FLEET UPDATE: Air Class (Uruguay) received 727-200, CX-CLC, on 16Apr21

Air Class is a Uruguayan cargo charter operator that started flying in 1997.  

It took delivery of the most recent addition to its fleet when 727-200, CX-CLC (c/n 22983/1806) arrived at the airline's Montevideo (MVD) base on 16Apr21.  The aircraft was originally delivered to USAir on 03Dec82 and went on to fly for ATA Airlines before being converted to a freighter in 2003, after which it flew for a Brazilian cargo airline before being recently leased to Air Class.

See post below this one for Air Class Fleet History .....

Sources:

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com/2021/05/roll-out-n-386-fleet-list.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Class_L%C3%ADneas_A%C3%A9reas

http://rzjets.net/aircraft/?reg=590244

FLEET UPDATE: Air Class (Uruguay) - Fleet - Current & Historical

Air Class EMB-110 Bandeirante, CX-VIP (c/n 110258), at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) ? in April 2003.  (Phil Perry Collection) 

Air Class is a Uruguayan cargo charter operator that started flying in 1997.  

Air Class - Current Fleet:

* CX-CLS - Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III - (c/n AC-755B) - Dec 2006  to current

* CX-LSS - Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III - (c/n AC-720) - Nov 2012 to current

* CX-CAR - 727-200 - (c/n 21958/1533) - 29Jun11 to current

* CX-CLC - 727-200 - (c/n 22983/1806) - 16Apr21 to current

Air Class - Historical Fleet:

* CX-VIP - Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante - (c/n 110258) - Nov 2001 to  ?

* CX-CLA - Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III - (c/n AC-736) - May 2004 to 2013 (?)

* CX-LAS - Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III - (c/n AC-482) - 07Oct09 to  06Jun12 - crashed off Isla de Flores en route MVD-EZE with loss of two crew members

* CX-CLB - 727-200 - (c/n 21996/1571) - May 2015 to 24Jan17

Source:

http://rzjets.net/aircraft/?reg=590244

Air Class of Uruguay is now LATAM Cargo Uruguay ? Two 727-200's up For Sale ?

Air Class Cargo 727-200F, CX-CLB (c/n 21996), at Montevideo (MVD) in October 2015. The airline took delivery of this aircraft on 24Oct15. (Photo: Amilcar Carriqui via Martin Blanco of Aeronaves CX) 

The Wikipedia entry for the Uruguayan cargo airline, Air Class, until recently had a logo referring to LATAM Cargo Uruguay, suggesting that the carrier had been bought by the giant Chilean airline enterprise.  The editor of this blog has not found any other references to LATAM Cargo Uruguay online and the logo is gone from the Wikipedia page.

Bandeirante Passenger Operations

Air Class started operations in 1997 as an air taxi operator but in 2001 it acquired its first turboprop aircraft, Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante, CX-VIP (c/n 110-258), enabling it to start scheduled passenger service between Montevideo (MVD) and Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) which it flew for only a short while followed by the short 30-mile, 20-minute hop over the Rio de la Plata between Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Colonia (CYR) Uruguay in 2003-2004 on behalf of AeroVIP Lineas Aereas.

CX-VIP left the Air Class fleet to Brazil where it belly-landed at the Cataratas Airport on 28Jul14 while flying as PT-TAW for Taxi Aero Weiss.

Metro Cargo Operations

Air Class went on to acquire four Fairchild SA227AC Metro III freighters.  

Two of these are still with the company:

* CX-CLS (c/n AC-755B) - Bought in December 2006
* CX-LSS (c/n AC-720) - Received November 2012

One of the others left to another carrier with the other having crashed in June 2012. 

* CX-CLA (c/n AC-736) - Leased from May 2004 to February 2013

* CX-LAS (c/n AC-482) - Received in October 2009.  Crashed in the Rio de la Plata on 06Jun12 with the loss of two crew near Isla de Flores while operating a cargo flight from Montevideo (MVD) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE).  The following links summarize the accident and ensuing search for the aircraft: 

https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20120606-0 http://argentina-airline-news.blogspot.com.ar/search/label/Air%20Class

727-200F Operations

The first of two 727-200F's, CX-CAR (c/n 21958/1533), was delivered to Air Class on 29Jun11. This aircraft had a long career flying in the United States prior to arriving in Uruguay having been originally delivered to PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) in 1979 and going on to fly with Piedmont, US Air, American Trans Air and Astar Air Cargo.

Air Class' second 727-200F, CX-CLB (c/n 21996/1571), had a similar long career flying in the US, having been originally delivered to Braniff in 1980 and also flying for US Air, American Trans Air and Astar Air Cargo.  However, the aircraft also served in Venezuela from 2009-2015 with Vensecar International (DHL Express) before arriving in Uruguay in October 2015 ac CX-CLB.    

Both aircraft have reportedly been flying a weekly Montevideo (MVD) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Asuncion (ASU) round-trip plus cargo charters.  Photos of CX-CAR at several South American airports have appeared on the Internet, including Santiago (SCL), Curitiba (CWB), Porto Alegre (POA), and Salvador de Bahia (SSA).

Interestingly, both 727-200F's have shown as being for sale on more than one website:

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/list/?Manu=BOEING&mdlgrp=727

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Class_L%C3%ADneas_A%C3%A9reas
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Class
http://www.airliners.net/search?airline=4603&sortBy=dateAccepted&sortOrder=desc&perPage=48&display=detail
http://aeronavescx.blogspot.com.ar/2015/10/llega-en-estos-dias-el-2do-boeing-727.html
http://aeronavescx.blogspot.com.ar/2015/10/llego-hoy-carrasco-el-cx-clb-boeing-727.html
http://www.airclasscargo.com/cargas.htm
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/cx-clb
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?aircraft=-2&airline=Air+Class+Lineas+Aereas&country=-2&photog=-2&category=-2&year=-2&keywordrange=all&keywordlimiter=2&keywords=&sort=1&genre=1&size=-2&mainsearch=search&displaymode=1&display=15
http://rzjets.net/aircraft/index.php

ROUTE UPDATES: History of Aerolineas Argentinas' Cordoba (COR) - Miami (MIA) Service - 4 Previous Attempts

Aerolineas Argentinas recently discontinued its Cordoba (COR) - Miami (MIA) service for the fifth time since 1979.  The previous four attempts had mixed success, with some attempts lasting much longer than others.    

The blog Aeropuerto Internacional Cordoba outlined the history of airline service between these two cities, which is summarized below (see link below "Sources" at the bottom of this posting for full details in Spanish):
   
First Attempt - 1979 - 1983  

Aerolineas flew the 707 from Cordoba (COR) to Miami (MIA) for four years until 1983, the longest that the carrier has ever maintained service on this route. 

Departures were on Wednesdays and Sundays with the Wednesday flight stopping twice, in Jujuy (JUJ) in northern Argentina and Bogota (BOG), with the Sunday flight being nonstop.  

This routine changed a little in 1980/81 with the Wednesday flight originating at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) and stopping in Cordoba (COR) and Bogota (BOG) before arriving in Miami (MIA).  The flight was the same on Sundays but without the stop in Bogota (BOG).  Jujuy (JUJ) still had its own flight to the US 1x/weekly via Bogota (BOG).

Second Attempt - 1985

The second try at service from Cordoba (COR) to Miami (MIA) was in 1985 as part of a marketing plan to establish Cordoba (COR) as a national hub for Aerolineas, given the city's central location in Argentina and being the city with the country's second largest population.    

"Conexion Cordoba" involved flights to approx. 17-18 Argentine cities plus a couple of foreign destinations too.

The Miami (MIA) service had an inconvenient circuitous routing and even a change of aircraft, which probably explained its limited success.  

The service operated 1x/weekly on Fridays using a 737-200 from Cordoba (COR) to Tucuman (TUC) and Jujuy (JUJ) where there was a change of plane to a 727-200, which proceeded northward to Guayaquil (GYE) and Bogota (BOG) before finally arriving in Miami (MIA).  This service only lasted a few months being discontinued in 1985.

Third Attempt - 1994 - 1995

This was the most short-lived of all the Cordoba (COR) - Miami (MIA) services, lasting only 10 1x/weekly flights between 23Dec94 and 10Mar95 in the southern hemisphere summer.      

The flights followed a Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Cordoba (COR) - Miami (MIA) routing operated with 747-200's.  Rarely did as many as 150 passengers board in Cordoba (COR) which apparently was considered not enough to justify operating the route again the following summer. 

Fourth Attempt - 1998

This service flew 4x/weekly from Cordoba (COR) to Miami (MIA) nonstop with 747-200's from 01Jul98 to December when it was discontinued.  

Source:

http://aeropuertocordoba.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/el-deja-vu-de-los-cordoba-miami.html

FLEET UPDATE: Was Air Class 727-227F CX-CLB delivered ?

The blog Aviacion Civil Uruguaya displayed a photo of Air Class Cargo 727-227F, CX-CLB (c/n 21996/1571), in a posting dated 18Jun15, yet there is no evidence that the aircraft was ever delivered to complement Air Class' other 727-214F, CX-CAR (c/n 21958/1533). Additionally, CX-CLB is listed as being for sale on the following website and the aircraft is reportedly parked in Florida, USA.

Photo on Aviacion Civil Uruguaya:

http://aeronavescx.blogspot.com.ar/2015/06/en-estos-dias-llega-el-2do-boeing-727.html

For Sale listing:

http://www.aso.com/listings/spec/ViewAd.aspx?id=160050

Air Class has reportedly been flying Montevideo (MVD) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Asuncion (ASU) round-trip cargo flights using CX-CAR since 2011.

Sources:

http://aeronavescx.blogspot.com.ar/2015/06/en-estos-dias-llega-el-2do-boeing-727.html
http://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2015/05/sobreviviente-de-braniff-uruguay.html

http://www.aso.com/listings/spec/ViewAd.aspx?id=160050
http://www.airclasscargo.com/cargas.htm
http://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2015/09/roll-out-n-295-fleet-list.html

HISTORICAL PHOTO: Aero Sur Servicios Aereos 727-200 & Brief History of Unusual 727's in Argentina

Aero Sur 727-200, N373PA (c/n 20678/931) at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) in 1994. (Phil Perry Collection)

Aero Sur Servicios Aereos operated two 727-200's briefly in 1994, presumably on charter services.  The pictured aircraft, N373PA, was due to be re-registered as LV-WFC but this was not taken up.  A second aircraft, N376PA (c/n 20169/743) was re-registered as LV-WDS.

Most 727-100's and 200's that flew in Argentina were operated by Aerolineas Argentinas in their full colors with a few notable exceptions:

Aerolineas leased two 727-256's, LV-VFL/EC-CBL (c/n 20606/397) and LV-VFM/EC-CBM (c/n 20607/943), from Iberia during the two-month southern hemisphere summer in late 1992 / early 1993 which it flew in Iberia's full colors and titles.  A third 727-200, LV-VFJ/EC-CAJ (c/n 20593/883) was leased-in and presumably also carried the Spanish airline's colors and titles.

Aerolineas also flew 727-233, C-GAAJ, (c/n 20941/1128) for two months in 1993 in the full Air Canada colors of the time but with the Canadian carrier's titles and the maple leaf logo removed from the tail.  

One of the more unusual 727-200's to fly in Argentina was Aviogenex 727-243, YU-AKM (c/n 22702/1814) in the Yugoslavian airline's full colors and titles under lease to Aerolineas for the three month summer period 12/86 to 3/87.

Two other airlines operated 727's in Argentina, Dinar flew 727-22, OB-1570 (c/n 19153/508) in its own full colors and titles on lease from Aero Continente from 12/95 to 2/96 and STAF (Servicios Transportes Aereos Fueginos) leased 727-023F, HK-3667X (c/n 19430/366) from Aerosucre for a time in the mid-1990's.

The above information is from the excellent blog covering the history of individual aircraft operated in commercial service in Argentina featuring some very rare and interesting photos.

Source: Historias Individuales blog

http://loudandclearisnotenought.blogspot.com.ar/search/label/Boeing%20727?max-results=20