LAN Colombia
LAN Colombia, previously Aerovías de Integración Regional S.A. (Acronym: AIRES, lit. airs), is a Colombian airline. It is the second largest air carrier in Colombia.
The airline operates scheduled regional domestic and international services, as well as a domestic cargo service. Its main base is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.[3]
On October 28, 2010, it was announced that 98% of the shares in the previous airline AIRES had been acquired by Chilean carrier LAN Airlines. On December 3, 2011, it started operations as LAN Colombia. It became an affiliate member of the Oneworld alliance on 1 October 2013.[2]
Destinations
The airline operates 23 destinations in Colombia and to Brazil and the United States 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 March 25, 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.
Fleet
LAN Colombia's fleet consists of the following aircraft (as January 2014):[4]
Incidents and accidents
- On January 28, 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.[5]
- On August 23, 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.[6]
- On August 16, 2010, AIRES Flight 8250 crashed on landing at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport, in San Andrés, 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.[7] One of the 114 injured later died.[8] The Boeing 737-700, originally delivered to EasyJet in 2003 and with registration HK4682, had less than two years service with Aires.
References
External links
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