Avensa

Infobox Airline
airline = Aerovias Venezolanas Sociedad Anonima

logo_size = px
fleet_size = 8
destinations = 3
IATA = VE
ICAO = AVE
callsign = Avensa
parent =
company_slogan =
founded = May 13, 1943
headquarters = Caracas, Venezuela
key_people = N/A
hubs = Simon Bolivar International Airport
focus_cities =
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
website = [http://www.avensa.com.ve/ Avensa]

Avensa ("Aerovias Venezolanas Sociedad Anonima") was a Venezuelan airline, which is in the process of financial restructuring, after it went into bankruptcy due to poor management in 2002. It operated from its hub at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetía.

Technically Avensa still exists, with a single Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft keeping the name alive. But for all intents and purposes the company is defunct. Around Venezuela's airports, Avensa relics can be seen everywhere: old check-in signs, rusted luggage carts, derelict airplane stairways, the name still visible through cracked blue paint. [ [http://www.bootsnall.com/guides/05-10/pilot-report-aeropostal.html BootsnAll Travel] retrieved 7 April 2007]

History

Avensa was created on May 13, 1943 as a cargo airline by Venezuelan businessmen and Pan American World Airways. Their first flights occurred in December 1943, flying cargo to Venezuela's oil-rich Carteru region with Ford Tri-Motors and Stinson Reliants. By 1944, Avensa had started passenger flights with Lockheed 10A twins. After World War II, DC-3 Dakotas were added to the fleet. These were the backbone of the fleet until 1955 when Convair 340 twins were introduced for a new service to Miami. Avensa had set up an extensive domestic route network by the beginning of the 1960s. The airline also flew internationally to Miami, Aruba, Jamaica, and New Orleans. Avensa merged its international routes with the international routes of LAV (Aeropostal) and the resulting network was the basis for a new international Venezuelan airline called Viasa. Avensa held a 45% holding in this new carrier. Avensa purchased jet equipment in the form of a single Sud Caravelle jet in 1964. Turboprop aircraft were introduced in 1966 when the airline purchased Convair 580s. Douglas DC9s were also introduced to give the airline a more competitive edge. Pan Am sold its 30% holding of Avensa to the Venezuelan government in 1976, making it completely state-owned. Later, Avensa introduced Boeing 727-100 and 727-200 jets. A couple of Boeing 737-200s were later introduced. A fleet renewal program was set in motion at the end of the 1980s and new Boeing 737-300s were added. Boeing 757s were also introduced as part of the renewal program. These new aircraft were returned during the 1990s when Avensa flew into financial difficulties and had to make cut backs. This left the fleet with 11 aging Boeing 727s, 5 Douglas DC9s and a couple of Boeing 737-200s at the end of the 1990s. Avensa overtook many of the international routes formerly flown by Viasa after that airline collapsed in 1997. Avensa operated a smaller low-cost airline called Servivensa, which operated mainly Boeing 727 aircraft. Avensa is currently serving only a domestic network of three cities as they attempt to re-structure due to continuing financial difficulties.

Destinations

This is the list of places that Avensa flew to (as of November 2006): Fact|date=April 2007

*Caracas
*Merida

Fleet

Avensa previously had a fleet with aircraft such as the Douglas DC-9, DC-10, the Boeing 727, 737-200 and the 757. A few aircraft, mainly the Boeing 727-200, of the former fleet are now owned by Santa Barbara Airlines, which operates most of the former international routes, as well as some new ones.

Their current functional fleet consisted of (at November 13, 2005):

Incidents and accidents

*On December 22, 1974, an Avensa Douglas DC-9-14 crashed in Maturín, Venezuela shortly after take off due to a double engine failure. 77 passengers and crew were killed.Fact|date=April 2007

External links

* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?nr_of_rows=103&sort_order=year&first_this_page=0&page_limit=120&thumbnails=&&airlinesearch=Avensa Avensa in airliners.net]

References