AeroSur (legally incorporated as Compañía Boliviana de Transporte Aéreo Privado Aerosur, S.A.)[2] was the second largest privately owned airline in Bolivia, headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.[3] It operated a domestic and international flight network from its main hub at Viru Viru International Airport to major cities in Bolivia and destinations in South America, the United States and Spain.[4][5] Founded in April 1992 to take advantage of the deregulation of Bolivia's air transport, it started flying on 24 August that year between Santa Cruz and Potosí.[6]
For most of its operational history, AeroSur's main fleet was the Boeing 727-200. The airline even operated the type for its services to Miami, although the flight required a refueling stop due to the type's range. They were gradually replaced with more modern Boeing 737 aircraft.[7] Additionally, the airline operated single Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft for its long-haul destinations to North America and Europe. Since 2008, AeroSur became Bolivia's flag carrier following the demise of the country's main airline, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, which eventually ceased operations in 2010.[8] In 2012, AeroSur declared bankruptcy and ceased operations shortly afterwards, the airline had 1,200 employees.[9][10]
History
Foundation and background
A Boeing 727-100 from AeroSur featuring the airline's first livery
AeroSur was established in April 1992, following the deregulation of the Bolivian airline market, which had been previously controlled by the then state-owned airline Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB), Bolivia's flag carrier, which had been in service since 1925, making it South America's second oldest airline.[11]
On August 24 1992, AeroSur commenced its operations with an inaugural flight between Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Potosí using a Let L-410 Turbojet short-range aircraft.[7] During the first year of its operations, the airline had carried around 400,000 passengers.[3] Regular revenue flights on regional routes soon followed as the airline then acquired several Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner and British Aerospace 146 aircraft. Over the following years, AeroSur acquired larger Boeing 727-200 airliners, which allowed the airline to expand its network of operations by adding international flights and helped the airline increase the number of passengers transported.
During the 2000s AeroSur renewed and expanded its fleet, introducing larger aircraft of the types Boeing 747 and Boeing 757,[12] which made the inauguration of long-haul flights possible. In 2002, President Hugo Banzer declared the airline the flag carrier of the Republic of Bolivia (línea aérea bandera), in that very year AeroSur became the first airline in Bolivia to offer business and first class flights. In 2004, AeroSur had started to operate nostalgic flights with a Douglas C-117 to tourist destinations such as the Salar de Uyuni and Rurrenabaque, both of which are internationally recognized.
When Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano went bankrupt in 2007, AeroSur became the largest airline of Bolivia and the only one with intercontinental flights (to Central and North America as well as to Europe). Since 2009, the domestic fleet of ageing Boeing 727s is replaced by more modern, though second-hand purchased Boeing 737 Classic airliners,[12] and looked to start a Peruvian subsidiary, however that project was suspended indefinitely.
The subsidiary dubbed AeroSur Paraguay was planned to operate two Boeing 737-200 aircraft of mainline AeroSur. The further development of the project was postponed in mid-2009 pending Paraguayan governmental approval, and later deferred indefinitely.[7] In 2010, AeroSur added five new aircraft to its fleet: three Boeing 737-300s, one Boeing 737-400 and a Boeing 767-200ER.
Bankruptcy
On March 31, 2012, the airline suspended operations because of unpaid taxes, but resumed all flights on April 6, except for its Madrid route. AeroSur had used a 747 leased from Virgin Atlantic on that route but had returned it to the lessor. The airline planned to resume that route with an ex-Aerolíneas Argentinas 747-400.[13][14] Ultimately, AeroSur struggled to keep its operations running smoothly and returned its 767 aircraft to the lessor.[13]
On May 17, 2012 AeroSur suspended all its flights again, and other airlines such as state-owned Boliviana de Aviación have since begun to fill the void left by AeroSur. The airline was in talks with potential US investor William Petty who signed a memorandum of understanding to invest up to US$15 million in the Bolivian carrier. AeroSur's air operator's certificate was revoked on July 20, 2012. A group of former employees, as well as William Petty, planned to create a new airline called TU Aerolínea,[13] but, as of 2018, nothing had happened as far as that venture.
AeroSur Paraguay was a brand of its parent company which was trying to become a future airline based at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, in Asunción, Paraguay and to be a subsidiary of the Bolivian airline.[15] Unfortunately, the brand could never be consolidated as one legitimate and legally operational airline, it only became the name for one of the Bolivian airline's aircraft that has already been withdrawn from its fleet due to the financial problems that afflict one of the most important private airlines in Bolivia in recent years.
AeroSur Cargo
AeroSur had freight transport service nationwide and international with direct shipments. AeroSur did not operate any dedicated cargo aircraft, but used the cargo holds of its passenger aircraft for network-wide freight transport.
On 31 December 1997, an AeroSur Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (registered CP-2321) was substantially damaged when it veered off the runway at Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport. The two pilots had lost control of the aircraft during take-off run. There were no notable injuries amongst the 18 passengers on board.[19]
AeroSur also greatly supported the sport, especially football, where it created the Copa Aerosur and la Copa AeroSur del Sur and in mid 2009, the AeroSur Futsal Cup was organized for the first time, where CRE and AeroSur from Bolivia, River Plate of Argentina and President Hayes of Paraguay, in which the host team AeroSur won.
Many street signs amongst others in Cochabamba, such as the signs for C. Mexico street, were financed by AeroSur and to this day still bear the Airline's name.[22]
^"Contact InformationArchived 2010-01-30 at the Wayback Machine." AeroSur. Retrieved on February 27, 2010. "Central Office Santa Cruz de la Sierra Dirección: Av. Irala # 61"
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