Avianca has been the flag carrier airline of Colombia since 1919 and originally stood for Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A. The Avianca nickname—popular in Colombia and elsewhere—of “Avinunca” (Spanish for “never flies”) has been cited since at least October 28, 1973, when “‘Avianca is Avinunca’ (Avi-never)” was printed in the New York (NY) Times.
 
   
Wikipedia: Avianca
Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish formerly for Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A. (National Airways of Colombia), currently Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. (Airways of the American Continent)) is the flag carrier airline of Colombia since December 5, 1919 when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and a major one in Latin America: Avianca together with its subsidiaries has the most extended network of (both passenger and cargo) destinations in the Americas and one of the largest and most modern aircraft fleet in the continent. It is wholly owned by AviancaTaca Holding S.A., a Latin American holding company established in Panamá and specializing in air transport. The company is part of the Synergy Group and is listed in the Colombia Stock Exchange.
       
28 October 1973, New York (NY) Times, “Barrancabermeja Or Bust: Looking For Daddy’s Oil Well”:
“Avianca is Avinunca”’ (Avi-never), he says, making a joke about our four-hour delay.
 
Google Groups: rec.travel.air
Joking names for airlines
Aeromer (WBPL)
4/21/95
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Avianca is often called “Avinunca” (never flies) in South America
 
Airliners.net Discussion Forum
Topic: Funny Airline Nicknames
Username: CptGirmayTesfa
Posted 2003-10-26 19:21:57
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Avianca: Avinunca
     
JetPhotos.Net Forums
CanVoodoo
06-10-2009, 01:41 PM
Airline nickname list
This will not be new to most people here—it is an expansion of a list that has been around for years.
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Avianca
A Very Inferior And Nasty Colombian Airline
Avinunca
Awful anca
Aviogenex
Aviogen wrecks
 
Poorbuthappy
colombia: Best way to buy internal flights in Colombia from UK
I need to book an internal flight-would edreams or despegar be the best website to do this with or just go direct to Avianca (or Avinunca as we used to say in Colombia)
Posted on July 22, 2009
   
Open Salon
DECEMBER 26, 2011 8:02PM
Last Flight With Pan Am
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COMMENTS
We used to have fun with airline names. Colombia’s dismal airline, Avianca, got renamed Avinunca (nunca meaning never in Spanish). BWIA was But Will It Arrive and Alitalia was Always Late in Takeoff, Always Late in Arrival.
Abrawang
DECEMBER 27, 2011 11:59 AM
     
TripAdvisor
TheOneYorkied…
5. Re: Beware of Avianca
Jun 21, 2012, 1:35 PM
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My suggestion is to avoid Avianca (called Avinunca). For those who do not know Spanish, the word nunca means never. Avinunca suits Avianca to a TEE. It NEVER leaves on time, NEVER arrives on time, and you are NEVER treated to good customer service. Next time I have to fly to Colombia, I will take a different carrier, and then fly SATENA within Colombia, until they prove to be just as bad as Avinunca.