SAN (legally ''Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A.'') was an airline which was based in

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

that was the domestic branch of the airline SAETA. It was founded in 1964, and ceased operations in 1999.

History

SAN was founded on January 21, 1964, providing commercial services within Ecuador with two

Douglas C-47A 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 ...

s. the first routes directly connected Cuenca with

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

in passenger transport operations in 1966, these operations were daily. In 1970, the company signed an alliance with Ecuatoriana de Aviación. That same year, SAN acquired two

Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount is a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs. A design requirement from the Brabazon Committee, it entered service in 1953 and was the first turboprop-powered airliner. The Vi ...

from

All Nippon Airways , also known as ANA (''Ē-enu-ē'') or is an airline in Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area of Minato ward of Tokyo. It operates services to both domestic and international destinations and had m ...

. Its arrival in Ecuador and entry into service marked a decided modernization of the flight equipment, which allowed the company to continue operating its usual routes and inaugurate direct flights from Cuenca to Quito and for the routes to Guayaquil to be operated with its own teams. In 1975, three Sud Aviation Caravelle were acquired from

TAP Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal is the currently state-owned flag carrier airline of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport which also serves as its hub. TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses – has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2005 and oper ...

, two of them are put into service on the frequencies assigned between the cities of Quito and Guayaquil and one was stored in Cuenca for to serve as a source of spare parts. SAN's intention was to operate with the Caravelles to and from Cuenca, but this was not authorized by the aeronautical authorities of that time. In 1979, SAN purchased two Sud Caravelles from Luxair, one was used in service and the other for spare parts. In this period, the Cuenca investors who had a majority decided to sell their shares to a Guayaquil businessman. By 1981, two Boeing 727-100s were incorporated, which one maintained its fleet and the other one was sold to

TAME Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals *River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley * Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 al ...

. In the early 1990's, SAN was absorbed by Ecuadorian airline SAETA, increasing its frequencies and fleet for national and international flights. But the next years were of absolute decline until in 1999, when the company definitively ceased operations.

Destinations

* ** Cuenca (

Mariscal Lamar International Airport Mariscal Lamar International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Lamar) is a high elevation airport serving Cuenca, the capital of the Azuay Province in Ecuador. It is named after the Peruvian military leader and politician José de ...

) ** Esmeraldas (

Colonel Carlos Concha Torres Airport Colonel Carlos Concha Torres Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Coronel Carlos Concha Torres) is an airport serving the Pacific coastal city of Esmeraldas, capital of the Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador. It is east of the city, across the Esmeraldas Rive ...

) **

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

( José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport) Hub ** Macas ( Edmundo Carvajal Airport) **

Manta Manta or mantas may refer to: * Manta ray, large fish belonging to the genus ''Manta'' Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * Manta (comics), a character in American Marvel Comics publications * Manta (''Uridium''), a spaceship in the Br ...

( Eloy Alfaro International Airport) ** Quito (

Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport Mariscal Sucre International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre) was the main international airport serving Quito, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. It was the busiest airport in Ecuador by passenger traffic, by aircraft movement ...

) **

San Cristóbal Island San Cristóbal Island ( es, Isla San Cristóbal) and named previously by the English as ''Chatham Island'', is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, as well as one of the oldest geologically. It is administratively part ...

( San Cristóbal Airport) * **

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

(

Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami metropolitan area with over 1,000 daily flights to 167 domestic and international destinations, including most c ...

)

Fleet

SAN had operated the following aircraft:

Accidents and incidents

*On September 4, 1977, a

(registered HC-BCL) crashed into a mountain in the Cajas Mountains, killing all 33 people on board. *On December 29, 1977, a

(registered HC-BEM) crashed into a hill near Cuenca. All 24 people on board were killed. *On October 8, 1982, a

(registered HC-ATV) was damaged beyond repairs after a runway excursion at

in Cuenca. *On April 29, 1983, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HC-BAJ) crashed shortly after taking off from José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport due to a double engine failure. 8 of the 100 people on board were killed in the accident.

References

External links

Fleet list of SANSAN incidents at the Aviation Safety Network
Defunct airlines of Ecuador Airlines established in 1964 Airlines disestablished in 1999 Defunct companies of Ecuador 1964 establishments in Ecuador 1990s disestablishments in Ecuador {{Ecuador-company-stub