The mission of opening social routes with the firm purpose of promoting progress was initially assumed by the Air Transport Group of our Institution, which handed over this important task to the Air Service to National Territories, SATENA, through Decree 940 of April 12, 1962, during the command of General Alberto Pauwels. This responded to the interest of the national government to create a special air transport service for the benefit of the most remote regions of the country, supporting educational assistance campaigns, agricultural, livestock, economic and community promotion.
In this way, the airline launched into the sovereign skies with the aim of weaving air bridges with two C-47 aircraft and a Catalina amphibian, facilitated by the FAC; the latter, fulfilling hospital aircraft functions. The first routes established regular flights to the east and south of Colombia, including villages in Arauca, Puerto Carre帽o and settler communities on the banks of the In铆rida, Vaup茅s and Apaporis rivers.
Today, SATENA and the Colombian Aerospace Force, FAC, continue to build the country shoulder to shoulder, cooperating on different levels, the social one took shape in April 2025, with the transportation of four families from Acand铆, Choc贸 department, to Medell铆n, within the framework of a medical mission, to provide reconstructive surgeries to children from vulnerable communities.
Besides, we had the transfer to Leticia of a specialized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) intended to benefit, annually, more than 2,000 people in the department of Amazonas; a procedure that before obligated the patients to go to Bogot谩 and other capital cities, representing, in essence, a barrier for accessing the fundamental health service. In organizational terms, the Colombian Air Force provides SATENA with constant support with 53 Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, who serve to fulfill its noble mission.
These are personnel who, as a whole, contribute with professionalism and leadership to the areas of presidency and vice presidency, airport facilities security, strategic communications, human factors, air operations, technical management, strategic analysis and the fleet itself, as well as pilots and crew members. Such relevant inter-institutional work was seen last year by transporting 1.27 million passengers on more than 34,000 flights, representing the highest figure in the history of the airline.
An achievement that demonstrates the push and constant growth of this great company, in the period 2022-2024, is the patent of investments for USD 80 million, a fleet that went from 9 to 15 aircraft, in the expansion from 86 to 154 routes -joining, even, destinations from and to Venezuela - in addition, the 100 percent connectivity of the department Choc贸 and the Colombian Pacific region.
During 2025 and 2026, the arrival of six additional Twin Otter is expected, reaching 228 routes and two million passengers transported. All of the above speaks of a heavy company that works for a its social role, which is responsible for ensuring the connectivity for isolated regions, supporting humanitarian and medical missions, as well as supporting the areas of commerce, culture, tourism, economy and governance of Colombia.
As Aerospace Force, it is truly emotional to make a fair and deserved tribute to the Air Service to National Territories, through the Aeronautical Magazine, extolling its human team, work, development and consecration for compatriots. Undoubtedly, we will continue to build the country with the wings of aviation, together with SATENA, the airline of the Colombians, always thinking about the realization of a better tomorrow for the nation: united, we are a Force that builds progress. Ad Astra!
General Luis Carlos C贸rdoba Avenda帽o
Commander of the Colombian Aerospace Force
