Aserca Airlines
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Founded | March 6, 1968 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | September 14, 1992 | ||||||
Ceased operations | May 22, 2018 | ||||||
Hubs | |||||||
Frequent-flyer program | Privilege | ||||||
Alliance | SBA Airlines | ||||||
Fleet size | 8 | ||||||
Destinations | 10 | ||||||
Parent company | Grupo Cóndor C.A.[1] | ||||||
Headquarters | Valencia, Venezuela | ||||||
Key people | Simeon Garcia Migdalia Garcia | ||||||
Website | www |
Aserca Airlines C.A. (legally Aero Servicios Carabobo C.A.) was an airline based in Valencia, Venezuela.[2][3] It operated domestic and regional scheduled services to destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and the United States. Its main hub was at Arturo Michelena International Airport.[4]
History[]
The airline was established on March 6, 1968 as a private air transport company. Subsequently, on July 27, 1990, the Valencian businessman Simeón García, acquired all the shares and decided to direct it to passenger air transport. The airline started operations on September 4, 1992 with small aircraft for private transport. In 1992 it entered the domestic scheduled market with a leased Douglas DC-9-30. Aserca's operations were centred on Valencia, but it managed to develop Caracas as a hub after 1994 which, combined with the demise of flag carrier Viasa in 1997, made Aserca experience a significant growth in its market share, expanding its network to Bogotá, Lima and Miami, via Aruba. Between 1998 and 2000 Aserca had a controlling interest in Air Aruba, forming an alliance between both airlines.
On September 2008, the airline created a commercial alliance with SBA Airlines,[5] also from Venezuela with whom it undertakes international expansion through, unifying the corporate image of both airlines and coordinating their respective itineraries to improve their connection times between the flights of both airlines, to facilitate connections between the national destinations of Aserca with international destinations of SBA. A proposed merger was in discussion. On the other hand, it collaborated with the Dominican airline PAWA Dominicana and in February 2016, the alliance now called Grupo Cóndor C.A. announced the purchase of Línea Turística Aereotuy.
On June 2013, Venezuela's National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) announced that it will prohibit operations of classic aircraft types like the Douglas DC-9, Boeing 727 and Boeing 737-200 in Venezuela from November 1, 2013. Aserca Airlines could obtain a special dispensation from INAC allowing the airline to operate its remaining two Douglas DC-9-30s until July 1, 2014. Aserca chose to replace its DC-9 with the MD-82 and MD-83.
On February 21, 2018, it was announced that INAC had withdrawn the airline's operating license until further notice. The country's newspapers blame the lack of proof of insurance for the aircraft in the fleet. Aserca Airlines planned to restart operations. But on May 22, 2018, Aserca announced it had ceased all operations due to financial bankruptcy after returned its air operator's certificate.[6][3][2]
Destinations[]
Aserca Airlines served the following destination at the time of its demise:[citation needed]
Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aruba | Oranjestad | Queen Beatrix International Airport | ||
Curaçao | Willemstad | Curaçao International Airport | ||
Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | Las Américas International Airport | ||
Venezuela | Barquisimeto | Jacinto Lara International Airport | ||
Venezuela | Caracas | Simón Bolívar International Airport | Hub | |
Venezuela | El Vigía | Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport | Suspended | |
Venezuela | Las Piedras | Josefa Camejo International Airport | ||
Venezuela | Maracaibo | La Chinita International Airport | ||
Venezuela | Maturín | José Tadeo Monagas International Airport | ||
Venezuela | Puerto Ordaz | Manuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport | ||
Venezuela | Valencia | Arturo Michelena International Airport | Hub |
[]
Aserca Airlines additionally had codeshare agreements with:
- PAWA Dominicana (on routes to Antigua, Havana, Miami, Port-au-Prince, San Juan and St. Maarten)
- SBA Airlines[citation needed]
Fleet[]
Final fleet[]
The Aserca Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of March 2018):[7]
Aircraft | In service |
Passengers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 5 | 152 | |
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 3 | 155 | 2 leased to SBA Airlines |
Total | 8 |
Former fleet[]
Over the years, Aserca Airlines has operated the following aircraft types:[7]
Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing 737-200 | 3 | 2001 | 2004 | Leased from TACA Airlines |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | 1 | 2002 | 2003 | |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | 20 | 1992 | 2014 | |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | 10 | 1992 | 2014 | |
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | 1 | 1998 | 2000 | Leased from Air Aruba |
Accidents and incidents[]
- On July 10, 2000, a Douglas DC-9-30 named "Virgen del Valle", landed without a front landing gear at Jacinto Lara International Airport in Barquisimeto.
- On January 27, 2006, a Douglas DC-9-30 with 125 passengers makes an emergency landing at General José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport in Barcelona due to a fire in one of the engines.
- On April 11, 2007, a Douglas DC-9-30 made an emergency landing at the Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport after taking off from it bound for the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía, due to problems in one of the engines, according to the authorities.
- On February 12, 2008, a Douglas DC-9-30 (registered YV298T) crashed on one of the runways of the Simón Bolívar International Airport, Maiquetía, Venezuela, the aircraft left the hangar with engines running and apparently could not brake or turn, on the ground it crossed with runway 09 stopping when it fell into a channel in the area between runway 09 and foxtrot, before reaching runway 10L.[8]
- On May 15, 2009, a Douglas DC-9-30 (registered YV243T) bound for Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía, had to return to Barcelona due to cabin depressurization.
- On September 2, 2011, a Douglas DC-9-30 returned to Maiquetía airport due to a failure in the right engine.
- On March 6, 2012, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registered YV348T) struck against five cows that were on the runway during landing at Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport, generating minor damage to the jet on the left main gear and left hand flaps. All 125 passengers and 6 crew were uninjured, but the aircraft was removed from service.[9][10]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Aserca and SBA Airlines celebrated the anniversary of Grupo Condor". Dinero.com.ve (in Spanish). Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b ch-aviation.com - Ascera Airlines retrieved 24 March 2018
- ^ Jump up to: a b eluniversal.com - Aserca Airlines cierra operaciones en Venezuela (Spanish) 24 March 2018
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 27 March 2007. pp. 77–78.
- ^ "Commercial Alliance between Aserca Airlines and SBA Airlines celebrates 2 years". October 14, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- ^ "Aserca anunció el cese de sus operaciones tras 25 años en el país". 23 May 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Aserca Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ "Ground accident of a DC-9-31 in Caracas". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- ^ "Plane Hits Cows When They Fail to Mooove Off Venezuela Runway". www.nycviation.com. 10 March 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
External links[]
Media related to Aserca Airlines at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in Spanish)
- Defunct airlines of Venezuela
- Airlines established in 1968
- Airlines disestablished in 2018
- 2018 disestablishments in Venezuela
- Venezuelan companies established in 1968