HISTORICAL PHOTO: CAUSA L-749 Constellation at Montevideo (MVD)

CAUSA Lockheed L-749A-79-3 Constellation at what appears to be Montevideo (MVD), presumably in the 1960's when the airline was operating this type.  The registration appears to be CX-BBM (but could be CX-BBN).  (Phil Perry collection)

CAUSA (Compania Aeronautica Uruguaya Sociedad Anonima) was a private Uruguayan airline that operated from 1938 to 1966 exclusively on routes linking Uruguay with Buenos Aires but the editor of this blog did find a couple of photos online of CAUSA Constellations at London-Gatwick (LGW) in October 1965, possibly operating a charter there.

The company started service with two 17-seat Junkers Ju-52's equipped with floats linking the ports of Montevideo and Buenos Aires.  The German-built aircraft wore registrations CX-ABA (c/n 5877) named "El Uruguayo" and the CX-ABB (c/n 5886) "El Argentino".  The Buenos Aires to Colonia, Uruguay route, only 35 miles across the Rio de la Plata sea, was added in 1940, and Buenos Aires to the vacation resort of Punta del Este, also in Uruguay, was added in 1943.  These were the only three routes that CAUSA flew during its nearly 30 years in existence.

The airline went on to add three Short Sandringham flying boats to its fleet in 1946 and two Short Sunderlands in 1950.  By 1961 passengers were increasingly choosing to fly between land-based airports causing CAUSA to cease flying boat services in May 1962 in favor of flights between Montevideo (MVD) and Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) using four Curtiss C-46's.  

These only lasted until 1964 when the airline decided to sell the planes to ARCO (Aerolineas Colonia) which flew them between Colonia (CYR) and Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) for a number of years.  CAUSA had already decided to purchase three L-749A Constellations from KLM in 1962 which they operated between Montevideo (MVD) and Aeroparque until the airline's demise in 1967. These were:

CX-BBM Lockheed L-749A-79-3 (c/n 2661) ex KLM PH-TFG "Friesland"
CX-BBN Lockheed L-749A-79-33 (c/n 2641) ex KLM PH-TFE "Utrecht"
CX-BCS Lockheed L-749A-79-33 (c/n 2640) ex KLM PH-TFD "Arnhem"

A larger L-1049H Constellation was leased in June 1966 and the airline was planning to fly from Montevideo (MVD) to Miami (MIA) and Sao Paulo but never did so prior to ceasing service.          

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compa%C3%B1%C3%ADa_Aeron%C3%A1utica_Uruguaya