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{{short description|Ecuadorian airline}}
{{For|the aircraft|Hispano HA-200}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2009}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline        = SAETA
| logo           = 
| logo_size      = 
| fleet_size     = 7
| destinations   = 19
| IATA           = EH
| ICAO           = SET
| callsign       = SAETA
| parent         = 
| founded        = 1966
| commenced      =
| ceased         = February 2000
| headquarters   = [[Quito]], [[Ecuador]]
| key_people     = 
| hubs           = [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport]]
| secondary_hubs = [[José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport]]
| focus_cities   = 
| frequent_flyer = ADDmiles 
| alliance       =
| subsidiaries   = [[SAN Ecuador]]
| website        = {{URL|http://www.saeta.com.ec}}
}}

'''SAETA Air Ecuador''' (legally ''Sociedad Anónima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aéreos S.A.'') was a privately held airline of [[Ecuador]], which was founded in 1966. During its heyday in the 1990s, it flew to numerous destinations in North and South America from its base in [[Guayaquil]].

==History==
[[File:SAETA Caravelle Volpati.jpg|thumb|A SAETA [[Sud Aviation Caravelle]] at the [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport]] in 1982]]
SAETA was founded in [[Quito]] in 1966, later the company headquarters were relocated to [[Guayaquil]]. The main owners were the Dunn family.

In addition to domestic flights, SAETA operated routes in North, Central and South America. It preferred flights to [[Los Angeles]], [[New York City]], [[Miami]], [[Panama City]], [[Caracas]], [[Bogotá]], [[Lima]], [[Santiago]] and [[Buenos Aires]].

In 1990, SAETA took over the Ecuadorian airline [[SAN Ecuador|SAN]], increasing frequencies and fleet for national and international flights. The airline later in 1994 took over [[Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas|LAPSA]] from Paraguay, operated with an Ecuadorian-Paraguayan Consortium until being sold to [[TAM Linhas Aereas]] in 1996. Political instability in the country and currency devaluation led to a decline in passenger numbers. This was followed by the cancellation of flights to the United States of America due to the loss of the approach permit for Category 1 airports.

By the mid-1990s, events such as political instability and the devaluation of the currency, damaged SAETA, which caused a reduction in passengers, added to the cancellation of flights to the United States due to the loss of category 1 of the Ecuadorian aeronautical authority since 1993, accelerating its decline. Both SAN and SAETA had serious security breaches, which resulted in the loss of several flights.

In February 2000, SAETA ended its flight operations after severe financial problems following the [[1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis]].<ref>http://www.saeta.com.ec SAETA Page</ref>

==Destinations==
[[File:SAETA Airbus A310-300 Bidini.jpg|thumb|A SAETA [[Airbus A310-300]] at [[Miami International Airport]] in 1994]]
[[File:SAETA Boeing 737-300 JetPix.jpg|thumb|A SAETA [[Boeing 737-300]] taxiing at [[Miami International Airport]] in 1994]]

*'''{{ARG}}'''
**[[Buenos Aires]] ([[Ministro Pistarini International Airport]])
*'''{{BOL}}'''
**[[Cochabamba]] ([[Jorge Wilstermann International Airport]])
**[[Santa Cruz de la Sierra]] ([[Viru Viru International Airport]])
*'''{{BRA}}'''
**[[Rio de Janeiro]] ([[Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport]])
*'''{{CHI}}'''
**[[Santiago]] ([[Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport]])
*'''{{COL}}'''
**[[Bogota]] ([[El Dorado International Airport]])
*'''{{DOM}}'''
**[[Santo Domingo]] ([[Las Americas International Airport]])
*'''{{ECU}}'''
**[[Cuenca, Ecuador|Cuenca]] ([[Mariscal Lamar International Airport]])
**[[Guayaquil]] ([[José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport]]) '''Hub'''
**[[Quito]] ([[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport]]) '''Hub'''
**[[San Cristóbal Island]] ([[San Cristóbal Airport]])
*'''{{PAN}}'''
**[[Panama City]] ([[Tocumen International Airport]])
*'''{{PER}}'''
**[[Lima]] ([[Jorge Chávez International Airport]])
*'''{{USA}}'''
**[[Los Angeles]] ([[Los Angeles International Airport]])
**[[Miami]] ([[Miami International Airport]])
**[[New York City]] ([[John F. Kennedy International Airport]])
*'''{{VEN}}'''
**[[Caracas]] ([[Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)|Simón Bolívar International Airport]])

==Fleet==
[[File:8cz - SAETA Air Ecuador Airbus A320-232; HC-BUJ@MIA;24.01.1998 (5157661812).jpg|thumb|A SAETA [[Airbus A320-200]] landing at [[Miami International Airport]] in 1998]]
SAETA had operated the following aircraft since it commenced operations:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/SAETA.html|title=SAETA fleet|website=aerobernie.bplaced.net|access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>Ulrich Klee, Frank Bucher et al.: ''jp airline-fleets international''. Zürich-Airport 1960–2000.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ SAETA fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A310-300]]
|2
|1992
|1996
|
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]]
|4
|1994
|1999
|
|-
|[[Boeing 707-320C]]
|1
|1985
|1993
|
|-
|[[Boeing 727-100]]
|2
|1981
|2000
|
|-
|[[Boeing 727-200]]
|3
|1991
|2000
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-200]]
|1
|1994
|1995
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-300]]
|2
|1994
|2000
|
|-
|[[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]]
|3
|1967
|1976
|
|-
|[[Sud Aviation Caravelle]]
|4
|1975
|1986
|
|-
|[[Vickers Viscount|Vickers Viscount 700]]
|4
|1969
|1980
|
|}

==Accidents and incidents==
*On July 3, 1969, a [[Douglas C-47]] was hijacked on a domestic flight from [[Tulcán Airport]] to [[Mariscal Sucre International Airport]]. The hijackers demanded to be taken to [[Cuba]].<ref name=AS030769>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690703-0|title=Hijacking Description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=14 February 2011}}</ref>
*On October 20, 1971, a [[Vickers Viscount]] was hijacked by six people. It landed at [[Mariscal Lamar International Airport]].<ref name=ASN201071>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19711020-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=September 5, 2009}}</ref>
*On August 15, 1976, [[SAETA Flight 232]], a [[Vickers Viscount]] (registered HC-ARS) crashed into the [[Chimborazo (volcano)|Chimborazo volcano]], killing all 59 people on board. The flight was considered missing until February 2003, after an independent verification of aircraft wreckage that was discovered in October 2002.<ref name=ASN150876>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19760815-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=November 2, 2010}}</ref>
*On April 23, 1979, a [[Vickers Viscount]] (registered HC-AVP) [[SAETA Flight 011 (1979)|crashed]] in the [[Pastaza Province]] on a flight between the [[Quito]] and [[Cuenca, Ecuador|Cuenca]], killing all 57 people on board. The flight was considered missing until 1984, when the wreckage was discovered. The aircraft was {{convert|25|nmi|km}} off track.<ref name=ASN230479>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790423-1|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=September 5, 2009}}</ref>
*On January 18, 1986, a [[Sud Aviation Caravelle]] (registered HC-BAE), operated by [[Aerovías]], [[1986 Aerovías Guatemala air crash|crashed in a jungle area]] after executing a second missed approach procedure at [[Flores International Airport]]. Low lying clouds in the area forced the crew to carry out the missed approaches. All 88 passengers and 6 crew members died in the accident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19860118-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=January 12, 2021}}</ref>
*On August 22, 1997, a [[Boeing 727-200]] (registered HC-BVU) was landing at [[San Cristóbal Airport]] when its undercarriage struck the raised lip of the runway, causing it to collapse. It slid for about 700 m before coming to rest on the right side of the runway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19970822-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=September 5, 2009}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of defunct airlines of Ecuador]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|SAETA}}

*[http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=SAETA&distinct_entry=true&sort_order=photo_id+desc&page=1&page_limit=15&sid=840f2256a494dd37b0e6e690a93fa44f SAETA aircraft]

{{Portalbar|Ecuador|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of Ecuador}}

[[Category:SAETA|SAETA]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of Ecuador]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1966]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2000]]
[[Category:1960 establishments in Ecuador]]
[[Category:2000s disestablishments in Ecuador]]