AIRES
Encyclopedia
Aerovías de Integración Regional S.A. (Acronym: AIRES, lit. airs) is a low-cost airline
headquartered in the AIRES Hangar in Bogotá
, Colombia
. It operates scheduled regional domestic and international services, as well as a domestic cargo service. Its main base is El Dorado International Airport
, Bogotá, with hubs at Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport
, Barranquilla
, Olaya Herrera Airport, Medellín
and Perales Airport, Ibagué
. On 28 October 2010, it has been announced, that 98% of the shares have been acquired by LAN Airlines
.
Aires also expanded internationally during the aforementioned decade, flying to Aruba, Panama, Curacao and Maracaibo (Venezuela) in 2000, connecting the cities and capital Bogota and other schools. For a time he served in Caracas, but the crisis that this country went through at that time, among other factors, played down the viability of the route and had to be terminated.
Throughout the decade beginning in 2000, Aires remained a strong regional airline connecting also to some international destinations. However, for 2009 AIRES began a major expansion with the mission to be more than a regional airline, for it acquired its first jet aircraft, a modern Boeing 737-700 with which it began operating trunk routes between major cities Colombia. The first of these aircraft arrived in the country in January 2009 and was officially launched on February 10 of that year. With these aircraft Aires launched a new international expansion flying start to New York from Fort Lauderdale from Bogotá and Barranquilla, Bogota, Cartagena and Cali, connecting to other cities. The airline plans to fly to other countries like Brazil, Mexico and Canada. With the arrival of these aircraft was a new change of image, based on the colors in the picture above but in a more modern and fresh.
Throughout this expansion has changed its business model to the category "lowcost" used by international airlines such as Spirit Airlines, Ryanair and EasyJet, among others, in which the basic rate is charged and all other services, as baggage, food and so are extra. In its expansion Aires importantly invigorated Colombian air market, at some point characterized by having the most expensive airfares in the region, producing a significant drop in the price and making the air travel was accessible to many people who for reasons of cost had never been.
But recent years have not been entirely positive Aires on August 16, 2010 one of the new Boeing 737-700 had an accident while landing in San Andrés, killing two people and with total loss of the airplane. In addition is this, AIR has had some problems of various kinds, which have caused its punctuality rate decreases significantly, generating complaints from users and called for attention from the FAA.
Aires has been characterized during this phase of its contests, interactive advertising and its proximity to the passengers. Competitions "Quiero Volver a Cali" and "Mas Colombiano Que" (in which passengers have chosen the names for 5 of the Boeing 737-700), among others, have approached the airline with the community.
LAN Airlines, the Chilean flagship carrier, paid $12.0 million for a 98.9% indirect stake in Aires, Colombia's second largest airline, LAN said Friday, November 27, 2010.
and to Panama
and the United States
and internationally. On December 19, 2008 under the 44th session of the GEPA (Group Aeronautical Project Evaluator) is authorized 224 new frequencies nationwide. Likewise, the Department of Transportation approved on 25 March 2009 at the airline's flights from Barranquilla
, Bogota
and Cartagena
to New York
and Fort Lauderdale. On July 24, 2010 indefinitely suspended its operations in Venezuela given the continuing low traffic and strained relations with that country.
Series "Q" series 100 and 200, in 2008 announced the addition to the fleet of new aircraft from the same manufacturer but in a new standards and new generation: the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 of whom have arrived in April, configured with 74 seats and to April 2010 the airline has a fleet of turboprop aircraft for 11 Bombardier Q200 Canada Dash8-configured with 37 seats has also Manufacturer 9 Boeing
Jets 737-700 type for the process of internationalization and market entry of trunk routes in the country.
The AIRES fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 25 July 2010):
In 2008, Aires announced the purchase of 4 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s.
Colombia's Aires plans to replace its entire fleet of 11 Bombardier Dash 8 Q200s with larger Q400s over the next five years. This makes AIRES the first and currently the only Q400 operator in South America. AIRES is also the only airline to operate all variants of the Dash 8 series through out its operational history, although the airline has not operated all 4 variants simultaneously.
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
headquartered in the AIRES Hangar in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It operates scheduled regional domestic and international services, as well as a domestic cargo service. Its main base is El Dorado International Airport
El Dorado International Airport
El Dorado International Airport is an international airport located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the largest Latin America airport in terms of cargo movements with 593,946 tons and the third in terms of passenger traffic, only behind São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and Mexico City's...
, Bogotá, with hubs at Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport
Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport
Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport is located in the municipality of Soledad from Barranquilla, the capital of the Atlántico department in Colombia. The airport owes its name to one of the pioneers of Colombian aviation, Ernesto Cortissoz....
, Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Olaya Herrera Airport, Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
and Perales Airport, Ibagué
Ibagué
Ibagué is the capital of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It is situated 1,285 m above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central between the Chipalo and Combeima rivers, tributaries of the Coello River...
. On 28 October 2010, it has been announced, that 98% of the shares have been acquired by LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance...
.
History
Aires was born out of the regions' need to communicate with the main cities and their hinterland by air transport service in a quick, safe and permanent way, thus forging the development and integration of the country. Aires was established in the city of Ibague (Tolima), founded by Pedro Antonio Niño Rodríguez and as a result of co-operation between companies from Huila and Tolima in the previous year. Their goal was to connect the departments of Huila and Tolima with the rest of the country and each other. The airline began operations on February 23, 1981 with two Embraer 110 Bandeirante Brazilian manufacturing, connecting the cities of Ibague and Neiva to Bogota and then to Cali, Medellin and Florencia. In 1982 it expanded its routes to the city of Puerto Asis (Putumayo) and San Vicente (Caquetá). In 1987 the fleet was expanded with the inclusion of the first aircraft Fairchild F-27-J with 43 seats (a Fokker 27 Friendship built under license). By 1988 they had carried its first million passengers and in 1990 they included another Fairchild F-27-J in the fleet, extending the routes to Villavicencio and Puerto Leguizamo (Putumayo). In August 1994 Nino Rogriguez introduced the new Dash-8 fleet from Canada's De Havilland and in March 1995 opened the route to Ipiales (Nariño).First Expansion
With the arrival of the Dash 8 aircraft, a major expansion began with the airline during the 90's. From November 1998 came to share the growth in the Caribbean region by integrating the Atlantic Coast cities. With the opening of an operations center in Barranquilla, began offering scheduled air transport service of passengers and freight, linking this important city to Cartagena, Santa Marta, Monteria, Apartado, Corozal (Sucre), and Valledupar. Also, since then provides its service between Cartagena Ibague, and Bucaramanga and Santa Marta, offering a wide coverage in regional integration, true to its name.Aires also expanded internationally during the aforementioned decade, flying to Aruba, Panama, Curacao and Maracaibo (Venezuela) in 2000, connecting the cities and capital Bogota and other schools. For a time he served in Caracas, but the crisis that this country went through at that time, among other factors, played down the viability of the route and had to be terminated.
Aires and Public Order problems
Aires has been the victim of the problems of public order in Colombia, suffered a few incidents. Notable is the kidnapping of a Dash 8 in 2002 by the narco-terrorist group FARC, planned event to ensure the kidnapping of a senator after forcing the crew to land on a narrow road (with what was demonstrated the skill and poise of the flagship Dorian Ospina, who commanded the aircraft) The plane was damaged but was repaired and returned to work. Another incident was the kidnapping after a Dash 8-300 en route to Florence - Neiva - Bogotá by a paraplegic ex-cop and his son, who claimed a benefit to the government, an event that culminated in the peaceful surrender of the kidnappers without unfortunate consequences. The airline is now a steadily growing company that has managed to cope very well own the aviation industry crisis and the country. In the years following 2008 Aires begun having problems because of schedules and services, many passengers complained and refused to travel on the Airline, because its schedule errors, the airlines begun delaying their flights from ElDorado International Airport by even 24 hours of delay, then passengers begun complaining and stopped travelling with them, the airline has been constantly trying to fix this mistakes and has been trying to pay passengers because of their trip cancellations and their long hours waiting.Continued expansion and Entry in The Era Of Jet
In that same year, 2002 Aires began operation headquartered in the Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellin, connecting the cities of Bucaramanga city, Apartado and Monteria, in addition to the traditional route to Ibague, among others. This operation was further strengthened with the disappearance of the ACES airline market, which had a strong operation in the airport. In this period AIRES changed their blue and white color scheme for a blue, green and white art. This change was not the planes, but throughout the corporate image and logo.Throughout the decade beginning in 2000, Aires remained a strong regional airline connecting also to some international destinations. However, for 2009 AIRES began a major expansion with the mission to be more than a regional airline, for it acquired its first jet aircraft, a modern Boeing 737-700 with which it began operating trunk routes between major cities Colombia. The first of these aircraft arrived in the country in January 2009 and was officially launched on February 10 of that year. With these aircraft Aires launched a new international expansion flying start to New York from Fort Lauderdale from Bogotá and Barranquilla, Bogota, Cartagena and Cali, connecting to other cities. The airline plans to fly to other countries like Brazil, Mexico and Canada. With the arrival of these aircraft was a new change of image, based on the colors in the picture above but in a more modern and fresh.
Throughout this expansion has changed its business model to the category "lowcost" used by international airlines such as Spirit Airlines, Ryanair and EasyJet, among others, in which the basic rate is charged and all other services, as baggage, food and so are extra. In its expansion Aires importantly invigorated Colombian air market, at some point characterized by having the most expensive airfares in the region, producing a significant drop in the price and making the air travel was accessible to many people who for reasons of cost had never been.
But recent years have not been entirely positive Aires on August 16, 2010 one of the new Boeing 737-700 had an accident while landing in San Andrés, killing two people and with total loss of the airplane. In addition is this, AIR has had some problems of various kinds, which have caused its punctuality rate decreases significantly, generating complaints from users and called for attention from the FAA.
Aires has been characterized during this phase of its contests, interactive advertising and its proximity to the passengers. Competitions "Quiero Volver a Cali" and "Mas Colombiano Que" (in which passengers have chosen the names for 5 of the Boeing 737-700), among others, have approached the airline with the community.
LAN Airlines, the Chilean flagship carrier, paid $12.0 million for a 98.9% indirect stake in Aires, Colombia's second largest airline, LAN said Friday, November 27, 2010.
Destinations
The airline operates 25 destinations in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and internationally. On December 19, 2008 under the 44th session of the GEPA (Group Aeronautical Project Evaluator) is authorized 224 new frequencies nationwide. Likewise, the Department of Transportation approved on 25 March 2009 at the airline's flights from Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Bogota
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Fort Lauderdale. On July 24, 2010 indefinitely suspended its operations in Venezuela given the continuing low traffic and strained relations with that country.
Fleet
Aires began with a fleet of Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, then replaced them with aircraft manufacturer BombardierBombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
Series "Q" series 100 and 200, in 2008 announced the addition to the fleet of new aircraft from the same manufacturer but in a new standards and new generation: the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 of whom have arrived in April, configured with 74 seats and to April 2010 the airline has a fleet of turboprop aircraft for 11 Bombardier Q200 Canada Dash8-configured with 37 seats has also Manufacturer 9 Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Jets 737-700 type for the process of internationalization and market entry of trunk routes in the country.
The AIRES fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 25 July 2010):
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A318 | LAN Airlines LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Airbus A319 | LAN Airlines LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Airbus A320 Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
in LAN Airlines LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Boeing 767-300ER | LAN Airlines LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Boeing 737-700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
HK-4694 in LAN Airlines LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q200 | in LAN Airlines LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | LAN Airlines LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance... Livery |
|||
| Total | 24 | 4 |
In 2008, Aires announced the purchase of 4 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s.
Colombia's Aires plans to replace its entire fleet of 11 Bombardier Dash 8 Q200s with larger Q400s over the next five years. This makes AIRES the first and currently the only Q400 operator in South America. AIRES is also the only airline to operate all variants of the Dash 8 series through out its operational history, although the airline has not operated all 4 variants simultaneously.
Incidents and accidents
- On 28 January 2008, AIRES Flight 053, overran the runway at Bogota's El Dorado airport, en route from Maracaibo, Venezuela after the left hand main gear collapsed. The aircraft was a Dash 8-202, registration: HK-3997. Probable cause for the crash was that the aircraft was carrying out a landing with an unresolved fault in the left engine, which prevented the aircraft from being able to stop within the length of runway available, causing a runway excursion. A contributing factor was the failure to correct the maintenance reports in a satisfactory manner and failure to properly follow-up on repetitive entries.
- On 23 August 2008, AIRES flight 051, sustained substantial damage following the collapse of the right hand main landing gear on landing at Barranquilla-Ernesto Cortissoz Airport (BAQ), Colombia. None of the 31 occupants were injured. The Dash 8-301 passenger plane, registered HK-3952, operated on an international flight from Curaçao-Hato International Airport (CUR). The approach and landing were normal, touching down about 770 metres past the threshold of runway 23. The crew noticed a vibration of the right hand main gear. The undercarriage leg collapsed. There was no fire.
- On 16 August 2010, AIRES Flight 8250AIRES Flight 8250AIRES Flight 8250 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight which crashed on August 16, 2010 on the Colombian island of San Andrés, in the Caribbean, with two fatalities. The aircraft, an AIRES-operated Boeing 737-73V, was en-route from the Colombian capital Bogota when it crashed while attempting...
crashed on landing at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International AirportGustavo Rojas Pinilla International AirportGustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport is the leading airport in the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which has enough capacity to receive large aircraft, due to a number of charter flights and seasonal in different parts of America and Europe.- Description :The...
, in San AndrésSan Andrés (island)San Andrés is a coral island among the Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea; it is the largest island of the southern group of islands. Together with the nearby island of Providencia and some smaller islands of the southern group of the Colombian archipelago, San Andrés forms the department of...
, Colombia, after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. One death was reported as a result of a heart attack on the way to the hospital and another 114 injured. One of the 114 injured later died. The Boeing 737-700, originally delivered to EasyJetEasyJetEasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
in 2003 and with registration HK4682, had less than two years service with Aires.