship of Brazil, Colombia and Poland. The group is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and it operates several airlines in South America, among which are Avianca Holdings, with a 66. 66% stake, and is active in the exploration of oil and natural gas throughout the region. Synergy Group has integrated the airlines and companies of TACA with Avianca under a holding company, the Synergy Group owns 66. 66% of the newly created subsidiary company. Kingsland Holding owns the other 33. 33% of Avianca-TACA, Synergy Aerospace Corp. a sub-division of Synergy Group, is headquartered in Bogota, Colombia. It is the major shareholder of Avianca Holdings, the company controls eight airlines in four countries, Avianca and Tampa Cargo in Colombia, Avianca Brazil, VarigLog and Synerjet in Brazil, VIP and Aerogal in Ecuador and Grupo TACA in El Salvador. In November 2012, Synergy Aerospace Corp. established Synergy Aerospace Europe, Synergy Aerospace established a joint venture in March 2011 with Israel Aerospace Industries. Brazil-based company EAE Aerospace Solutions was established to become the shareholder, Synergy wants to invest in Flight Technologies, a manufacturer of tactical UAVs for the Brazilian Army, based in São José dos Campos. Synergy Aerospace was a candidate in the acquisition of Portuguese state carrier TAP Portugal, in November 2012, Synergy Group created Synergy Europe based in Luxemburg, to deal with the possible takeover of the Portuguese airline. All European activities would be handled by its European subsidiary, through this unit, the company was planning to partner with European investors, including Portuguese airline EuroAtlantic Airways. In June 2015, Synergy lost the bid to the Gateway consortium, Synergy Aerospace Avianca Brazil Avianca Holdings Avian Líneas Áereas S. A. Synergy Europe Synerjet Brasil EAE Aerospace Solutions EISA Shipping Agency REM Digex Aircraft Maintenance S. A
7.
Flag carrier
–
The term also refers to any carrier that is or was owned by a government, even long after their privatization when preferential rights or privileges continue. Flag carriers may be known as such due to maritime law requiring all aircraft or ships to display the flag of the country of their registry. A flag carrier may also be known as an airline or a national carrier. The first definition is rooted in the fact that pursuant to Article 17 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation aircraft have the nationality of the state in which they are registered. U. S. law requires American air carriers to operate aircraft registered in the United States and most countries have similar laws. Article 3 of Tokyo Convention declares that The State of registration is competent to exercise jurisdiction over “offenses, the American definition of U. S. -flag air carrier service contained in 48 CFR47. 403-1. is based on this first definition. The U. S. requirements under the Fly America Act, are consistent with requiring that Title 18 of the United States Code would protect U. S. government employees on flights to foreign countries. The second and more broadly used definition of flag carrier is a legacy of the time when countries established state-owned airline companies, governments then took the lead due to the high capital costs of establishing and running airlines. However, not all such airlines were government-owned, Pan Am, TWA, Cathay Pacific, Union de Transports Aériens, Canadian Pacific Air Lines and Olympic Airlines were all privately owned. Most of these were considered to be flag carriers as they were the national airline. The heavily regulated aviation industry also meant aviation rights are negotiated between governments, denying airlines the right to an open market. Some countries also establish flag carriers such as Israels El Al or Lebanons Middle East Airlines for nationalist reasons, or to aid the countrys economy, in many cases, governments would directly assist in the growth of their flag carriers typically through subsidies and other fiscal incentives. The establishment of competitors in the form of other locally registered airlines may be prohibited, in the last two decades, however, many of these airlines have since been corporatized as a public company or a state-owned enterprise, or completely privatized. One of the features of such agreements is the right of a country to designate multiple airlines to serve routes with the result that there is no single flag carrier. The chart below lists airlines considered to be a carrier, based on current or former state ownership. International Air Transport Association US Maritime Administration
8.
Airline
–
An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines utilize aircraft to supply services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements. Generally, airline companies are recognized with an air operating certificate or license issued by a governmental aviation body, Airlines vary in size, from small domestic airlines to full-service international airlines. Airline services can be categorized as being intercontinental, domestic, regional, or international, the largest airline currently is American Airlines Group. DELAG, Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft was the worlds first airline and it was founded on November 16,1909 with government assistance, and operated airships manufactured by The Zeppelin Corporation. The first fixed wing scheduled air service was started on January 1,1914 from St. Petersburg, Florida to Tampa, the four oldest non-dirigible airlines that still exist are Netherlands KLM, Colombias Avianca, Australias Qantas, and the Czech Republics Czech Airlines. The earliest fixed wing airline in Europe was the Aircraft Transport and Travel, using a fleet of former military Airco DH. 4A biplanes that had been modified to carry two passengers in the fuselage, it operated relief flights between Folkestone and Ghent. On 15 July 1919, the company flew a proving flight across the English Channel, flown by Lt. H Shaw in an Airco DH.9 between RAF Hendon and Paris - Le Bourget Airport, the flight took 2 hours and 30 minutes at £21 per passenger. On 25 August 1919, the company used DH. 16s to pioneer a regular service from Hounslow Heath Aerodrome to Le Bourget, the airline soon gained a reputation for reliability, despite problems with bad weather and began to attract European competition. In November 1919, it won the first British civil airmail contract, six Royal Air Force Airco DH. 9A aircraft were lent to the company, to operate the airmail service between Hawkinge and Cologne. In 1920, they were returned to the Royal Air Force, the first French airline was Société des lignes Latécoère, later known as Aéropostale, which started its first service in late 1918 to Spain. The first German airline to use heavier than air aircraft was Deutsche Luft-Reederei established in 1917 which started operating in February 1919, in its first year, the D. L. R. Operated regularly scheduled flights on routes with a length of nearly 1000 miles. Network was more than 3000 km long, and included destinations in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, another important German airline was Junkers Luftverkehr, which began operations in 1921. It was a division of the aircraft manufacturer Junkers, which became a company in 1924. It operated joint-venture airlines in Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the Dutch airline KLM made its first flight in 1920, and is the oldest continuously operating airline in the world. Established by aviator Albert Plesman, it was awarded a Royal predicate from Queen Wilhelmina. Its first flight was from Croydon Airport, London to Amsterdam, using a leased Aircraft Transport and Travel DH-16, in 1921, KLM started scheduled services
9.
Costa Rica
–
It has a population of around 4.5 million, of whom nearly a quarter live in the metropolitan area of the capital and largest city, San José. Costa Rica was sparsely inhabited by people before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century. Since then, Costa Rica has remained among the most stable, prosperous, following a brief civil war, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army. Costa Rica is a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. The country has consistently performed favourably in the Human Development Index, placing 69th in the world as of 2015 and its rapidly developing economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism. Costa Rica is known for its environmental policies, being the only country to meet all five UNDP criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. Costa Rica officially plans to become a country by 2021. In 2012, it became the first country in the Americas to ban recreational hunting, historians have classified the indigenous people of Costa Rica as belonging to the Intermediate Area, where the peripheries of the Mesoamerican and Andean native cultures overlapped. More recently, pre-Columbian Costa Rica has also described as part of the Isthmo-Colombian Area. The oldest evidence of occupation in Costa Rica is associated with the arrival of various groups of hunter-gatherers about 10,000 to 7,000 years BCE in the Turrialba Valley. The presence of Clovis culture type spearheads and arrows from South America opens the possibility that, in this area, agriculture became evident in the populations that lived in Costa Rica about 5,000 years ago. They mainly grew tubers and roots, for the first and second millennia BCE there were already settled farming communities. These were small and scattered, although the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture as the livelihood in the territory is still unknown. The earliest use of pottery appears around 2,000 to 3,000 BCE, shards of pots, cylindrical vases, platters, gourds and other forms of vases decorated with grooves, prints, and some modelled after animals have been found. The impact of indigenous peoples on modern Costa Rican culture has been small compared to other nations. Costa Rica was described as the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all America by a Spanish governor in 1719, for all these reasons, Costa Rica was, by and large, unappreciated and overlooked by the Spanish Crown and left to develop on its own. Costa Rica became a democracy with no oppressed mestizo or indigenous class. It was not long before Spanish settlers turned to the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil, like the rest of Central America, Costa Rica never fought for independence from Spain
10.
Avianca El Salvador
–
Avianca El Salvador, formerly Transportes Aereos del Continente Americano, simply known as TACA Airlines, is an airline owned by the Synergy Group based in El Salvador. As TACA, it was the carrier of El Salvador. As Avianca El Salvador, it is one of the seven nationally branded airlines in the Avianca Holdings group of Latin American airlines and this Airline has been in operation for 75 years. On October 7,2009, it was announced that TACA would merge with Avianca, TACA Airlines was the second-oldest continuously operating airline brand in Central America and the Caribbean after Cubana de Aviación. The airlines that made up TACA Airlines were, TACA International Airlines Aviateca Regional - Formerly Inter, TACA began operations with a single-engine Stinson plane. Since its beginnings, routes covered all the territory and its aircraft sported the XH Mexican registration. The idea of its founder was to establish one airline in each Latin-American country, such as Aerovias Brasil in Brazil and other TACAs in Mexico, Venezuela, later TACA was organized as an international company having its headquarters in San Salvador only under the name of TACA International Airlines. During the 1940s and 1950s, the airline began to acquire larger piston engine airliners including the Douglas DC-3, the Vickers Viscount turboprop passenger airliner followed in order to expand its route network around the Americas. On 28 December 1966, TACA Airlines entered the jet age when it inaugurated their first jet, the aircraft model was used until June 1,1988, when it was phased out in favor of the Boeing 737-200 aircraft. The Lockheed L-188 Electra four engine turboprop airliner was operated from 1976 by TACA Air Cargo including freight flights to Miami, Florida. Between 1940 and 1995, TACA bought the majority shares of the flag carrier airlines of Guatemala, Costa Rica, in the 1990s, TACA Airlines became the launch customer and principal users of the Airbus A320 model in Latin America. These aircraft were substitutes for the aging Boeing 737-200 and the 737-300/-400 series aircraft that were on the fleet, which were gradually retired until 1999. As a consequence, Tocumen airport became the Hub of the Americas and the integration of several Latin American airlines to the alliance, such as LACSA, Aviateca, the alliance ended in 1998 after the six-year period established in the agreement expired. With this new addition, Grupo TACA began to offer a network of routes throughout the Americas. In 2005, TACA Airlines was one of the members of the Mexican airline Volaris. In the same year, TACA became the first airline of Latin America to operate the largest version of the A320, also, it revealed a renovation in its corporate image. That same year, TACA became the user of the Brazilian Embraer E-190 in Latin America. In October 2009, it was announced that TACA Airlines would merge its assets in an alliance with Colombian airline Avianca, in which case each will maintain its own trademark
11.
Avianca Ecuador
–
Avianca Ecuador, formerly known as AeroGal, is an airline based in Quito, Ecuador. It operates passenger and cargo flights within Ecuador, between the mainland and the Galápagos Islands, and between Ecuador and Peru and Colombia and it is one of the seven nationally branded airlines in the Avianca Holdings group of Latin American airlines. In October 2009, AeroGal announced its merger with the Colombian airline Avianca, AeroGal merged with VIP Ecuador in 2012. Avianca currently owns the majority of the airline with more than 81% acquired, Avianca made an investment of US$7.2 million to strengthen and modernize the company. Despite the purchase by Avianca, AeroGal continued using its separate identity until 2014, on June 18,2014, the airline was renamed Avianca Ecuador. As of January 2017 the Avianca Ecuador fleet includes the following aircraft, Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737-300 Boeing 757-200 Boeing 767-300ER Official website Official website
12.
Avianca Honduras
–
Avianca Honduras, is an airline based in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It offers mostly domestic scheduled and chartered flights out of its hub at Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport. It is one of the seven nationally branded airlines in the Avianca Holdings group of Latin American airlines, Avianca Honduras was founded as Isleña Airlines in 1981 by Arturo Alvarado Wood. Revenue flights between La Ceiba and Roatán were commenced on 31 March, in 1998, Grupo TACA acquired a 20 percent stake in the company. In 2014 Isleña Airlines being part of Grupo TACA, was unified with the rest of TACAs subsidiaries into Avianca, being renamed Avianca Honduras. The Islena Airlines fleet consists of the aircraft, In 2015 as part of Aviancas fleet renewal, Avianca Honduras received new ATR 72-600. As of January 2013, the Airlines fleet consisted of 4 ATR 42-320 with an age of 19.5 years. The first turboprop aircraft of type was put in service with the airline in 1996. Previously, airliners of the types Fokker F27 Friendship and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 had formed part of the fleet, as well as smaller ones like Twin Otter, Short 360 and Let L410 Turbolet. The two pilots claimed to have been blinded by the sun, thus misjudging the remaining distance to the runway, all occupants of the aircraft could be saved
13.
Avianca Holdings
–
Avianca Holdings is a Latin American airline holding company formed in February 2010 by the merger of two airlines, Avianca from Colombia and TACA Airlines from El Salvador. The company is a subsidiary of Synergy Group, a South American conglomerate based in Rio de Janeiro, Avianca Holdings S. A. is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia. The company is the second largest airline holding in Latin America by revenue and fleet size after LATAM Airlines Group based in Santiago, Avianca carried 24,6 million passengers in 2013. The companys main competitors are LATAM Airlines Group, Gol Transportes Aéreos and Azul Brazilian Airlines. Shareholding composition of Avianca Holding S. A. as of September 30,2016, Synergy Aerospace Corp. -51, 53% Avianca Holdings S. A. ADR PROGRAM -12, turbServ, a Brazilian MRO company based at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo
14.
Douglas DC-6
–
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, more than 700 were built and many still fly today in cargo, military, and wildfire control roles. The United States Army Air Forces commissioned the DC-6 project as the XC-112 in 1944, the Army Air Forces wanted a lengthened, pressurized version of the DC-4-based C-54 Skymaster transport with more powerful engines. By the time the prototype XC-112A flew on 15 February 1946 the war was over, the USAAF had rescinded its requirement, Douglas Aircraft modified the design into a civil transport 80 in longer than the DC-4. The civil DC-6 first flew on 29 June 1946, being retained by Douglas for testing, the first airline deliveries were to American Airlines and United Airlines on 24 November 1946. A series of inflight fires grounded the DC-6 fleet in 1947, the cause was found to be a fuel vent next to the cabin cooling turbine intake, all DC-6s were modified and the fleet was flying again after four months on the ground. In April 1949, United, American, Delta, National, United flew them to Hawaii, Braniff flew them to Rio de Janeiro, and Panagra flew Miami-Buenos Aires, KLM, SAS, and Sabena flew DC-6s across the Atlantic. BCPA DC-6s flew Sydney to Vancouver, and Philippine flew Manila to London, pan Am used DC-6Bs to start transatlantic tourist-class flights in 1952. These were the first DC-6Bs that could gross 107,000 lb, several European airlines followed with their own transatlantic services. The DC-6A/B/C subtypes could perhaps fly nonstop from the eastern US to Europe, the military version, similar to the DC-6A, was the USAF C-118 Liftmaster, the USN R6D version used the more powerful R-2800-CB-17 engines. These were later used on the commercial DC-6B to allow international flights, the R6D Navy version had Curtiss Electric constant-speed reversing propellers. The USAF and USN renewed their interest in the DC-6 during the Korean War, Harry Trumans first presidential aircraft was an Air Force short-fuselage DC-6 which was designated VC-118, and named The Independence. It is preserved in the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, total production of the DC-6 series was 704, including military versions. In the 1960s two DC-6s were used as platforms for educational television, based at Purdue University, in a program called the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction. DC-6/7s surviving into the jet age were replaced in frontline intercontinental passenger service by the Boeing 707, basic prices of a new DC-6 in 1946–47 were around £210, 000–£230,000 and had risen to £310,000 by 1951. By 1960, used prices were around £175,000 per aircraft, prices for the DC-6A in 1957–58 were £460, 000–£480,000. By 1960, used prices were around £296,000, equivalent prices for the DC-6B in 1958 were around £500,000. Used prices in 1960 were around £227,000, from 1977 to 1990 five yellow-painted Douglas DC-6Bs were used as water bombers in France by the Sécurité Civile
15.
Miami International Airport
–
Miami International Airport, also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the Miami area, United States. It is South Floridas main airport for international flights. Miami International is also one of only eight U. S. airports to accommodate the Airbus A380 jumbo jet and it is a focus airport for Avianca, Frontier Airlines, and LATAM, both for passengers and cargo operations. Miami International Airport has passenger and cargo flights to cities throughout the Americas, Europe and Western Asia, as well as cargo flights to East Asia. In the past, it has been a hub for Braniff International Airways, Eastern Air Lines, Air Florida, the original National Airlines, the original Pan Am, United Airlines, Iberia and Fine Air. In 2011 the airport ranked first in the United States by percentage of international flights and second by volume of international passengers, in 2016,44,901,753 passengers traveled through the airport, making the airport the 23rd-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. The airport also ranks as the 10th busiest airport in the United States by annual passenger count and is the busiest airport in the state of Florida, the airport also handled more international cargo than any other airport in the United States. For the World War II and United States Air Force Reserve use of the airport, Pan American World Airways opened an expanded facility adjacent to City Airport, Pan American Field, in 1928. Pan American Field was built on 116 acres of land on 36th Street and was the only airport in the eastern United States that had port of entry facilities. Its runways were located around the threshold of todays Runway 26R, Eastern Airlines began to serve Pan American Field in 1931, followed by National Airlines in 1936. National used a terminal on the side of LeJeune Road from the airport. In 1945 the City of Miami established a Port Authority and raised bond revenue to purchase Pan American Field and it merged with the Army airfield south of the railroad in 1949 and expanded further in 1951 when the railroad line was moved south to make room. The old terminal on 36th Street was closed in 1959 when the passenger terminal opened. Nonstop flights to Chicago and Newark started in late 1946, but nonstops didnt reach west beyond St. Louis, nonstop transatlantic flights began in 1970. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Air Florida had a hub at MIA, Air Florida ceased operations in 1982 after the crash of Air Florida Flight 90. British Airways flew a Concorde triweekly between Miami and London via Washington, D. C. from 1984 to 1991, in the midst of Easterns turmoil American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall sought a new hub in order to utilize new aircraft which AA had on order. AA studies indicated that Delta Air Lines would provide strong competition on most routes from Easterns hub at Atlanta, American announced that it would establish a base at MIA in August 1988. The effort quickly proved futile, and American purchased the routes in a liquidation of Eastern which was completed in 1990, later in the 1990s, American transferred more employees and equipment to MIA from its failed domestic hubs at Nashville and Raleigh–Durham
16.
Pan American World Airways
–
It was also a founding member of the International Air Transport Association, the global airline industry association. Identified by its blue logo, the use of the word Clipper in aircraft names and call signs, and the white pilot uniform caps. In an era dominated by flag carriers that were wholly or majority government-owned, during most of the jet era, Pan Ams flagship terminal was the Worldport located at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Arnold and Spaatz drew up the prospectus for Pan American when SCADTA hired a company in Delaware to obtain air mail contracts from the U. S. government. Pan American was able to obtain the U. S. mail delivery contract to Cuba and their operation had the all-important landing rights for Havana, having acquired American International Airways, a small airline established in 1926 by John K. Bevier as a service from Key West, Florida, to Havana. ACA met its deadline of having an air service operating by October 19,1927 by chartering a Fairchild FC-2 floatplane from a small Dominican Republic carrier. The Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean Airways company was established on October 11,1927 by New York City investment banker Richard Hoyt and this company merged with PAA and ACA on June 23,1928. Richard Hoyt was named as president of the new Aviation Corporation of the Americas, Trippe became operational head of Pan American Airways, the new companys principal operating subsidiary. The government further helped Pan Am by insulating it from its U. S. competitors, the airline expanded internationally, benefiting from a virtual monopoly on foreign routes. Trippe and his associates planned to extend Pan Ams network through all of Central, by the end of the year, Pan Am offered flights along the west coast of South America to Peru. Its Brazilian subsidiary NYRBA do Brasil was later renamed as Panair do Brasil, Pan Am also partnered with Grace Shipping Company in 1929 to form Pan American-Grace Airways, better known as Panagra, to gain a foothold to destinations in South America. The Aviation Corporation of the Americas changed its name to Pan American Airways Corporation in 1931, during the day, use of the compass while judging drift from sea currents was normal procedure, at night, all flight crews were trained to use celestial navigation. In bad weather, pilots used dead reckoning and timed turns, making landings at fogged-in harbors by landing out to sea. Many pilots had merchant marine certifications and radio licenses as well as pilot certificates, before World War II it was not unusual for a captain to make engine repairs at remote locations. Pan Ams mechanics and support staff were similarly trained, newly hired applicants were frequently paired with experienced flight mechanics in several areas of the company until they had achieved proficiency in all aircraft types. Many crews supported repair operations by flying in spare parts to planes stranded overseas, Pan Am started its South American routes with Consolidated Commodore and Sikorsky S-38 flying boats. The S-40, larger than the eight-passenger S-38, began flying for Pan Am in 1931, carrying the nicknames American Clipper, Southern Clipper, and Caribbean Clipper, they were the first of the series of 28 Clippers that symbolized Pan Am between 1931 and 1946
17.
Sansa Airlines
–
SANSA Airlines is an airline based in San José, Costa Rica. It operates scheduled services as part of the TACA Airlines regional airline system. Its hub is Juan Santamaría International Airport, the airline was established in 1978 as a Domestic Airline of LACSA. On January 16,1990, SANSA Flight 32 crashed into the Cerro Cedral, all 20 passengers and 3 crew on board died in the crash. On August 26,2000, SANSA Flight 1644 crashed into the Arenal Volcano, the Cessna Caravan took off from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José at 11,38, for a flight to Tamarindo. An intermediate stop at La Fortuna was made at 11,55 to drop off a Japanese tourist, the flight left La Fortuna again at 12,05 for a 35-minute flight to Tamarindo. The aircraft collided with the active 5380 feet high Arenal volcano, all 8 passengers and 2 crew on board died in the crash. On November 28,2001, SANSA Flight 1625 crashed into the Cerro Chontal, four minutes before it was expected to land into a wooded hillside of the Cerro Chontal. The aircraft appeared to be off the approach track for Quepos. Both crew members and 1 passenger died,5 passengers survived the crash and were rescued the next day
18.
BAC One-Eleven
–
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner used during the 1960s and 1970s. It was the second jet airliner to enter service, following the French Sud Aviation Caravelle. The aircraft was produced under license in Romania during the 1980s as the Rombac One-Eleven. The One-Eleven was intended to replace the earlier turboprop-powered Vickers Viscount on short-range routes, the One-Eleven made it to market ahead of rivals such as the Douglas DC-9-10, which gave it a temporary edge on the market. As of 2013, two remain in service as testbeds for Northrop-Grumman. Several aircraft manufacturers raced to release their own passenger jets, including those aimed at the short-haul market, in July 1956, British European Airways published a paper calling for a second generation jet airliner to operate beside their existing turboprop designs. This led to a variety of designs all of the major players in the British aerospace industry. Hunting Aircraft started design studies on a replacement for the successful Vickers Viscount. Around the same time, Vickers started a development of a 140-seat derivative of its VC10 project. Many other aviation firms had produced their own designs. In 1960 Hunting, under British government pressure, merged with Vickers-Armstrongs, Bristol, the newly formed BAC decided that the Hunting project had merit, but that there would be little market for a 30-seat jet airliner. The design was reworked into the BAC107, a 59-seat airliner powered by two 7,000 pounds-force Bristol Siddeley BS75 turbofan engines, BAC also continued development of the larger, 140-seat VC-11 development of the Vickers VC10 which it had inherited. Other competing internal projects, such as the Bristol Type 200, were abandoned following the absorption of Hunting into BAC. The revised design was redesignated the BAC111, with BAC abandoning the VC11 project to concentrate on the more promising One-Eleven, test flying was conducted by Squadron Leader Dave Glaser. On 9 May 1961 the One-Eleven was publicly launched when British United Airways placed the first order for ten One-Eleven 200s, on 20 October Braniff International Airways in the United States ordered six. Mohawk Airlines sent representatives to Europe seeking out a new aircraft to bring them into the jet era, other orders followed from Kuwait Airways for three, and Central African Airways for two. Braniff subsequently doubled their order to 12, while Aer Lingus ordered four, Western Airlines ordered ten aircraft but later cancelled. The CAB also stopped Frontier Airlines and Ozark Air Lines from ordering One-Elevens, although allowing Ozark to order the similar Douglas DC-9, the CAB had also unsuccessfully tried to block Mohawks orders
19.
Douglas DC-6B
–
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, more than 700 were built and many still fly today in cargo, military, and wildfire control roles. The United States Army Air Forces commissioned the DC-6 project as the XC-112 in 1944, the Army Air Forces wanted a lengthened, pressurized version of the DC-4-based C-54 Skymaster transport with more powerful engines. By the time the prototype XC-112A flew on 15 February 1946 the war was over, the USAAF had rescinded its requirement, Douglas Aircraft modified the design into a civil transport 80 in longer than the DC-4. The civil DC-6 first flew on 29 June 1946, being retained by Douglas for testing, the first airline deliveries were to American Airlines and United Airlines on 24 November 1946. A series of inflight fires grounded the DC-6 fleet in 1947, the cause was found to be a fuel vent next to the cabin cooling turbine intake, all DC-6s were modified and the fleet was flying again after four months on the ground. In April 1949, United, American, Delta, National, United flew them to Hawaii, Braniff flew them to Rio de Janeiro, and Panagra flew Miami-Buenos Aires, KLM, SAS, and Sabena flew DC-6s across the Atlantic. BCPA DC-6s flew Sydney to Vancouver, and Philippine flew Manila to London, pan Am used DC-6Bs to start transatlantic tourist-class flights in 1952. These were the first DC-6Bs that could gross 107,000 lb, several European airlines followed with their own transatlantic services. The DC-6A/B/C subtypes could perhaps fly nonstop from the eastern US to Europe, the military version, similar to the DC-6A, was the USAF C-118 Liftmaster, the USN R6D version used the more powerful R-2800-CB-17 engines. These were later used on the commercial DC-6B to allow international flights, the R6D Navy version had Curtiss Electric constant-speed reversing propellers. The USAF and USN renewed their interest in the DC-6 during the Korean War, Harry Trumans first presidential aircraft was an Air Force short-fuselage DC-6 which was designated VC-118, and named The Independence. It is preserved in the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, total production of the DC-6 series was 704, including military versions. In the 1960s two DC-6s were used as platforms for educational television, based at Purdue University, in a program called the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction. DC-6/7s surviving into the jet age were replaced in frontline intercontinental passenger service by the Boeing 707, basic prices of a new DC-6 in 1946–47 were around £210, 000–£230,000 and had risen to £310,000 by 1951. By 1960, used prices were around £175,000 per aircraft, prices for the DC-6A in 1957–58 were £460, 000–£480,000. By 1960, used prices were around £296,000, equivalent prices for the DC-6B in 1958 were around £500,000. Used prices in 1960 were around £227,000, from 1977 to 1990 five yellow-painted Douglas DC-6Bs were used as water bombers in France by the Sécurité Civile
20.
British Aircraft Corporation
–
The British Aircraft Corporation was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd. Vickers-Armstrongs, the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960, Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became parents of BAC with shareholdings of 20%, 40% and 40% respectively. BAC in turn acquired the capital of their aviation interests. Its head office was on the top floors of the 100 Pall Mall building in the City of Westminster, BAC was formed following a warning from government that it expected consolidation in the aircraft, guided weapons and engine industries. The new corporation was owned by Vickers, English Electric. Internally it had two divisions – the Aircraft Division under Sir George Edwards and the Guided Weapons Division under Viscount Caldecote, the aircraft operations of the three parents were now subsidiaries of BAC, Bristol Aircraft Ltd, English Electric Aviation Ltd and Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. BAC also had a controlling interest in Hunting Aircraft, the parents still had significant aviation interests outside BAC. English Electric had Napier & Son aero-engines, Bristol had 50% of Bristol Aerojet and Bristol Siddeley engines and smaller investments in Westland and it remains operational today as Bristol Cars. Most of the BAC designs were taken over from the companies that formed it. BAC did not apply its new identity retrospectively, hence the VC10 remained the Vickers VC10, instead the company applied its name to marketing initiatives, the VC10 advertising carried the name Vickers-Armstrongs Limited, a member company of the British Aircraft Corporation. The first model to bear the BAC name was the BAC One-Eleven, the first Concorde contracts were signed with Air France and BOAC in September 1972. In 1963, BAC acquired the previously autonomous guided weapons divisions of English Electric and Bristol to form a new subsidiary, the company enjoyed some success, including development of the Rapier, Sea Skua and Sea Wolf missiles. BAC eventually expanded this division to include electronics and space systems and, in 1966, Hughes awarded major contracts to BAC, including sub-systems for Intelsat satellites. The cancellation of the TSR-2 in April 1965 was a blow to the new company. After successfully flying the aircraft, political pressure forced development to cease. Given the numerous government contract cancellations during the 1960s, the BAC 1–11, launched as a private venture, in May 1966, BAC and Breguet formed SEPECAT, a joint company to manage the Jaguar aircraft programme. The first of eight prototypes flew on 8 September 1968, and service entry was achieved with the French Air Force in 1973, also in 1966, Rolls-Royce acquired Bristol Aeroplane for its Bristol Siddeley aero-engine business, but declared it had no interest in the BAC shareholding. Despite this, Rolls-Royce still had not disposed of its BAC shareholding by 1971 when Rolls-Royce was declared bankrupt, the 20% share was eventually acquired from receivership by Vickers and GEC, who had acquired English Electric in 1968
21.
Cayman Islands
–
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean Sea. Its population is approximately 60,000, and its capital is George Town, the Cayman Islands are considered to be part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone as well as the Greater Antilles. The territory is considered a major world offshore financial haven for many wealthy individuals. The Cayman Islands remained largely uninhabited until the 17th century, the first recorded permanent inhabitant of the Cayman Islands, Isaac Bodden, was born on Grand Cayman around 1661. He was the grandson of the original settler named Bodden who was one of Oliver Cromwells soldiers at the taking of Jamaica in 1655. England took formal control of the Cayman Islands, along with Jamaica, following several unsuccessful attempts at settlement, a permanent English-speaking population in the islands dates from the 1730s. With settlement, after the first royal land grant by the Governor of Jamaica in 1734, many were brought to the islands from Africa, this is evident today with the majority of native Caymanians being of African and English descent. The results of the first census taken in the islands in 1802 showed the population on Grand Cayman to be 933 with 545 of those inhabitants being enslaved, slavery was abolished in the Cayman Islands in 1833. At the time of abolition, there were over 950 Blacks of African ancestry enslaved by 116 white families of English ancestry. The islands continued to be governed as part of the Colony of Jamaica until 1962, the Cayman Islands historically have been a tax-exempt destination. On 8 February 1794, the Caymanians rescued the crews of a group of ten merchant ships, including HMS Convert, the ships had struck a reef and run aground during rough seas. Legend has it that King George III rewarded the island with a never to introduce taxes as compensation for their generosity. While this remains a legend, the story is not true. However, whatever the history, in practice the government of the Cayman Islands has always relied on indirect, the islands have never levied income tax, capital gains tax, or any wealth tax, making them a popular tax haven. On 11 September 2004 the island of Grand Cayman, which lies largely unprotected at sea level, was hit by Hurricane Ivan, an estimated 83% of the dwellings on the island were damaged including 4% requiring complete reconstruction. A reported 70% of all dwellings suffered severe damage from flooding or wind, another 26% sustained minor damage from partial roof removal, low levels of flooding, or impact with floating or wind driven hurricane debris. Power, water and communications were disrupted for months in areas as Ivan was the worst hurricane to hit the islands in 86 years. Grand Cayman began a rebuilding process and within two years its infrastructure was nearly returned to pre-hurricane status.23 years
22.
Cayman Brac Airways
–
Cayman Airways is the flag carrier airline of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. With its head office in Grand Cayman, it mainly as an international and domestic scheduled passenger carrier. Its operations are based at Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town, the airline also offers a limited charter service with a recent example being flights to and from Los Angeles. Cayman Airways slogan is Those who fly us love us, the airline was established and started operations on August 7,1968. It was formed following the Cayman Islands Governments purchase of 51% of Cayman Brac Airways from LACSA, the Costa Rican flag carrier, by 1970, LACSA had introduced British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jets on its San Jose, Costa Rica – Grand Cayman – Miami route. Early on, Cayman Airways first aircraft was a single Douglas DC-3, a few months after it was formed, the airline flew its first international route to Kingston, Jamaica using a BAC One-Eleven wet leased from LACSA. International service to Miami was initiated using a single leased Douglas DC-6 propliner, the airline was also offering direct connecting jet service between Miami and Kingston via Grand Cayman at this time. In 1979, an additional BAC One-Eleven jet as well as a Hawker Siddeley 748 turboprop, Cayman Airways also operated a Douglas DC-8-52 jetliner and a leased Boeing 727-100 jet during the 1980s. These jets were replaced with Boeing 737-200 and then with Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Boeing 737-400 jetliners were previously operated at as well, louis as well as Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica. The airline also served Panama City, Panama in the recent past, the airline also flew nonstop at one point between Miami and Grand Turk Island and Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos Islands with Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 737-200 jetliners. These were the routes flown by the carrier that did not directly serve the Cayman Islands. Non-jet flights between Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are currently operated with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter series 300, worth and Havana, Cuba appear to have helped the airline. The airline has also added one Boeing 737-800 as an interim measure, on Wednesday January 5,2017, Cayman Airways initiated charter service to Los Angeles with their Boeing 737-800 registration VP-CNG. The companys mascot is an embellishment of the original Sir Turtle designed by Suzy Soto, as first designed, Sir Turtle did not have the red flying scarf. That original design was used on baggage stickers by Cayman Islands Customs, mrs. Soto was married to Eric Bergstrom, with whom she built the Tortuga Club on the East End of Grand Cayman. The red flying scarf was later added to Sir Turtle in 1978 by Capt. Wilbur Thompson, the Chief Pilot of Cayman Airways at the time, Cayman Airways largely serves major destinations in the United States, Jamaica and Cuba as well as destinations in Honduras. These ramps also allow passengers with limited mobility, including those in wheel chairs to have easier access to the aircraft
23.
Cayman Airways
–
Cayman Airways is the flag carrier airline of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. With its head office in Grand Cayman, it mainly as an international and domestic scheduled passenger carrier. Its operations are based at Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town, the airline also offers a limited charter service with a recent example being flights to and from Los Angeles. Cayman Airways slogan is Those who fly us love us, the airline was established and started operations on August 7,1968. It was formed following the Cayman Islands Governments purchase of 51% of Cayman Brac Airways from LACSA, the Costa Rican flag carrier, by 1970, LACSA had introduced British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jets on its San Jose, Costa Rica – Grand Cayman – Miami route. Early on, Cayman Airways first aircraft was a single Douglas DC-3, a few months after it was formed, the airline flew its first international route to Kingston, Jamaica using a BAC One-Eleven wet leased from LACSA. International service to Miami was initiated using a single leased Douglas DC-6 propliner, the airline was also offering direct connecting jet service between Miami and Kingston via Grand Cayman at this time. In 1979, an additional BAC One-Eleven jet as well as a Hawker Siddeley 748 turboprop, Cayman Airways also operated a Douglas DC-8-52 jetliner and a leased Boeing 727-100 jet during the 1980s. These jets were replaced with Boeing 737-200 and then with Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Boeing 737-400 jetliners were previously operated at as well, louis as well as Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica. The airline also served Panama City, Panama in the recent past, the airline also flew nonstop at one point between Miami and Grand Turk Island and Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos Islands with Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 737-200 jetliners. These were the routes flown by the carrier that did not directly serve the Cayman Islands. Non-jet flights between Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are currently operated with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter series 300, worth and Havana, Cuba appear to have helped the airline. The airline has also added one Boeing 737-800 as an interim measure, on Wednesday January 5,2017, Cayman Airways initiated charter service to Los Angeles with their Boeing 737-800 registration VP-CNG. The companys mascot is an embellishment of the original Sir Turtle designed by Suzy Soto, as first designed, Sir Turtle did not have the red flying scarf. That original design was used on baggage stickers by Cayman Islands Customs, mrs. Soto was married to Eric Bergstrom, with whom she built the Tortuga Club on the East End of Grand Cayman. The red flying scarf was later added to Sir Turtle in 1978 by Capt. Wilbur Thompson, the Chief Pilot of Cayman Airways at the time, Cayman Airways largely serves major destinations in the United States, Jamaica and Cuba as well as destinations in Honduras. These ramps also allow passengers with limited mobility, including those in wheel chairs to have easier access to the aircraft
24.
Grand Cayman
–
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territorys capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac, Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of the territorys entire land mass. The island is approximately 22 miles long with its widest point being 8 miles wide, the elevation ranges from sea level at the beaches to 60 feet above sea level on the North Sides Mastic Trail. Grand Cayman Island includes five of the six districts of the Cayman Islands, Bodden Town, East End, George Town, North Side, and West Bay. Bodden Town - Founded in the 1700s, Bodden Town district comprises the part of Grand Cayman Island. The village of Bodden Town was the capital of the Cayman Islands. Its population is listed at 5,764. East End - The East End district is located at the east side of Grand Cayman Island and consists mostly of the Village of East End, numerous attractions, restaurants. Its population is listed at 1,371. George Town - The capital of the Cayman Islands and world-famous centre for offshore banking, North Side - Includes Kaibo, Rum Point, and Breakers. Its population is listed at 1,079. Sand Point Cove in Rum Point is home to a Bioluminescent Bay or Bio Bay, West Bay - Has numerous tourist attractions including the Cayman Turtle Farm and the Cayman Motor Museum. Towns in the West Bay district include Seven Mile Beach, Hell and its population is currently listed at 8,243. The remaining district is Sister Islands, which consists of the islands of Cayman Brac and its population is currently listed at 1,937. Of the flora, a representation of the variety of plant life on Grand Cayman can be found at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park located in the North Side District. Wild banana orchids, ghost orchids, thatch palm trees, red birch trees, mahogany trees and various fruit trees such as avocado, mango, guinep, naseberry, breadfruit, and tamarind. Yellow mastics, black mastics are also seen in the park as well as on the 2 miles -long Mastic Trail, elsewhere outside the park, all of these species can be seen around Grand Cayman, including coconut palm, Casuarina pine, mangrove, and poinciana trees. Fauna seen in locations around the island include blue iguanas, Grand Cayman amazon parrots, Central American agouti, and Gecarcinus ruricola
25.
Embraer E-Jet family
–
The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of narrow-body medium-range twin-engine jet airliners produced by Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer. Launched at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft is used by mainline and regional airlines around the world. As of 30 September 2015, there is a backlog of 263 firm orders for the E-Jets,433 options and 1158 units delivered, the Embraer E-Jets line is composed of two main commercial families and a business jet variant. The smaller E170 and E175 make up the model aircraft. The E190 and E195 are stretched versions, with different engines and larger wing, horizontal stabilizer, the 170 and 175 share 95% commonality, as do the 190 and 195. The two families share near 89% commonality, with identical fuselage cross-sections and avionics, featuring the Honeywell Primus Epic Electronic flight instrument system suite, the E-jets also have winglets to improve efficiency. All E-Jets use four-abreast seating and have a design, which Embraer developed for its commercial passenger jets. The E190/195 series of aircraft have capacities similar to the versions of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Boeing 737. The E-Jets have turbofan engines designed to reduce noise, which allows them to operate in airports that have strict noise restrictions, such as London City Airport. Embraer first disclosed that it was studying a new 70-seat aircraft, the EMB170 was to feature a new wing and larger-diameter fuselage mated to the nose and cockpit of the ERJ145. In February 1999, Embraer announced it had abandoned the approach in favour of an all-new design. The E-jet family was launched at the Paris Air Show on 14 June 1999 as ERJ-170 and ERJ-190, designations later changed to EMBRAER170. Production of parts to build the prototype and test airframes began in July 2000, the first prototype rolled out on October 29,2001 at São José dos Campos, Brazil. Its first flight occurred on February 19,2002, marking the beginning of a flight test campaign. Full production began in 2002, at a new factory built by Embraer at its São José dos Campos base, after several delays in the certification process, the E170 received type certification from the aviation authorities of Brazil, Europe and the United States in February 2004. In November 2011, Embraer announced that it would develop revamped versions of the E-Jets family with improved engines, rather than an all-new aircraft. The new variants are to be powered by new more efficient engines with larger diameter fans, and include slightly taller landing gear, the new E-Jet variants are to be better-positioned to compete with the Bombardier CSeries. The new variants are to service in 2018
26.
Airbus A320 family
–
The Airbus A320 family consists of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The family includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, the A320s are also named A320ceo after the introduction of the A320neo. Final assembly of the takes place in Toulouse, France. A plant in Tianjin, China, has also been producing aircraft for Chinese airlines since 2009, while a final facility in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The aircraft family can accommodate up to 220 passengers and has a range of 3,100 to 12,000 km, the first member of the A320 family—the A320—was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was first delivered in March 1988. The family was extended to include the A321, the A319, the A320 family pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, as well as side-stick controls, in commercial aircraft. There has been a continuous improvement process since introduction, as of 28 February 2017, a total of 7,481 Airbus A320-family aircraft have been delivered, of which 7,157 are in service. In addition, another 5,580 airliners are on firm order and it ranked as the worlds fastest-selling jet airliner family according to records from 2005 to 2007, and as the best-selling single-generation aircraft programme. The A320 family has proved popular with airlines including low-cost carriers such as EasyJet, as of 28 February 2017, American Airlines was the largest operator of the Airbus A320 family aircraft, operating 384 aircraft. The aircraft family competes directly with the 737 and has competed with the 717,757, in December 2010, Airbus announced a new generation of the A320 family, the A320neo. The A320neo offers new, more efficient engines, combined with airframe improvements, the aircraft will deliver fuel savings of up to 15%. As of February 2017, a total of 5,063 A320neo family aircraft had been ordered by more than 70 airlines, the first A320neo was delivered to Lufthansa on 20 January 2016 and it entered service on 25 January 2016. From the moment of formation, Airbus had begun studies into derivatives of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term goal, prior to the service introduction of the first Airbus airliners, engineers within Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9. A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10 and it was a smaller aircraft which would be developed into the long-range Airbus A310. Airbus then focused its efforts on the market, which was dominated by the 737. Plans from a number of European aircraft manufacturers called for a successor to the relatively successful BAC One-Eleven, germanys MBB, British Aircraft Corporation, Swedens Saab and Spains CASA worked on the EUROPLANE, a 180- to 200-seat aircraft. It was abandoned after intruding on A310 specifications, vFW-Fokker, Dornier and Hawker Siddeley worked on a number of 150-seat designs. Alongside BAe were MBB, Fokker-VFW and Aérospatiale, the design within the JET study that was carried forward was the JET2, which then became the Airbus S. A1/2/3 series, before settling on the A320 name for its launch in 1984
27.
Postage stamp
–
Postage stamp may also refer to a formatting artifact in the display of film or video, Windowbox. A postage stamp is a piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are printed on special paper, show a national designation and a denomination on the front. They are sometimes a source of net profit to the issuing agency, stamps are usually rectangular, but triangles or other shapes are occasionally used. The stamp is affixed to an envelope or other postal cover the customer wishes to send, the item is then processed by the postal system, where a postmark, sometimes known as a cancellation mark, is usually applied in overlapping manner to stamp and cover. This procedure marks the stamp as used to prevent its reuse, in modern usage, postmarks generally indicate the date and point of origin of the mailing. The mailed item is delivered to the address the customer has applied to the envelope or parcel. Postage stamps have facilitated the delivery of mail since the 1840s, before then, ink and hand-stamps, usually made from wood or cork, were often used to frank the mail and confirm the payment of postage. The first adhesive postage stamp, commonly referred to as the Penny Black, was issued in the United Kingdom in 1840, there are varying accounts of the inventor or inventors of the stamp. The postage stamp resolved this issue in a simple and elegant manner, concurrently with the first stamps, the UK offered wrappers for mail. S. Postal service for priority or express mailing, the postage stamp afforded convenience for both the mailer and postal officials, more effectively recovered costs for the postal service, and ultimately resulted in a better, faster postal system. With the conveniences stamps offered, their use resulted in greatly increased mailings during the 19th and 20th centuries, as postage stamps with their engraved imagery began to appear on a widespread basis, historians and collectors began to take notice. The study of stamps and their use is referred to as philately. Stamp collecting can be both a hobby and a form of study and reference, as government-issued postage stamps. The postage for the item was prepaid by the use of a hand-stamp to frank the mailed item. Though this stamp was applied to a letter instead of a piece of paper it is considered by many historians as the worlds first postage stamp. Rowland Hill The Englishman Sir Rowland Hill began interest in postal reform in 1835, in 1836, a Member of Parliament, Robert Wallace, provided Hill with numerous books and documents, which Hill described as a half hundred weight of material. Hill commenced a study of these documents, leading him to the 1837 publication of a pamphlet entitled Post Office Reform its Importance
28.
Buenos Aires
–
Buenos Aires is the capital and most populous city of Argentina. The city is located on the shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata. The city of Buenos Aires is neither part of Buenos Aires Province nor the Provinces capital, rather, in 1880, after decades of political infighting, Buenos Aires was federalized and removed from Buenos Aires Province. The city limits were enlarged to include the towns of Belgrano and Flores, the 1994 constitutional amendment granted the city autonomy, hence its formal name, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Its citizens first elected a chief of government in 1996, previously, Buenos Aires is considered an alpha city by the study GaWC5. Buenos Aires quality of life was ranked 81st in the world and one of the best in Latin America in 2012 and it is the most visited city in South America, and the second-most visited city of Latin America. Buenos Aires is a top tourist destination, and is known for its preserved Spanish/European-style architecture, Buenos Aires held the 1st Pan American Games in 1951 as well as hosting two venues in the 1978 FIFA World Cup. Buenos Aires will host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and the 2018 G20 summit, Buenos Aires is a multicultural city, being home to multiple ethnic and religious groups. Several languages are spoken in the city in addition to Spanish, contributing to its culture, the hill was known to them as Buen Ayre, as it was free of the foul smell prevalent in the old city, which is adjacent to swampland. During the siege of Cagliari, the Aragonese built a sanctuary to the Virgin Mary on top of the hill, in 1335, King Alfonso the Gentle donated the church to the Mercedarians, who built an abbey that stands to this day. In the years after that, a story circulated, claiming that a statue of the Virgin Mary was retrieved from the sea after it miraculously helped to calm a storm in the Mediterranean Sea, the statue was placed in the abbey. Spanish sailors, especially Andalusians, venerated this image and frequently invoked the Fair Winds to aid them in their navigation, a sanctuary to the Virgin of Buen Ayre would be later erected in Seville. Pedro de Mendoza called the city Holy Mary of the Fair Winds, mendoza’s settlement soon came under attack by indigenous people, and was abandoned in 1541. For many years, the name was attributed to a Sancho del Campo, a second settlement was established in 1580 by Juan de Garay, who sailed down the Paraná River from Asunción. Garay preserved the name chosen by Mendoza, calling the city Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Aire. The short form Buenos Aires became the common usage during the 17th century, the usual abbreviation for Buenos Aires in Spanish is Bs. As. It is common as well to refer to it as B. A. or BA /ˌbiːˈeɪ/ bee-AY), while BA is used more by expats residing in the city, the locals more often use the abbreviation Baires, in one word. Seaman Juan Díaz de Solís, navigating in the name of Spain, was the first European to reach the Río de la Plata in 1516 and his expedition was cut short when he was killed during an attack by the native Charrúa tribe in what is now Uruguay
29.
Ministro Pistarini International Airport
–
It is the countrys largest international airport by number of passengers handled—85% of international traffic—and is a hub for international flights of Aerolíneas Argentinas and LATAM Argentina. Aerolineas Argentinas and its subsidiary Austral Lineas Aereas do operate limited domestic or cabotaje air service from Pistarini Airport as well, covering 3,475 hectares, the airport serves Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area. It has been operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S. A. since 1998, Ministro Pistarini Airport was voted 2007 best airport in the region following a survey carried out by Skytrax. It dropped to place in 2010, behind Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. The airport was named after the general and politician Juan Pistarini and he, as Minister of Public Works, placed the cornerstone of the project on 22 December 1945. It was designed and erected by Argentine technicians, Its construction was one of the projects in the five-year plan of the first presidency of Juan Perón. When it opened, it was the third-largest airport in the world, the first civil flight from the then new London Heathrow Airport, a BSAA Avro Lancastrian, flew to Ministro Pistarini International Airport in 1946. A1949 diagram shows three runways crossing at 60-degree angles,9,353 ft runway 10/28,7,220 ft 4/22 and 6,892 ft 16/34, in 1997, RWY 05/23 was closed and it is now used for parking large aircraft. The Ezeiza massacre took place near the airport in 1973, the airport is about 22 km from Buenos Aires city. Road access is by the Riccheri Highway, Public transport buses to various destinations are also available. Until December 2012 the tax was collected, in Argentine pesos or US dollars, at the airport, since then, in October 2012 Ezeiza Airport recorded the highest annual traffic growth of all the airports operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000. Overall,2012 traffic figures for the airport indicated a 7. 3% increase over the previous year, figures for July 2013 showed that the airport handled 688,397 passengers, an 8. 9% decrease over the previous year. Terminal C was inaugurated in July 2011, as of December 2011, its facilities were in use by Aerolíneas Argentinas, Air France, more SkyTeam members were expected to move their operations to the terminal. In March 2013 terminal B, with an area of 28,795 square metres, was inaugurated, for use by Aerolíneas Argentinas, qantas withdrew its service to the airport in favour of Santiago de Chile in March 2012, flights to Ezeiza Airport had begun in November 2008. This followed Malaysia Airlines termination of its Boeing 747-served Kuala Lumpur–Cape Town–Buenos Aires route in early 2012 to cut costs, south African Airways discontinued its Johannesburg–Buenos Aires service in March 2014. In June 2010, Qatar Airways launched direct flights between the airport and Doha, after a ten-year gap, KLM resumed operations at the airport in October 2011. Emirates launched services to the airport in January 2012, and Turkish Airlines extended its Istanbul–São Paulo service to end at Ezeiza in December the same year, Air New Zealand started non-stop flights between the airport and Auckland in December 2015. As of August 2011, Aviation Safety Network records 30 accidents/incidents for aircraft that departed from the airport or had it as a destination, the list below provides a summary of only fatal events that took place at or in the vicinity of the airport
30.
Rio de Janeiro
–
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous in the Americas. The metropolis is anchor to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazils third-most populous state. Part of the city has designated as a World Heritage Site, named Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, later, in 1763, it became the capital of the State of Brazil, a state of the Portuguese Empire. Rio stayed the capital of the pluricontinental Lusitanian monarchy until 1822 and this is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonising country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies. Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country, the home of many universities and institutes, it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17% of national scientific output according to 2005 data. The Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the city is divided into 33 administrative regions. Europeans first encountered Guanabara Bay on 1 January 1502, by a Portuguese expedition under explorer Gaspar de Lemos captain of a ship in Pedro Álvares Cabrals fleet, allegedly the Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci participated as observer at the invitation of King Manuel I in the same expedition. The region of Rio was inhabited by the Tupi, Puri, Botocudo, in 1555, one of the islands of Guanabara Bay, now called Villegagnon Island, was occupied by 500 French colonists under the French admiral Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon. Consequently, Villegagnon built Fort Coligny on the island when attempting to establish the France Antarctique colony, Rio de Janeiro was the name of Guanabara Bay. Until early in the 18th century, the city was threatened or invaded by several, mostly French, pirates and buccaneers, such as Jean-François Duclerc, on 27 January 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. The kingdoms capital was transferred to the city, which, thus, as there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes. The first printed newspaper in Brazil, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, from the colonial period until the first independent decades, Rio de Janeiro was a city of slaves. There was an influx of African slaves to Rio de Janeiro, in 1819. In 1840, the number of slaves reached 220,000 people, the Port of Rio de Janeiro was the largest port of slaves in America. As a political center of the country, Rio concentrated the political-partisan life of the Empire and it was the main stage of the abolitionist and republican movements in the last half of the 19th century. Rio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was replaced by a republic, until the early years of the 20th century, the city was largely limited to the neighbourhood now known as the historic city centre, on the mouth of Guanabara Bay. Expansion of the city to the north and south was facilitated by the consolidation and electrification of Rios streetcar transit system after 1905, though many thought that it was just campaign rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília built, at great cost, by 1960
31.
Toronto
–
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. With a population of 2,731,571, it is the fourth most populous city in North America after Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles. A global city, Toronto is a centre of business, finance, arts, and culture. Aboriginal peoples have inhabited the area now known as Toronto for thousands of years, the city itself is situated on the southern terminus of an ancient Aboriginal trail leading north to Lake Simcoe, used by the Wyandot, Iroquois, and the Mississauga. Permanent European settlement began in the 1790s, after the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase of 1787, the British established the town of York, and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York, York was renamed and incorporated as the city of Toronto in 1834, and became the capital of the province of Ontario during the Canadian Confederation in 1867. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities at various times in its history to its current area of 630.2 km2. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canadas major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Toronto is known for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto and this refers to the northern end of what is now Lake Simcoe, where the Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, in the 1660s, the Iroquois established two villages within what is today Toronto, Ganatsekwyagon on the banks of the Rouge River and Teiaiagonon the banks of the Humber River. By 1701, the Mississauga had displaced the Iroquois, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the Beaver Wars, French traders founded Fort Rouillé on the current Exhibition grounds in 1750, but abandoned it in 1759. During the American Revolutionary War, the region saw an influx of British settlers as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario, the new province of Upper Canada was in the process of creation and needed a capital. Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto, in 1793, Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase lands, instead naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from Newark to York, the York garrison was constructed at the entrance of the towns natural harbour, sheltered by a long sandbar peninsula. The towns settlement formed at the end of the harbour behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street. In 1813, as part of the War of 1812, the Battle of York ended in the towns capture, the surrender of the town was negotiated by John Strachan. US soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation, the sacking of York was a primary motivation for the Burning of Washington by British troops later in the war
32.
Toronto Pearson International Airport
–
The airport is named in honour of Toronto-born Lester B. Pearson, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Pearson Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Canada. Pearson handles more international passengers than any airport in North America other than John F. Kennedy International Airport, Pearson is the main hub for Air Canada. It is also a hub for passenger airline WestJet and cargo airline FedEx Express, Pearson Airport is operated by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority as part of Transport Canadas National Airports System. In 1952, the became the first in the world to provide facilities for United States border preclearance. An extensive network of domestic flights is operated from Pearson by several airlines to all major. As of 2017, over 75 airlines operate around 1,100 daily departures from Toronto Pearson to more than 180 destinations across all six of the inhabited continents. In 1937, the Government of Canada agreed to support the building of two airports for Toronto, one site was downtown, todays Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The other was to be outside the city, as a backup for the downtown field, a site near the town of Malton, northwest of Toronto, was chosen and the Toronto Harbour Commission purchased and acquired several farms to provide the land for the airfield. The first scheduled flight for the new Malton Airport was a Trans-Canada Air Lines DC-3 that landed on August 29,1939. During World War II, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan operated No.1 Elementary Service Flying School, in 1958, the City of Toronto sold the Malton Airport to Transport Canada, who subsequently changed the name of the facility to Toronto International Airport. The airport was officially renamed Lester B. Pearson International Airport in 1984, Pearson, the fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada and recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority assumed management, operation, and control of the airport in 1996, Toronto Pearson International Airport has two active terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. A third terminal, the Infield Terminal, is not used for regular operations at Pearson. Measuring over 567,000 square metres, Terminal 1 is the largest terminal at Pearson Airport and is among the largest buildings in the world by floor space, Air Canada and all other Star Alliance airlines that serve Toronto Pearson operate out of Terminal 1. The terminal is used by non-alliance airline Emirates. Terminal 1 was designed by a joint venture known as Airports Architects Canada, comprising Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Adamson Associates Architects and Moshe Safdie and Associates. It contains 58 gates, D1, D3, D5, D7-D12, D20, D22, D24, D26, D28, D31–D45, D51, D53, D55, D57, F60–F63, F64A–F64B, F65, F66A–F66B, F/E67–F/E81, F91, and F93
33.
Santiago
–
Santiago de Chile, or simply Santiago, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chiles largest and the most densely populated conurbation, the city is entirely located in the countrys central valley, at an elevation of 520 m above mean sea level. Founded in 1541, Santiago has been the city of Chile since colonial times. The city has a core of 19th century neoclassical architecture and winding side-streets, dotted by art deco, neo-gothic. Santiagos cityscape is shaped by several hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River. The Andes Mountains can be seen from most points in the city and these mountains contribute to a considerable smog problem, particularly during winter. The city outskirts are surrounded by vineyards and Santiago is within a few hours of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santiago is the cultural, political and financial center of Chile and is home to the regional headquarters of many multinational corporations. The Chilean executive and judiciary are located in Santiago, but Congress meets mostly in nearby Valparaíso, Santiago is named after the biblical figure St. James. In Chile, there are entities which bear the name of Santiago that are often confused. The Commune of Santiago, sometimes referred to as downtown or Central Santiago, is a division that comprises roughly the area occupied by the city during its colonial period. The city and regions demonym is santiaguinos and santiaguinas, according to certain archaeological investigations, it is believed that the first human groups of the X millennium settled in the Santiago basin. The groups were mainly nomadic hunter-gatherers, who traveled from the coast to the interior in search of guanacos during the time of the Andean snowmelt. The villages established in the belonging to picunches groups or promaucaes, were subject to the Inca Empire throughout the late fifteenth century. The Incas settled in the valley of mitimaes, the main installation settled in the center of the present city, with strengths as Huaca de Chena, the area would have served as a basis for the failed Inca expeditions southward road junction as the Inca Trail. Having been sent by Francisco Pizarro from Peru and having made the journey from Cuzco. The hosts of Valdivia camped by the river in the slopes of the Tupahue hill, the natives accepted and even recommended the foundation of the town on a small island between two branches of the river next to a small hill called Huelén. On 12 February 1541, Valdivia officially founded the city of Santiago del Nuevo Extremo in honor of St. James, patron saint of Spain, near the Huelén, renamed by the conqueror as St. Lucia. Following colonial rule, Valdivia entrusted the layout of the new town to master builder Pedro de Gamboa, in the center of the city, Gamboa designed a Plaza Mayor, around which various plots for the Cathedral and the governors house were selected
34.
El Dorado International Airport
–
El Dorado International Airport is an international airport located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is ranked among the worlds 50 busiest airports in terms of, passenger traffic and it is managed by Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional, a consortium composed of Colombian construction and engineering firms and the Swiss company Flughafen Zürich AG. El Dorado is the most important airport in Colombia, accounting for 49% of the air traffic in the country. It handles all domestic and international flights into Bogotá, El Dorado is located about 15 kilometres west of the city center, Avenida El Dorado provides passengers access to downtown. Regular buses, known as feeders, transport users from the airport to Portal Eldorado, the airport has been named the best airport in South America by World Airport Awards. El Dorado received four-star certification and its staff was rated the best in South America by Skytrax, El Dorado Passenger Terminal was designed during the government of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. Its construction began in 1955 and entered in service at the end of 1959, replacing the interim terminal, the new terminal consisted of several taxiways, maintenance platforms, parking areas, a cellar, passenger halls, Mezzanine areas and other amenities. Its second floor consisted of the area with executive waiting rooms. The third floor consisted mainly of offices for the airlines and of other related services. The fourth floor held the offices and its dependencies which accounted through to the fifth floor. The sixth floor contained mainly the dependencies of meteorology and power station of air navigation aids of the ECA, the seventh floor held the route control facilities for the runways and taxiways and the eighth floor contained air traffic radar controllers. The ninth floor contained the airports electrical maintenance and offices, in 1973, the airport accomplished a milestone by serving nearly three million passengers and processing nearly 5 million units of luggage. That year turned out to be one of the most prosperous for the industry of aviation, then it became necessary for a second runway at El Dorado with concerns that the explosive growth would lead to over congestion in the future. In 1990, the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics moved to the floor in the main building. During this same year, the Centro de Estudios Aeronáuticos and at the east part of the airport the building for the National Center for Aeronavigation were constructed, in 1998, the second runway was officially opened. In 1981, Avianca undertook the construction of a new terminal to be called the Puente Aéreo. Aviancas original purpose for the terminal was for flights serving Cali, Medellín, Miami, during the first years of operation and until 2005 Avianca gradually moved all of its domestic operations to the Puente Aéreo and shifted the Miami and New York operations to the main terminal. This allowed them to streamline their operations by using space previously assigned to customs, the culmination of this process came in 2006 when the airline undertook extensive renovations on the building
35.
Havana
–
Havana is the capital city, largest city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet, the sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay. King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City in 1592, walls as well as forts were built to protect the old city. The sinking of the U. S. battleship Maine in Havanas harbor in 1898 was the cause of the Spanish–American War. Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one, Old Havana, Vedado and the suburban districts. The city is the center of the Cuban government, and home to various ministries, headquarters of businesses, the current mayor is Marta Hernández of the Communist Party of Cuba. In 2009, the city/province had the third highest income in the country, the city attracts over a million tourists annually, the Official Census for Havana reports that in 2010 the city was visited by 1,176,627 international tourists, a 20% increase from 2005. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, the city is also noted for its history, culture, architecture and monuments. As typical of Cuba, Havana also features a tropical climate, in May 2015, Havana was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Vigan, Doha, La Paz, Durban, Beirut, and Kuala Lumpur. Most native settlements became the site of Spanish colonial cities retaining their original Taíno names, an alternate theory is that Habana is derived from the Middle Dutch word havene, referring to a harbour, etymologically related to the English word haven. All attempts to found a city on Cubas south coast failed, however, an early map of Cuba drawn in 1514 places the town at the mouth of this river. The town that became Havana finally originated adjacent to what was then called Puerto de Carenas, the quality of this natural bay, which now hosts Havanas harbor, warranted this change of location. Pánfilo de Narváez gave Havana – the sixth town founded by the Spanish on Cuba – its name, the name combines San Cristóbal, patron saint of Havana. Shortly after the founding of Cubas first cities, the served as little more than a base for the Conquista of other lands. Havana began as a port, and suffered regular attacks by buccaneers, pirates. The first attack and resultant burning of the city was by the French corsair Jacques de Sores in 1555, ships from all over the New World carried products first to Havana, in order to be taken by the fleet to Spain. The thousands of ships gathered in the bay also fueled Havanas agriculture and manufacture, since they had to be supplied with food, water. On December 20,1592, King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City, later on, the city would be officially designated as Key to the New World and Rampart of the West Indies by the Spanish Crown