Santa Bárbara Airlines
Encyclopedia
SBA Airlines, formerly known as Santa Bárbara Airlines prior to 2008, is an airline
based in Caracas
, Venezuela
. It operates scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport
(CCS), Maiquetía
(Caracas
), with a hub at La Chinita International Airport
(MAR), Maracaibo
.
until September 2006, when it was sold to the canary islander
group Grupo SOAC. The airline has confirmed their first Boeing 767-300 in the new livery, from former SmartLynx Airlines and its scheduled delivery is in June to begin flights to Madrid on 20 June 2009.
At first only covered airline flights to Cabimas
, Mérida, El Vigía and Santa Bárbara del Zulia
. The route to Alberto Carnevalli Airport
in Mérida was diverted to El Vigía-Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo International Airport
after the crash of Flight 518. Later, the airlines took new destinations which covered the routes to Barquisimeto
, Caracas
, Cumaná
, Las Piedras
(Punto Fijo), San Antonio del Táchira
and Valencia
with a single overseas flight that covered the route Caracas - Oranjestad (Aruba).
Later, the airline opened international routes from Caracas to Barranquilla, Guayaquil, Lima, Madrid, Miami, Quito, Santiago de Compostela, Tenerife and Willemstad.
propeller aircraft operating the Flight 518
from Mérida
to Caracas
, went missing shortly after taking off. Forty-three passengers and a crew of three, including two pilots and one flight attendant, were reportedly on board at the time of the accident. The remains of the aircraft were found the following day in a mountain range approximately 10 kilometers North-East of Mérida
at an altitude of 12,000 feet (4,000m). No survivors were found.
After the incident, the company started a new public relations program as well as a new marketing iniciative switching the airline's name to SBA Airlines.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It operates scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport
Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)
Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is an international airport located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas....
(CCS), Maiquetía
Maiquetía
Maiquetía is a city in the Vargas state of Venezuela, near Caracas.Simón Bolívar International Airport, which handles both international and domestic flights, is located in the city....
(Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
), with a hub at La Chinita International Airport
La Chinita International Airport
-Accidents and incidents:*On 1 November 1971, Vickers Viscount YV-C-AMZ of Linea Aeropostal Venezolana crashed shortly after take-off. All four people on board were killed....
(MAR), Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
.
History
The airline was established on 1 November 1995 and started operations on 1 March 1996. It wholly owned Islas AirwaysIslas Airways
Islas Líneas Aéreas, operating as Islas Airways, is an airline based in Tenerife, Spain, offering scheduled inter-island services in the Canary Islands out of Tenerife North Airport...
until September 2006, when it was sold to the canary islander
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
group Grupo SOAC. The airline has confirmed their first Boeing 767-300 in the new livery, from former SmartLynx Airlines and its scheduled delivery is in June to begin flights to Madrid on 20 June 2009.
At first only covered airline flights to Cabimas
Cabimas
Cabimas is a town on the shore of Maracaibo Lake in Zulia State in northwestern Venezuela. Its current population is around 200,859 .Before 1900, Venezuela was known to possess commercial quantities of petroleum. One major find was the 'Zumaque 1' well in 1914, in the area of Mene Grande, about 50...
, Mérida, El Vigía and Santa Bárbara del Zulia
Santa Bárbara del Zulia
Santa Bárbara del Zulia is a city of some 80,000 inhabitants in Zulia State in Venezuela. It is located at 09° 00' N, 71° 54' W, to the south-west of Maracaibo Lake, in the Sur del Lago region of the state...
. The route to Alberto Carnevalli Airport
Alberto Carnevalli Airport
Alberto Carnevalli Airport is an airport located 3 km southwest of Mérida, Venezuela, at an elevation of 1,526 m MSL. Its longest runway is 1,630 m long. It is situated in a valley in the Andean mountains, surrounded by higher terrain in all quadrants...
in Mérida was diverted to El Vigía-Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo International Airport
Juan Pablo Perez Alfonso Airport
Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso Airport , is an airport in El Vigía, Venezuela.- Domestic Flights :*Conviasa *SBA Airlines *Laser...
after the crash of Flight 518. Later, the airlines took new destinations which covered the routes to Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Cumaná
Cumaná
Cumaná is the capital of Venezuela's Sucre State. It is located 402 km east of Caracas. It was the first settlement founded by Europeans in the mainland America, in 1501 by Franciscan friars, but due to successful attacks by the indigenous people, it had to be refounded several times...
, Las Piedras
Josefa Camejo International Airport
Josefa Camejo International Airport , is an airport serving Paraguana. It goes to destinations in major cities in Venezuela, and nearby islands.-Airlines and destinations:...
(Punto Fijo), San Antonio del Táchira
San Antonio del Tachira
San Antonio del Táchira is a city in the Venezuelan Andean state of Táchira. The busy highway linking the cities of Cúcuta, Colombia, and San Cristóbal, Venezuela, passes through San Antonio del Táchira, making it an important gateway between the two nations...
and Valencia
Valencia, Venezuela
Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela.The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies. The population of Valencia reached some 1.5 million in the year 2003, and it is expected to grow dramatically...
with a single overseas flight that covered the route Caracas - Oranjestad (Aruba).
Later, the airline opened international routes from Caracas to Barranquilla, Guayaquil, Lima, Madrid, Miami, Quito, Santiago de Compostela, Tenerife and Willemstad.
Fleet
The SBA Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 22.9 years. Further aircraft are leased out and are therefore not included in this list.| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Options | Passengers (First/Business/Economy) |
Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 757-200 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... |
10 | 3 | 0 | 200 | Medium range | 5 Operational Support 1 2 in providing service to Iceland 3 in Miami 2 in Colombia |
| Boeing 767-300 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... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 270 | Long range | |
| Boeing 767-300ER 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... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 270 | Long range | 2 Operational 1 in Hangar 1 in miami 1 Iceland 1 serving in Chile |
| DC9-31 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 115 | Short - medium range | Operating domestic flights for partner Aserca Airlines |
| MD-80 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 150 | Short - medium range | Operating domestic flights for partner Aserca Airlines |
| MD-82 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170 | Short - medium range | Operating domestic flights for partner Aserca Airlines |
| MD-83 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 165 | Short - medium range | Operating domestic flights for partner Aserca Airlines |
| ATR 42 ATR 42 -Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 50 | Short - medium range' | |
Accidents and incidents
On 21 February 2008 an ATR 42ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
propeller aircraft operating the Flight 518
Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518
Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 was an ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop aircraft, registration YV1449, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Mérida, Venezuela to Caracas that crashed into the side of a mountain on 21 February 2008, shortly after takeoff. There were 43 passengers on board, with a...
from Mérida
Mérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
to Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, went missing shortly after taking off. Forty-three passengers and a crew of three, including two pilots and one flight attendant, were reportedly on board at the time of the accident. The remains of the aircraft were found the following day in a mountain range approximately 10 kilometers North-East of Mérida
Mérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
at an altitude of 12,000 feet (4,000m). No survivors were found.
After the incident, the company started a new public relations program as well as a new marketing iniciative switching the airline's name to SBA Airlines.
See also
- Aero EjecutivosAero EjecutivosAeroejecutivos is a small airline based in Venezuela providing a scheduled service, tourist and charter flights. The current situation of this airline is a bit unclear...
- Aeropostal Alas de VenezuelaAeropostal Alas de VenezuelaAeropostal Alas de Venezuela, normally referred to as just Aeropostal, is a flag carrier and the national airline of Venezuela also an airline based in Torre Polar Oeste in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic services and international services in the Caribbean...
- Aserca AirlinesAserca AirlinesAserca Airlines is an airline based in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela. It operates domestic and regional scheduled services to destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and the USA...
- AvensaAvensaAvensa was a Venezuelan airline headquartered in Caracas. It is in the process of financial restructuring, after it went into bankruptcy due to poor management in 2002...
- Avior AirlinesAvior AirlinesAvior Airlines is an airline based in Barcelona, Anzoátegui, Venezuela. It operates scheduled and charter services within Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, as well as Miami out of its base at Generál José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport....
- ConviasaConviasaConviasa 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...
- LAI - Linea Aerea IAACALAI - Linea Aerea IAACALAI - Línea Aérea IAACA was an airline based in Barinas, Venezuela. A regional airline that served nine destinations.-History:The airline was founded in 1995. He trained as a crop spraying company that have evolved to become the largest airborne operation of taxis in Venezuela...
- LASER AirlinesLASER AirlinesLASER is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates scheduled and passenger charter services within Venezuela. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas.-History:...
- Linea Turistica AerotuyLinea Turistica AerotuyLínea Turística Aereotuy is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates services to remote destinations in Venezuela, including tourist attractions. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas.-History:...
- RutacaRutacaRutaca is an airline based in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.-History:Rutaca was established and began operations in 1974. It currently operates scheduled and charter services throughout the country.-Destinations:...
- ServivensaServivensaServivensa is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates scheduled domestic flights.-History:The airline was established in 1990. Its operations were temporarily suspended in May 2003 when parent airline Avensa announced that it was grounding its aircraft due to a drop in demand of air...
- Sol AmericaSol AmericaSol América is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic charter services. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport , Caracas, with a hub at Josefa Camejo International Airport .-History:...
- Sundance Air VenezuelaSundance Air VenezuelaSundance Air Venezuela is a cargo airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It is a start-up airline planning to launch flights between Puerto Rico and Venezuela, using aircraft wet-leased from Sundance Air in the USA.-History:...
- TranscargaTranscargaTranscarga is a cargo airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic charter cargo services.-History:The airline was established on 21 October 1998 and started operations in November 2001...
- VenezolanaVenezolanaVenezolana is a Venezuelan low-cost airline based in Maracaibo, Venezuela. It was established in 2001, but only officially entered the travel market in 2007...
- Vensecar InternacionalVensecar InternacionalVensecar Internacional is a cargo airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates scheduled cargo services.-History:The airline was established in 1996...
- ViasaViasaVenezolana Internacional de Aviación Sociedad Anónima , or VIASA for short, was the Venezuelan national airline between 1960 and 1997. It was headquartered in the Torre Viasa in Caracas. Launched in 1960, it was nationalised in 1975 due to financial problems, and re-privatised in 1991, with the...
External links
- Official website (Spanish)