Alternative TitleSociedad Colombo-Alemana de Trasportes AéreosDate Established1919SubjectAirlinesDescriptionSociedad Colombo Alemana de Transportes Aéreos, more commonly seen as SCADTA or Scadta, was the first airline in Latin America. It was established in 1919, although flying operations began in 1920. Initially it only handled air mail but added passenger service later. In 1940, the airline merged with Colombian regional carrier, Colombian Air Service (Servicio Aéreo Colombiano), or SACO to form Avianca (Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia), the Colombian flag-carrier, which still operates as of 2024.