- AeroSur (Bolivia)
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For the Colombian airline, see AeroSur (Colombia).
Compañía Boliviana de Transporte Aéreo Privado Aerosur, S.A. 
IATA
5LICAO
RSUCallsign
AEROSURFounded 1992 Hubs Viru Viru International Airport Focus cities El Alto International Airport, Jorge Wilstermann International Airport Frequent-flyer program Club AeroSur Airport lounge AeroSur VIP Fleet size 11 Destinations 20 Company slogan La aerolínea de los Bolivianos
(The Bolivians' airline)Headquarters Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia Key people Humberto Roca, CEO Website www.aerosur.com Compañía Boliviana de Transporte Aéreo Privado Aerosur, S.A.,[1] or AeroSur S.A. for short, is the private flag carrier airline of Bolivia along with the state-owned airline Boliviana de Aviación.[2] It is headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.[3] with its main base of operations at Viru Viru International Airport, Santa Cruz.[4] It was established in April 1992 to take advantage of the deregulation of Bolivia's air transport, and started flying on 24 August that year. After the bankruptcty of Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano in 2007, AeroSur became the largest airline in Bolivia and its main rival is currently Boliviana de Aviación.
In recent years, AeroSur received several awards and recognitions such as a brand ranking research developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Bolivian Business affirming that AeroSur is the most powerful brand in the Bolivian airlines category.[5] In 2009, AeroSur received a "Bizz award" as "inspiring company".[6] During its 19 years of services, AeroSur transported more than 9 million, operating approximately 158.000 domestic and international flights and employs more than 1,200 staff (as of 2010).[7]
The airline currently operates 7 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations across The Americas and Europe. AeroSur is currently undergoing a rapid expansion and it plans to open new international routes by 2011.
In 2010, it replaced its old aircraft by acquiring five new ones: 3 Boeing 737-300, 1 Boeing 737-400 and 1 Boeing 767-200ER in addition to the incorporation of one Boeing 747-400 leased from Virgin Atlantic Airways and for 2011 it is expected the acquisition of two Boeing 737s more.
Contents
History
An AeroSur Boeing 727-200 Advanced at Juana Azurduy de Padilla International Airport. (2005)
The airline was established in April 1992 and started operations on August 24, 1992 as a regional air carrier. It was created after deregulation of local air transport in Bolivia by a merger of existing charter companies. It was the first Bolivian airline to introduce business class and first class on domestic flights. It plans to extend its international network and has over 1,000 employees (at November 2009).[4]
Flag carrier of Paraguay
In 2007, the Government of Paraguay chose AeroSur as the flag carrier of that country. The announcement was done during a hearing granted by the constitutional president of Paraguay in that year, Nicanor Duarte to the president of AeroSur, Humberto Roca Leigue. Roca pointed that in the future, this company would be opened for the incorporation of Paraguayan capitals.
AeroSur planned to create a subsidiary named Aerosur Paraguay, which would have had its main base at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción. This never happened because Aerosur Paraguay was never officially launched.
Expansion
Steadily growing, Aerosur has since become the second largest airline in Bolivia after Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, now operating a large domestic network as well as offering international flights to Madrid (Spain), São Paulo (Brazil), Miami (USA), and Buenos Aires (Argentina) and several more international destinations.
When LAB ceased operations, it became the largest airline in the country. In 2004 Aerosur had also begun scheduling nostalgic flights on a Douglas Super DC-3 to popular tourist destinations Salar De Uyuni and Rurrenabaque.
Also As of December 2008 AeroSur is operating the Santa Cruz-Miami-Santa Cruz route with a Boeing 767-200ER. The airline also made charter flights to La Havana from Miami and New York City using the Boeing 727-200. In 2008 began scheduled flights to Tucuman, Argentina. In August 2009, Aerosur received its first Boeing 737-300. On November 19, 2009, Aerosur has presented to the public their new acquisition a new Boeing 747-400 that has replaced the well known "Torisimo" (B-747-300). The new aircraft will service the route VVI-MAD.
On the other hand, the airline has contracted North American Airlines, Astraeus Airlines and Iberworld to provide service on their Miami - Santa Cruz route since the Boeing 767-200ER has suffered a serious accident on one of its two engines. The aircraft is being serviced and currently stored at Miami International Airport.
During 2010 AeroSur has increased and modernized their fleet and have started their service to Washington-Dulles International Airport from its hub Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. AeroSur will also continue to increase their fleet and destinations in 2011.
Subsidiaries
Aerosur Paraguay
Main article: Aerosur ParaguayAerosur Paraguay is a subsidiary of AeroSur with its main base at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción. It is the flag carrier of Paraguay. It began operations on December 2008, linking Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Asunción. The airline also serves São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Miami.
AeroSur Cargo
AeroSur counts with an extensive network of cargo services. AeroSur Cargo serves La Paz, Cochabamba, Sucre, Tarija, Cobija, Puerto Suárez and Santa Cruz de la Sierra as domestic flights as well as internacional services with direct cargo flights to Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Asunción, Madrid and Miami.
Destinations
Main article: Aerosur destinationsFleet
The sole AeroSur Boeing 747-300 at Barajas Airport. (2009)
AeroSur Boeing 747-400 at Barajas Airport (2011)As of November 2011, the AeroSur fleet consists of the following aircraft:[8][9][10]:
AeroSur Fleet (as of December 1, 2010)[11] Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Routes Notes F C Y Total Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 — 2 0 0 70 70 Regional Entry into service in 2011 Boeing 727-200 1 — 0 12 138 150 Domestic To be retired in 2011 Boeing 737-200 2 — 0 12 96 109 Domestic, South American To be retired in 2011 Boeing 737-300 4 — 0 12 114 126 Domestic, American Boeing 737-400 1 — 0 8 142 150 Domestic, South American Boeing 747-400 1 — 14 58 379 451 Madrid leased from Virgin Atlantic Airways
Denominated Súper Torísimo.Boeing 767-200ER 2 — — 18
24157
175175
199American Denominated Sharko. Total 11 2 Retired Fleet
At different times, AeroSur operated the following aircraft types[12]:
- Boeing 727-200
- Boeing 737-200
- Boeing 747-200
- Boeing 747-300
- Boeing 757-200
- British-Aerospace 146-100
- British-Aerospace 146-200
References
- ^ "DOE Accepted Carriers." Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Retrieved on January 23, 2011.
- ^ http://airlinenewsblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/flag-carrier-of-the-week-bolivia/
- ^ "Contact Information." AeroSur. Retrieved on February 27, 2010. "Central Office Santa Cruz de la Sierra Dirección: Av. Irala # 61"
- ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 50. 2007-04-03.
- ^ http://www.aerosur.com/en/index.php?cat=193&pla=1 The 2008 brands ranking research developed by Pricewaterhouse and Bolivian Business, recognized AeroSur as the most powerful brand in the Bolivian airlines category.
- ^ http://www.hosteltur.com/61876_aerosur-recibe-premio-the-bizz-awards-2009-como-empresa-inspiradora.html
- ^ http://www.aerosur.com/index.php?cat=193&pla=1
- ^ http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=5L&al_op=1
- ^ aerosur.com: Aerosur - Nuestra Flota 6. August 2008
- ^ Planespotters.net airline page
- ^ Airfleets.net, ed. The Book 2010-2011. p. 12.
- ^ Planespotters.net airline history page
External links
Airlines of Bolivia Aerocon · Aerolíneas Sudamericanas · AeroSur · Amaszonas · Boliviana de Aviación · Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano · Northeast Bolivian Airways · TAB – Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos · TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar
Categories:- Airlines of Bolivia
- Airlines established in 1992
- Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association
- Former IATA members
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