PLUNA
Encyclopedia
PLUNALíneas Aéreas Uruguayas S.A. is the flag carrier
of Uruguay
, headquartered in Carrasco
, Montevideo
. It operates scheduled services within South America
, as well as unscheduled cargo and charter services, with its main hub being Carrasco International Airport
near Montevideo.
The airline was established in September 1936 and started operations soon afterwards, on . It was set up by Jorge and Alberto Márquez Vaesa, two brothers who had obtained the necessary financial and technical support through the ambassador of the United Kingdom
to Uruguay at the time, Sir Eugen Millington-Drake
. This gentleman writes in his memoirs that he suggested the airline be named using a memorable acronym, taking SABENA
as an example. It was then decided on "PLUNA", an acronym for Primeras Líneas Uruguayas de Navegación Aérea (First Uruguayan Air Navigation Lines). Millington-Drake knew De Havilland's representative in Buenos Aires at the time, which helped in the acquisition of the airline's first aircraft. The airline flew two five-seater de Havilland Dragonfly
s from Montevideo to Salto
and Paysandú
. The two planes were baptised Churrinche and San Alberto, the latter in honor of the brothers' father. PLUNA flew 2,600 passengers in their first fiscal year, a huge success for that era. It also flew 20,000 pieces of mail and 70,000 newspapers.
The carrier saw the incorporation of both the Potez 62
and the Douglas DC-2
into its fleet in the early early 1940s
, the latter one acquired from the US Government. Following the outbreak of World War II
, PLUNA was forced to cease operations temporarily between 1942 and 1944 due to the lack of spare part
s. The delicate position PLUNA was into at this time led the Uruguayan Government to aid the company by boosting its stake to 85% on . The first Douglas DC-3
entered PLUNA's fleet in February 1946. The airline launched regular services to Porto Alegre
, Brazil
, in May 1948. The carrier later added to its network the cities of Santa Cruz in Bolivia
, as well as Buenos Aires
, Rosario and Córdoba
, in Argentina
.
s were added to the fleet. The Herons only stayed in PLUNA's fleet for a short time and by 1957 they had been sold. The DC-3s remained in service much longer, and in 1971 the last four of them were sold to the Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya.
São Paulo was added to the route network in January 1954. On the carrier entered the turbine era with the delivery of its first of three Vickers Viscount
four-engined turboprops purchased new from Vickers; it later acquired two Viscount 700s from Alitalia
and three Viscount 800s from VASP
.
PLUNA's growth slowed considerably for the next three decades, but it entered the jet age
soon after jets were introduced to the world, and added John F. Kennedy International Airport
(JFK) in New York
, and Miami to its destinations, using Boeing 707
and Boeing 737
aircraft.
In the 1980s
PLUNA began flying to Madrid
, Asunción
, Rio de Janeiro
and Santiago de Chile, but services to JFK and Miami were suspended. In the meantime, as the city of Punta del Este
flourished as a major tourist destination, PLUNA benefited from that. During this time, an office was also opened in Tel Aviv
, Israel
.
saw financial trouble loom for PLUNA, and in 1995 the government sold a 49% stake to a Varig
-led consortium
. Nevertheless, PLUNA remained active with over 40 weekly flights from Montevideo's Carrasco International Airport
utilizing Boeing 737, Boeing 757
and Boeing 767
equipment.
Until June 2005 the airline was owned by the Government of Uruguay (48%), Varig (49%), Victor Mesa (2%) and PLUNA's employees (1%). When Varig entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on , it sought a bidder for its 49% stake in PLUNA. For almost a year, it looked as if it might go to Venezuela's state-run Conviasa
, but the deal officially fell through in July 2006. In September 2006, the Uruguayan Government bought 98% of PLUNA, reducing Varig's share to just 2%.
On , the Government of Uruguay started negotiations to sell 75% of it shares to a private consortium of investors from Germany
, United States
, Uruguay
and Argentina
called Leadgate Investment, that invested US$
177 million in the company.
On , PLUNA presented its new corporate image
, developed by Australian design company Cato Partners. This new image is based on the interpretation of the name "Uruguay" as meaning "river of the painted birds" or "river of the colorful birds" (Spanish
: "río de los pájaros pintados"). Among other things, this change was motivated by the company's intention to distance itself from Varig's corporate image and to project a new, more youthful, warmer and sympathetic personality.
During 2008, seven brand new CRJ900 have arrived and are now flying for PLUNA. This has led to an expansion of service to new destinations. In late April 2010, regional Air Canada
's carrier Jazz Air
agreed to invest US$ 15 million in PLUNA, resulting in a 33.33% non-voting interest in Latin American Regional Aviation Holding Corporation (or LARAH for short), which in turn owns a 75% stake in PLUNA. Following this operation, Jazz Air has a 25% participation in the Uruguayan air carrier. The Government of Uruguay owns the rest of the shares.
In September and October 2010 three additional new CRJ900 aircraft were delivered from the Bombardier factory. In April 2011 three options were taken up for delivery at the end of 2011 and these were delivered between September and November 2011. With these additions, PLUNA's fleet will consist of 13 airplanes, the highest number in its entire history.
an cities effective 2012, yet firm dates were not disclosed. , PLUNA links Uruguay with two destinations in Argentina, one in Chile, one in Paraguay, and eight in Brazil.
, which actually operates the route Montevideo–Madrid–Montevideo. Under the same codeshare agreement passengers can also connect from Madrid to many destinations within Spain
, as well as to Frankfurt
. PLUNA also announced a codeshare agreement with American Airlines
, which will place PLUNA's code on American's Miami-Montevideo route, pending government approval.
layout. The list below also includes equipment operated by the carrier throughout its history.
PLUNA had previously considered the Bombardier Q400 for the expansion into new markets. Nevertheless, on the airline announced it had converted some of the outstanding options for 3 new CRJ900 aircraft into firm orders for delivery before the end of 2011. The small possibility of acquiring Bombardier CRJ200
s now seems to have vanished. These second-hand aircraft would have been assigned to lower-volume routes, most likely markets in Bolivia, Chile and southern Brazil.
records 3 hull-loss accidents/incidents for the airline, totalling 10 crew fatalities.
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, headquartered in Carrasco
Carrasco, Montevideo
Carrasco is a barrio in Montevideo, Uruguay. It borders Punta Gorda to the west, Carrasco Norte to the north, Canelones Department to the east and the coastline to the south...
, Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. It operates scheduled services within South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, as well as unscheduled cargo and charter services, with its main hub being Carrasco International Airport
Carrasco International Airport
Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport , commonly known simply by Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco in reference to the neighborhood where it is located, is the main airport serving Montevideo, Uruguay, located in the adjoining municipality of Ciudad de la Costa...
near Montevideo.
Foundation
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to Uruguay at the time, Sir Eugen Millington-Drake
Eugen Millington-Drake
British diplomat Sir Eugen John Henry Vanderstegen Millington-Drake, KCMG, was born 26 February 1889, the son of Henry Millington-Drake. In 1920 he married Lady Effie Mackay, daughter of the 1st Earl of Inchcape, and they had four children. He died 12 December 1972.He was educated at Eton and...
. This gentleman writes in his memoirs that he suggested the airline be named using a memorable acronym, taking SABENA
Sabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
as an example. It was then decided on "PLUNA", an acronym for Primeras Líneas Uruguayas de Navegación Aérea (First Uruguayan Air Navigation Lines). Millington-Drake knew De Havilland's representative in Buenos Aires at the time, which helped in the acquisition of the airline's first aircraft. The airline flew two five-seater de Havilland Dragonfly
De Havilland Dragonfly
-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . London: Orbis Publishing.*Hayes, P & King, B. de Havilland biplane transports. Coulsden: Gatwick Aviation Society ISBN 0 95304132 8...
s from Montevideo to Salto
Salto
Salto may refer to:*Salto, a Latin word for "to leap/jump", and in gymnastics refers to a somersault* Glasflügel H-101 "Salto" -Organisations:...
and Paysandú
Paysandú
-Transportation:The city is served by Tydeo Larre Borges International Airport.-Climate:Paysandú has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm to hot and winters are cool, with the occurrence of frosts and fog...
. The two planes were baptised Churrinche and San Alberto, the latter in honor of the brothers' father. PLUNA flew 2,600 passengers in their first fiscal year, a huge success for that era. It also flew 20,000 pieces of mail and 70,000 newspapers.
The carrier saw the incorporation of both the Potez 62
Potez 62
-References:*Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7.*. Flight, 21 March 1935, p. 304....
and the Douglas DC-2
Douglas DC-2
The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...
into its fleet in the early early 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
, the latter one acquired from the US Government. Following the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, PLUNA was forced to cease operations temporarily between 1942 and 1944 due to the lack of spare part
Spare part
Spare Parts may also refer to:* Spare Parts , by Status Quo* Spare Parts is a Doctor Who audio drama.* Spare Parts , by Servotron* "Spare Parts" , by Bruce Springsteen* "Spare Parts"...
s. The delicate position PLUNA was into at this time led the Uruguayan Government to aid the company by boosting its stake to 85% on . The first Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
entered PLUNA's fleet in February 1946. The airline launched regular services to Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, in May 1948. The carrier later added to its network the cities of Santa Cruz in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, as well as Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Rosario and Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Nationalisation
The airline became a wholly government-owned company on . After World War II, PLUNA's fleet included two DC-2s which were operated on the Montevideo–Paysandú–Salto route until they were retired by 1951. In the same year, a DC-3 and four de Havilland HeronDe Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
s were added to the fleet. The Herons only stayed in PLUNA's fleet for a short time and by 1957 they had been sold. The DC-3s remained in service much longer, and in 1971 the last four of them were sold to the Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya.
São Paulo was added to the route network in January 1954. On the carrier entered the turbine era with the delivery of its first of three Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
four-engined turboprops purchased new from Vickers; it later acquired two Viscount 700s from Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
and three Viscount 800s from VASP
VASP
Viação Aérea São Paulo S/A, or VASP, was an airline with its head office in the VASP Building on the grounds of Congonhas-São Paulo Airport in São Paulo, Brazil...
.
PLUNA's growth slowed considerably for the next three decades, but it entered the jet age
Jet age
The Jet Age is a period of history defined by the social change brought about by the advent of large aircraft powered by turbine engines. These aircraft are able to fly much higher, faster, and farther than older piston-powered propliners, making transcontinental and inter-continental travel...
soon after jets were introduced to the world, and added John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
(JFK) in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Miami to its destinations, using Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft.
In the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
PLUNA began flying to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and Santiago de Chile, but services to JFK and Miami were suspended. In the meantime, as the city of Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
flourished as a major tourist destination, PLUNA benefited from that. During this time, an office was also opened in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Privatisation
The 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
saw financial trouble loom for PLUNA, and in 1995 the government sold a 49% stake to a Varig
Varig
VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
-led consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
. Nevertheless, PLUNA remained active with over 40 weekly flights from Montevideo's Carrasco International Airport
Carrasco International Airport
Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport , commonly known simply by Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco in reference to the neighborhood where it is located, is the main airport serving Montevideo, Uruguay, located in the adjoining municipality of Ciudad de la Costa...
utilizing Boeing 737, Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
and Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
equipment.
Until June 2005 the airline was owned by the Government of Uruguay (48%), Varig (49%), Victor Mesa (2%) and PLUNA's employees (1%). When Varig entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on , it sought a bidder for its 49% stake in PLUNA. For almost a year, it looked as if it might go to Venezuela's state-run Conviasa
Conviasa
Conviasa is an airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela, near Caracas. It operates services to domestic destinations and to destinations in the Caribbean and South America...
, but the deal officially fell through in July 2006. In September 2006, the Uruguayan Government bought 98% of PLUNA, reducing Varig's share to just 2%.
On , the Government of Uruguay started negotiations to sell 75% of it shares to a private consortium of investors from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
called Leadgate Investment, that invested US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
177 million in the company.
Corporate image
A corporate image refers to how a corporation is perceived. It is a generally accepted image of what a company stands for. Marketing experts who use public relations and other forms of promotion to suggest a mental picture to the public...
, developed by Australian design company Cato Partners. This new image is based on the interpretation of the name "Uruguay" as meaning "river of the painted birds" or "river of the colorful birds" (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: "río de los pájaros pintados"). Among other things, this change was motivated by the company's intention to distance itself from Varig's corporate image and to project a new, more youthful, warmer and sympathetic personality.
During 2008, seven brand new CRJ900 have arrived and are now flying for PLUNA. This has led to an expansion of service to new destinations. In late April 2010, regional Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
's carrier Jazz Air
Air Canada Jazz
Jazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
agreed to invest US$ 15 million in PLUNA, resulting in a 33.33% non-voting interest in Latin American Regional Aviation Holding Corporation (or LARAH for short), which in turn owns a 75% stake in PLUNA. Following this operation, Jazz Air has a 25% participation in the Uruguayan air carrier. The Government of Uruguay owns the rest of the shares.
In September and October 2010 three additional new CRJ900 aircraft were delivered from the Bombardier factory. In April 2011 three options were taken up for delivery at the end of 2011 and these were delivered between September and November 2011. With these additions, PLUNA's fleet will consist of 13 airplanes, the highest number in its entire history.
Destinations
It was announced in October 2011 that the carrier will launch services to several ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an cities effective 2012, yet firm dates were not disclosed. , PLUNA links Uruguay with two destinations in Argentina, one in Chile, one in Paraguay, and eight in Brazil.
Codeshare agreements
PLUNA has a codeshare agreement with IberiaIberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
, which actually operates the route Montevideo–Madrid–Montevideo. Under the same codeshare agreement passengers can also connect from Madrid to many destinations within Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, as well as to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. PLUNA also announced a codeshare agreement with American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, which will place PLUNA's code on American's Miami-Montevideo route, pending government approval.
Fleet
, the PLUNA fleet consists of 12 Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet aircraft. Each aircraft is equipped with 90 seats in an all-economy classEconomy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
layout. The list below also includes equipment operated by the carrier throughout its history.
| Current Fleet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Options | Passengers | |
| Bombardier CRJ900 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 90 | |
| Retired Fleet | |||||
| Aircraft | Total | Years of operation | |||
| Airbus A330-200 | 1 | ||||
| ATR 42-300 | 2 | ||||
| Boeing 707-320B Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on... |
8 | ||||
| Boeing 727-100C | 3 | ||||
| Boeing 737-200 | 1 | ||||
| Boeing 737-200 Advanced | 8 | ||||
| Boeing 737-300 | 2 | ||||
| Boeing 737-800 | 3 | ||||
| Boeing 757-200 | 2 | ||||
| Boeing 767-300ER | 2 | ||||
| D.H.86B De Havilland Express The de Havilland Express was a four-engined passenger aircraft from the 1930s manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:... |
|||||
| Douglas C-47 | 2 | ||||
| Douglas C-47A | 6 | ||||
| Douglas C-47B | 2 | ||||
| Douglas DC-2 | 2 | ||||
| Douglas DC-3 | 1 | ||||
| Douglas DC-8-60 | 1 | ||||
| Douglas DC-10-30 | 1 | 1994–1997 | |||
| Fokker F-27-100 | 2 | ||||
| Lockheed L-1011-500 | 1 | ||||
| Potez 62 | |||||
| Vickers Viscount 742D Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world... |
5 | 1958–1982 | |||
| Vickers Viscount 810 Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world... |
3 | 1975–1982 | |||
PLUNA had previously considered the Bombardier Q400 for the expansion into new markets. Nevertheless, on the airline announced it had converted some of the outstanding options for 3 new CRJ900 aircraft into firm orders for delivery before the end of 2011. The small possibility of acquiring Bombardier CRJ200
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
s now seems to have vanished. These second-hand aircraft would have been assigned to lower-volume routes, most likely markets in Bolivia, Chile and southern Brazil.
Accidents and incidents
PLUNA has an excellent safety record, in that there has never been an accident where passengers have lost their lives. , Aviation Safety NetworkAviation Safety Network
-External links:**...
records 3 hull-loss accidents/incidents for the airline, totalling 10 crew fatalities.
- A Douglas DC-2-124Douglas DC-2The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...
, registrationAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
CX-AEG, was destroyed during a thunderstormThunderstormA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
in Uruguay.: A Douglas C-47A-1-DK, tail numberAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
CX-AGE, crashed during a final test flight. The crash occurred during take-off from Carrasco International Airport, when the right wing grazed the runway, bouncing the aircraft and causing the right tire to burst, then bouncing the aircraft again causing the engine to smash into the ground at almost full throttle, and finally rolling over and coming to rest upside down. A fire broke out shortly afterwards. All 10 crew members died.: A Vickers 769D ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
, registration CX-AQO, flying a scheduled Carrasco International Airport–Buenos Aires-AeroparqueAeroparque Jorge Newbery-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
service, ran off the end of the runway at the destination airport on landing. The damage wrote off the aircraft. All 57 passengers and crew survived the incident.
External links
- Memorias del Tiempo de Vuelo (In Spanish)