[1] Aviateca was under government ownership and remained so until 1989 when it joined the Grupo TACA alliance of Central America and was privatized.

The airline was established in 1929 as Aerovías de Guatemala and was founded by Alfredo Denby Chattfield.

In March 14, 1945, the airline was nationalized during the government of Juan José Arevalo and established as Empresa Guatemalteca de Aviación S.A. which was shortened to Aviateca.

Convair CV-240 family airliners were also acquired to replace some of the DC-3s on short-haul routes in Latin America.

In 1974, the airline was operating the stretched BAC One-Eleven series 500 version of the British-manufactured jet on international flights to Miami, New Orleans, Mexico City, Mérida and San Jose, Costa Rica.