SAN Ecuador informations and photos

SAN (legally Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A.) was an airline which was based in Guayaquil, Ecuador that was the domestic branch of the airline SAETA. It was founded in 1964, and ceased operations in 1999.

SAN was founded to provide commercial aviation services within the Republic of Ecuador. Its Deed of Incorporation was granted on January 21, 1964 in the city of Quito, before the Notary Cristóbal Guarderas and registered in the Mercantile Registry of Quito on March 3, 1964. With two Douglas C-47As, the first routes directly connected Cuenca with Guayaquil in passenger transport operations in 1966, these operations were daily.

In September 1970, the company acquired two Vickers Viscount from the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways. 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, 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, two more Sud Caravelles were bought, this time from Luxair, one 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. At the end of 1980, 2 Boeing 727-100 were incorporated, the company maintained in its fleet only one and the other one was sold to TAME.

In 1990, SAN was absorbed by the 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.

SAN had operated the following aircraft since it commenced operations:

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