SANSA (''Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A.'') is an

regional airline A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...

based in

San José, Costa Rica San José (; meaning "Saint Joseph") is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley, within San José Canton. San ...

. It operates scheduled passenger services as part of the former

TACA Regional Transportes Aereos del Continente Americano, (''Air Transports of the American Continent'', known and branded formerly as TACA International), operating as Avianca El Salvador, is an airline owned by Kingsland Holdings based in El Salvador. As ...

system, and was a subsidiary of

Avianca Holdings Avianca Group International Limited (formerly Avianca Holdings S.A. and AviancaTaca Holding Inc.) is a pan-regional Latin American multinational airline holding company with its registered office in St Albans, England, and its global headquarter ...

. Its main hub is

Juan Santamaría International Airport Juan Santamaría International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría) is the primary airport serving San José, the capital of Costa Rica. The airport is located in the city of Alajuela, 20 km (12 miles) west of downto ...

.Sansa Website
History, 16. September 2020

History

The airline was established in 1978 as a domestic subsidiary of

LACSA Avianca Costa Rica S.A., formerly known as LACSA (''Spanish: Lineas Aéreas Costarricenses S.A.''), minority owned by the Synergy Group, is the national airline of Costa Rica and is based in San José. It operates international scheduled servic ...

. On May 31, 2019,

sold SANSA to Regional Airlines Holding LLC, from

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Destinations

The destinations of SANSA are:

Fleet

Current fleet

As of September 2022, the SANSA fleet includes:

Former fleet

Boeing 737-300 The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft. Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Febru ...

(Leased from Islandsflug) *3

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

CASA C-212 Aviocar The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators. The C-212 w ...

Accidents and incidents

*On April 19, 1984, a

Douglas C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...

(registered TI-SAA), charter flight coming from San Andrés, Colombia crashed on "Cerro Santa Rosa" (northwest face of the Irazú Volcano), with the death of all 4 people on board. *On January 16, 1990,

SANSA Flight 32 SANSA Flight 32, a CASA C-212 Aviocar on its way to Palmar Sur Airport crashed into the Cerro Cedral, a mountain in Costa Rica after takeoff from Juan Santamaría International Airport Juan Santamaría International Airport ( es, Aeropuert ...

crashed into the

Cerro Cedral The Cerro Cedral is the second highest mountain of the Cerros de Escazú, Costa Rica with . Cedral means 'cedar forest' referring to an endangered tree species locally known as Cedro Dulce, which occurs there. This mountain marks the southern ...

, a mountain in Costa Rica, after takeoff from

in San José. All 20 passengers and 3 crew on board died in the crash. *On August 26, 2000, a

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargoma ...

crashed into the

Arenal Volcano Arenal Volcano ( es, Volcán Arenal) is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures ...

, an active volcano in Costa Rica. The Cessna Caravan took off from

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 (1650 m) high Arenal volcano, at around 656 feet (200 m) below the crater. All 8 passengers and 2 crew on board died in the crash. *On November 28, 2001, a

crashed into the Cerro Chontal, a mountain in Costa Rica. The aircraft crashed into a wooded hillside of the Cerro Chontal approximately four minutes before it was expected to land. The aircraft appeared to be off the usual approach track for

Quepos Quepos () is a districts of Costa Rica, district of the canton of Quepos (canton), Quepos, in the province of Puntarenas Province, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Toponymy The town is named for the native Quepo Indians who inhabited the place in the colo ...

. Both crew members and 1 passenger died; 5 passengers survived the crash and were rescued the next day.Aviation Safety Network
28 November 2001, Cerro Chontal

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Airlines of Costa Rica Airlines established in 1978 Avianca Costa Rican brands 1978 establishments in Costa Rica Grupo TACA