60-409: Empresa Ecuatoriana de Aviación , more commonly known as simply Ecuatoriana , was the national airline of Ecuador . The carrier had an operational hiatus between September 1993 and August 1995, resuming operations on 23 June 1996, after VASP became the controlling shareholder. The airline folded permanently in 2006. Compañia Ecuatoriana de Aviación (CEA) (English: Ecuadorian Aviation Company )
120-443: A Douglas DC-10 from Swissair and opened non-stop routes to Canada . Having jet equipment meant that long flights with stopovers were no longer necessary, and non-stop routes were opened all over South America and to other North American cities. Ecuatoriana also opened flights to destinations such as Mexico City and Madrid , Spain . The Quito and Guayaquil to Madrid routes in particular proved extremely competitive, as Iberia
180-644: A public company or a state-owned enterprise , while others have been completely privatized . The aviation industry has also been gradually deregulated and liberalized, permitting greater freedoms of the air particularly in the United States and in the European Union with the signing of the Open Skies agreement. One of the features of such agreements is the right of a country to designate multiple airlines to serve international routes with
240-799: A certificate under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (i.e., any U.S.-based airline operating internationally), and any ship registered in the United States is known as a U.S. flag vessel . The term "flag carrier" is a legacy of the early days of commercial aviation when governments often took the lead by establishing state-owned airlines because of the high capital costs of running them. 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, but were considered to be flag carriers as they were
300-473: A deal with Costa Rican LACSA broke down. At the end of 1994, SAETA made a $ 31 million bid in an attempt to acquire Ecuatoriana, but this didn't go through. After a lengthy privatization process, with the participation of nine consortiums that included ACES , Air France , British Aerospace , Carnival Airlines , Challenge Air Cargo , Continental Airlines, Aerogal and TACA , the consortium led by Brazilian airline VASP (and local investor Juan Eljuri) won
360-404: A font similar to Helvetica Black . The logo colours were reflected in the standard Airbus aircraft livery in each period. The EADS logo between 2000 and 2010 combined the logos of the merged companies, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (a four-ray star) and Aérospatiale-Matra (a curved arrow), after which these elements were removed and a new font with 3D shading was chosen. This font was retained in
420-448: A given sovereign state , enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Historically, the term was used to refer to airlines owned by the government of their home country and associated with the national identity of that country. Such an airline may also be known as a national airline or a national carrier , although this can have different legal meanings in some countries. Today, it
480-593: A model range that parallels the commercial aircraft offered by the company. Following the entry of the 737-based Boeing Business Jet , Airbus joined the business jet market with the A319 Corporate Jet in 1997. Although the term Airbus Corporate Jet was initially used only for the A319CJ, it is now often used for all models, including VIP widebodies. As of December 2008, 121 corporate and private jets are operating, and 164 aircraft have been ordered. The company
540-594: A number of other plants in different European locations, reflecting its foundation as a consortium. For aircraft assembled in Europe, aircraft parts often move between the different factories and the assembly lines via the use of the Beluga and BelugaXL , a fleet modified aircraft capable of carrying entire sections of fuselage. For aircraft assembled in China and the United States, the parts needed to build an aircraft meet in
600-507: A rarity, as Junkers airliners were already considered to be classics at the time. Ecuatoriana began serving both domestic and international destinations immediately after it started flying. International routes proved to be rather long trips: there were jets already in operation when Ecuatoriana began flying (before the Boeing 707 made its first flight), but they were predominantly used by European airlines. Ecuatoriana's equipment necessitated
660-495: A reputation for being unreliable. Lengthy flight delays and cancellations were commonplace. Faced with these problems, as well as competition from other carriers such as the privately owned Ecuadorian carrier SAETA , American Airlines (which had assumed Eastern Air Lines ' Latin America routes in 1990), and Continental Airlines , which began serving Ecuador from its Houston hub in 1991, Ecuatoriana ceased operations. Affected by
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#1732787647441720-520: A second production line. North America plays a crucial role for Airbus, both in terms of aircraft sales and suppliers. Of the approximately 5,300 Airbus jetliners sold worldwide, 2,000 are ordered by North American customers. These orders span Airbus' entire product line, from the compact A318 to the massive A380, accommodating 107 to 565 passengers. Notably, US contractors contribute significantly, supporting around 120,000 jobs and generating an estimated $ 5.5 billion in business. For instance, one variant of
780-598: A simplified joint-stock company . In 2006, EADS acquired BAE Systems ' remaining 20% of Airbus. EADS NV was renamed Airbus Group NV and SE in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Due to the dominance of the Airbus SAS division within Airbus Group SE, the executive committees of the parent and subsidiary companies were aligned in January 2017, but the companies were kept as separate legal entities. The holding company
840-704: A single European location where they are loaded onto ships for the final journey to the assembly line. Airbus opened an assembly plant for the A320 family of aircraft in Tianjin , China in 2009. Airbus started constructing a $ 350 million component manufacturing plant in Harbin , China in July 2009, which now employs over 1,000 people. It was fully operational by early 2011, the 30,000 square metre plant manufactures composite parts and assembles composite work-packages for
900-534: A stopover in Panama City for its first international route, from Quito to Miami . Likewise, routes from Quito and Guayaquil to Santiago de Chile included stopovers in Lima , Peru . The airline's livery featured a tailfin logo of alternating blue and white diagonal stripes. The airline operated Lockheed L-188 Electra four-engined turboprop airliners on longer distance scheduled passenger services, including
960-611: A value of the stake at "approximately €2.0 billion." Lagardère was to reduce its holding by an identical amount. However, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations , a unit of the French government, acquired 2.25 % of EADS. At issue, as a result, is the fact that the German and French shareholdings were now in imbalance. On 30 August 2006, shortly after the stock price decline caused by the A380 delivery delays, more than 5 % of EADS stock
1020-522: Is a European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate defence and space and helicopter divisions. Airbus has long been the world's leading helicopter manufacturer and, in 2019, also emerged as the world's biggest manufacturer of airliners. The company was incorporated as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ( EADS ) in
1080-568: Is also a 10% owner of Dassault Aviation , which builds the Falcon family of smaller business jets. Airbus Defence and Space markets and either builds or modifies new aircraft for military use. Airbus became increasingly interested in developing and selling to the military aviation market in the late 1990s. It embarked on two main fields of development: aerial refuelling with the Airbus A310 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) and later
1140-422: Is any international airline with a strong connection to its home country or that represents its home country internationally, regardless of whether it is government-owned. Flag carriers may also be known as such due to laws requiring aircraft or ships to display the state flag of the country of their registry . For example, under the law of the United States, a U.S. flag air carrier is any airline that holds
1200-725: Is led by CEO Guillaume Faury and is a component of the EURO STOXX 50 stock market index . Since its inception in 2000, the company's shares have been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange , the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the four regional Spanish stock exchanges (including the Bolsa de Madrid ). The current company is the product of consolidation in the European aerospace industry, tracing back to
1260-766: Is longer and wider than the fuselage used on the A300, A310, A330, and A340. A second narrow-body jet was added to the product list in 2018 when Airbus gained control of the Bombardier CSeries programme, and rebranded it as the A220. The jet offers five-abreast seating compared to the six-abreast seating on the A320. The company is also a 50% owner of the ATR joint venture which builds the ATR 42 and ATR 72 regional aircraft. Airbus Corporate Jets markets and modifies new aircraft for private and corporate customers. It has
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#17327876474411320-552: The Airbus A330 MRTT , and tactical airlift with the Airbus A400M Atlas . The company has also continued to market and assemble some military aircraft previously offered by the companies that formed Airbus, notably CASA . The A310 and A330-based MRTT aircraft are conversions of civilian airliners. The aircraft are called multi-role tanker transports because, in addition to their aerial refuelling capability,
1380-820: The Airbus C295 , a smaller tactical transport aircraft, that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA . The company is also a 50% owner of the ArianeGroup joint venture which builds the Ariane 5 space launch vehicle, a 46% owner of the Eurofighter joint venture which builds the Typhoon fighter jet, a 42.5% owner of the Panavia Aircraft joint venture which built
1440-411: The Boeing 707 , and a new, colorful "rainbow" livery attracted airplane spotters at new destinations such as New York 's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Buenos Aires ' Ezeiza International Airport . Some of Ecuatoriana's aircraft became flying canvases for abstract artwork. These distinctively-painted aircraft were seen as a response to Braniff 's Alexander Calder -painted aircraft. During
1500-824: The Tiger attack helicopter, along with militarized versions of the H125, H135, H145, H160, H175, H215, and H225. The company is also a 62.5% owner of the NHIndustries joint venture, which builds the NH90 military utility helicopter. Revenues by division, as of 2023: Commercial aircraft generated 74% of total revenue for the Airbus group in 2018 and 72% in 2023. The key trends for Airbus Commercial Aircraft (excluding Defence, Space and Helicopters) are as of each financial year ending December 31: The division Airbus Defence and Space
1560-722: The Tornado fighter jet, a 37.5% owner of the MBDA joint venture which builds missiles, and a 10% owner of Dassault Aviation which builds the Rafale fighter jet, and previously, the Mirage 2000 fighter. Airbus Helicopters markets and builds new rotorcraft for civilian and military use. The division was founded formed in 1992 as the Eurocopter Group, through the merger of the helicopter divisions of Aérospatiale and DASA (two of
1620-531: The "main national airline" and often a sign of their country's presence abroad. The heavily regulated aviation industry also meant aviation rights are often negotiated between governments, denying airlines access to an open market. These Bilateral Air Transport Agreements similar to the Bermuda I and Bermuda II agreements specify rights awardable only to locally registered airlines, forcing some governments to jump-start airlines to avoid being disadvantaged in
1680-667: The A320, making it easier to train crew. The success led Airbus to introduce a lengthened version, the A321 in 1993, along with the shorter A319 in 1995 and the even shorter A318 in 2002. In 2016, Airbus re-engineered the narrow-body family, in a programme called the A320neo ( new engine option). The wide-body programme led to the introduction of the four-engine A340 in 1991 and the twinjet A330 in 1992. At that time, Airbus wanted to offer four-engined jet aircraft to allow for longer transatlantic and transpacific flights. However, during
1740-648: The A350 XWB, A320 families and future Airbus programmes. Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Corporation, Hafei Aviation Industry Company Ltd, AviChina Industry & Technology and other Chinese partners hold an 80% stake in the plant while Airbus controls the remaining 20%. In 2022, the Tianjin plant finished upgrading works to allow for production of A321. In 2023, the Tianjin final assembly plant started construction to be expanded with
1800-830: The A380 boasts 51% American content in terms of work share value. Plans for a Mobile, Alabama aircraft assembly plant were unveiled by Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier from the Mobile Convention Centre on 2 July 2012. The plans include a $ 600 million factory at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley for the assembly of the A220 , A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. It could employ up to 1,000 full-time workers when operational. Construction began on 8 April 2013, and became operable by 2015, producing up to 50 aircraft per year by 2017. The key trends of Airbus SE are (as of each financial year ending December 31): In October 2005
1860-652: The British Ministry of Defence warned European politicians to stop, as it saw it, interfering in the corporate governance of EADS. The former UK Defence Procurement Minister Lord Drayson hinted that the UK government, a major customer for EADS, may withhold future contracts. "As a key customer, we see it as important for EADS to move in a direction that is free from political interference." On 4 April 2006, DaimlerChrysler announced its intention to reduce its shareholding from 30 % to 22.5 %. The company placed
Ecuatoriana de Aviación - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-800: The Comptroller, the Supreme Court and the Congress all questioned the process. With privatization complete, Ecuatoriana received some Boeing 727s , which were repainted in Miami and at Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Arizona . By 1996, short domestic and international services were restarted, with a livery that resembled VASP's. A single DC-10, also borrowed from VASP, allowed the airline to reintroduce services to Madrid's Barajas International Airport . March 2000 ( 2000-03 ) saw
1980-572: The aircraft can also be configured for troop transport, medevac, and cargo transportation. The A400M Atlas is a four-engine, turboprop-powered tactical transport aircraft. The A400M is sized between the American-made C-130 and the C-17 transports, and while it can carry heavier loads than the C-130, its turboprop engines allow it to retain the ability to use rough landing strips. The A400M
2040-661: The aircraft's development, new rules extended twinjet operations to 120 minutes in 1986, and 180 minutes in 1989. Although the new rules hurt sales of the A340, they greatly benefited the A330 . Production of the A340 ended in 2011, while the A330 would be re-engineered as the A330neo ( new engine option ) in 2018. The world's largest passenger airliner was introduced by Airbus in 2005; the A380
2100-502: The airline flying to Buenos Aires , Cancún , Guayaquil, Manaus , Mexico City, Panama City and Santiago using one Airbus A310-300 , three Boeing 727-200 Advanced and one McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 . That year, Ecuatoriana was caught up in the aftermath of the collapse of Ecuador's economy and once again found itself in financial trouble, and VASP decided to sell its part of the airline, with both Aero Continente and Lan Chile being bidders at that time. Despite claims that Lan Chile
2160-483: The airline, wet-leasing two Boeing 767s to the company, but in 2004 sold its part to Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano . By early 2005 LAN had taken over Ecuatoriana's routes and fleet. Ecuatoriana served the following destinations throughout its history: The airline operated the following equipment at various times during its history: National airline A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in
2220-545: The bid through the Guayaquil and Quito stock exchanges, buying 50.1 percent in August 1995 (at $ 1500 per stock), with a five-year business plan and an effective injection of $ 10 million during the stock bidding. The government retained the remaining 49.9% and announced it would keep 25% of the remaining stocks (administered by TAME), with 24.9% to be sold within six months. The process was not exempt from political controversy, as
2280-716: The company operates major offices and assembly plants in France , Germany , Spain , and the United Kingdom , along with more recent additions in Canada , China , and the United States . Airbus' headquarters are legally registered in Leiden , Netherlands, but daily management is conducted from the company's main office located in Blagnac , France. The SE in its corporate name stands for Societas Europaea . The company
2340-421: The face of foreign competition. Some countries also establish flag carriers such as Israel 's El Al or Lebanon 's Middle East Airlines for nationalist reasons or to aid the country's economy, particularly in the area of tourism. 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
2400-406: The form of other locally registered airlines may be prohibited or heavily regulated to avoid direct competition. Even where privately run airlines may be allowed to be established, the flag carriers may still be accorded priority, especially in the apportionment of aviation rights to local or international markets. Near the end of the 20th century, many of these airlines have been corporatized as
2460-561: The formation of the Airbus Industrie GIE consortium in 1970. In 2000, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) NV was established. In addition to other subsidiaries pertaining to security and space activities, EADS owned 100% of the pre-existing Eurocopter SA , established in 1992, as well as 80% of Airbus Industrie GIE. In 2001, Airbus Industrie GIE was reorganised as Airbus SAS ,
Ecuatoriana de Aviación - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-426: The founding companies of Airbus). Airbus Helicopters is the foremost player in the turbine helicopter industry both in terms of revenues and deliveries. The division's civilian products include the single engine H125 and H130 , the light twin engine H135 and H145 , the medium twin engine H155 and H160 , the super medium twin engine H175 , and the heavy twin engine H215 and H225 . Military products include
2580-601: The general economic crisis in South America during the 1990s, Ecuatoriana encountered deep financial problems. The airline stopped flying at the end of September 1993. Some of its leased airplanes, two A310s leased directly from Airbus and its single DC-10 were taken back, with the latter stranded in Panama since Ecuatoriana was not able to meet the lease payments. Ecuatoriana was forced to rely on competitors TAME and SAETA to fly its North and South American routes, after
2640-429: The key Quito-Bogota-Miami route, between March 1967 and March 1975. American investors pulled out of the company during the early 1970s, prompting the creation of a new company. Empresa Ecuatoriana de Aviación , a state-owned company, took over the routes, liabilities, and assets of CEA. It was established in July 1974, becoming the flag carrier of Ecuador. By this time, the airline had modernized its fleet to include
2700-611: The late 1970s and early 1980s, Braniff was Ecuatoriana's main competitor on many routes, including Miami-Quito/Guayaquil. In the 1970s, most South American national airlines were operated by national air forces. Through the Defence Ministry , the Ecuadorian Air Force bought two refurbished Boeing 707s for the airline from Israeli Aircraft Industries in a deal worth US$ 4,700,000 (equivalent to $ 29,037,247 in 2023) million. Ecuatoriana also acquired
2760-506: The logos of Airbus Group NV (2014–2015) and Airbus Group SE (2015–2017), then Airbus SE: The Airbus product line started with the A300 in 1972, the world's first wide-body , twinjet aircraft. The aircraft greatly benefited from the 1976 introduction of the ETOPS 90 rule, which allowed twinjet aircraft to operate up to 90 minutes (increased from 60 minutes) away from the nearest airport. Under
2820-688: The new rule, the A300 was able to operate over the North Atlantic , the Bay of Bengal , and the Indian Ocean more efficiently than the trijets and four-engined jet aircraft offered by competitors. They then went on to make the Airbus A310 which is also a wide-body aircraft. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the Airbus A300 , the first twin-jet wide-body. It
2880-560: The result that there is no single "flag carrier". The chart below lists airlines considered to be a "flag carrier", based on current or former state ownership or other verifiable designation as a national airline. Minority (20.05%) in the Lufthansa Group acquired in 2020 was sold in 2022. Airbus Airbus SE ( / ˈ ɛər b ʌ s / AIR -buss ; French: [ɛʁbys] ; German: [ˈɛːɐ̯bʊs] ; Spanish: [ˈejɾβus] )
2940-456: The year 2000 through the merger of the French Aérospatiale - Matra , the German DASA and Spanish CASA . The new entity subsequently acquired full ownership of its subsidiary, Airbus Industrie GIE , a joint venture of European aerospace companies originally incorporated in 1970 to develop and produce a wide-body aircraft to compete with American-built airliners. EADS rebranded itself as Airbus SE in 2015. Reflecting its multinational origin,
3000-465: Was a four-engine aircraft with two full-length passenger seating decks. Intended to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long-haul market, the A380 was ultimately a money-losing venture for Airbus due to large development costs and limited sales, and production ended in January 2022. The A350 , a wide-body, twinjet aircraft was introduced in 2013. The A350 was the first Airbus aircraft made largely from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers . It
3060-413: Was a partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as in the missile systems provider MBDA . Airbus Helicopters , formerly known as Eurocopter, is a helicopter manufacturing and support company. The 10 largest shareholder of Airbus in early 2024 were: The corporate management of Airbus is: Airbus has several final assembly lines for different models and markets. These are: Airbus, however, has
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#17327876474413120-475: Was developed for European NATO members, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, as an alternative to relying on foreign aircraft. During development, the A400M programme faced delays and cost overruns; with customer nations stepping in offer additional subsidies. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in 2013, and by 2023, more than 100 aircraft had been built. The Defence and Space division also market and assembles
3180-400: Was established in May 1957, after a group of American and Ecuadorian investors decided to set up an airline. At first, 50 percent of the airline was owned by Americans. Operations started in August 1957. Serving a relatively small country, the airline had a varied fleet that consisted of Curtiss C-46 , Douglas DC-4 , Douglas DC-6 and one Junkers K 16 aircraft. The Junkers airplane was
3240-666: Was formed in January 2014 as part of the group restructuring from the former EADS divisions Airbus Military , Astrium , and Cassidian (composed of Cassidian Electronics – develops and manufactures sensors, radars, avionics and electronic warfare systems for military and security applications, Cassidian Air Systems – develops manned and unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), mission avionics, electronic defence and warning systems and Cassidian Systems – provides global security systems such as command & control, lead system integration, TETRA and TETRAPOL communication systems for public safety, industry, transportation and defence. This line of business
3300-418: Was given its present name in April 2017. Aérospatiale (est. 1970) Matra (est. 1937) Daimler-Benz (aerospace unit) (est. 1926) Dornier Flugzeugwerke (est. 1922) Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) (est. 1968) CASA (Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA) (est. 1923) The logos of Airbus Industrie GIE and Airbus SAS displayed a stylised turbine symbol, redolent of a jet engine , and
3360-464: Was manufactured from 1981-1998. Building on its success with the A300, Airbus worked to develop a narrow-body aircraft along with additional wide-body aircraft based on the A300. The narrow-body efforts led to the launch of the A320 in 1987, which was and continues to be a major commercial success. The A320 was the first commercial jet to use a digital fly-by-wire control system. All Airbus aircraft developed since then have cockpit systems similar to
3420-525: Was not interested in Ecuatoriana, the Chilean carrier was operating its own aircraft on behalf of Ecuatoriana on the lucrative routes to the US after Ecuatoriana's aircraft were repossessed by lessors in late 2000. Following the rejection of Aero Continente's bid and the suspension of Ecuatoriana's air operator certificate, Ecuador's civil aviation authority cleared Lan Chile to start up a subsidiary named Lan Ecuador to fly many international routes previously operated by Ecuatoriana. Lan Chile owned 50 percent of
3480-429: Was popular among travelers who flew those two routes. During the 1980s, Ecuatoriana de Aviación began conducting business with the European Airbus consortium, buying Airbus A310 jetliners. Ecuatoriana debuted a pair of Airbus A-310s in the early 1990s. Rumors that government officials flew their family members for free on Ecuatoriana hurt the airline's reputation. During the late 1980s, Ecuatoriana had also developed
3540-403: Was reportedly purchased by the Russian state-owned Vneshtorgbank , bringing its share to nearly 6 %. In December 2007, Vneshtorgbank sold EADS shares to another state-controlled bank, Vnesheconombank . EADS shares were to be delivered by Vneshekonombank to the charter capital of JSC United Aircraft Corporation in 2008. On 3 October 2006, shortly after EADS admitted further delays in
3600-408: Was the first one in the world to begin field tests with TETRA Enhanced Data Service (TEDS). The Airbus Military division, which manufactured tanker, transport and mission aircraft; Airbus Helicopters , the world's largest helicopter supplier; Astrium , provided systems for aerial, land, naval and civilian security applications including Ariane , Galileo and Cassidian . Through Cassidian, EADS
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