While the future of PLUNA's assets, mainly aircraft and routes, remains uncertain, BQB Lineas Aereas has hired eight of the 128 pilots that PLUNA employed and 20 of its former flight attendants. In addition, 80 pilots have received offers from carriers in Chile, Panama and even as far away as China and Vietnam, according to the pilots' union ACIPLA. This is credible as there are flightcrew shortages in many regions around the world.
Many ex-PLUNA pilots have interviewed at COPA Panama where the pay is US$ 8,900 per month, far in excess of the US$ 5,000 monthly wages they were making at PLUNA that had one of the lowest payscales in the region. The pilot positions with the best pay and benefits are in the Middle East.
If many ex-PLUNA pilots find jobs elsewhere, the buyers of the seven CRJ-900's might find themselves with a lack of qualified flightcrew to fly the airplanes.
Source: El Pais Uruguay 12Jul12, 16Jul12, 18Jul12
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
FLEET UPDATE: Lineas Aereas del Sur 737-200 - Corrections
Blog reader Maximo Gainza has been kind enough to write with several corrections to yesterday's posting regarding Lineas Aereas del Sur:
1) The airline was founded sometime in 2010, not 2005, with the first charter taking place in August or September 2011. It operated very few charter flights during its existence; probably fewer than a dozen.
2) LV-ZXC never flew for Chilean carrier Aerolineas del Sur, having been one of the last 737-200's retired by Aerolineas Argentinas in 2009.
3) If the aircraft is due for a C-Check it is more likely due to calendar expiration rather than hours flown.
4) The Bolivian Air Force might be interested in acquiring it for TAM - Transporte Aereo Militar, which might explain why it is parked in Mendoza.
Maximo also comments that the only other Argentine 737-200 operator, ARJet, which operates LV-ZYY, is flying occasional charters but also has a doubtful future.
1) The airline was founded sometime in 2010, not 2005, with the first charter taking place in August or September 2011. It operated very few charter flights during its existence; probably fewer than a dozen.
2) LV-ZXC never flew for Chilean carrier Aerolineas del Sur, having been one of the last 737-200's retired by Aerolineas Argentinas in 2009.
3) If the aircraft is due for a C-Check it is more likely due to calendar expiration rather than hours flown.
4) The Bolivian Air Force might be interested in acquiring it for TAM - Transporte Aereo Militar, which might explain why it is parked in Mendoza.
Maximo also comments that the only other Argentine 737-200 operator, ARJet, which operates LV-ZYY, is flying occasional charters but also has a doubtful future.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Lineas Aereas del Sur 737-200 Charter Carrier Suspending Operations
Lineas Aereas del Sur, 737-200, LV-ZXC (msn 23160/1053)
rests at Cordoba (COR) on 18Mar12
Lineas Aereas del Sur, a small charter airline based in Cordoba, Argentina and operator of one 737-200 registration LV-ZXC, has asked the Argentine Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC by its Spanish initials) to suspend its operating certificate for a period of six months, effective June 1.
The airline, started up in March 2005, is owned by Buenos Aires businessmen Carlos Cedrato and Alfredo Montalván who have interests in various transportation companies. The airline had 17 employees but recently laid off all but four of them, including two pilots. Its most recent flight was on March 14 between Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) and Calafate (FTE) carrying a group of Spanish tourists.
LV-ZXC is currently due for a "C" check and is parked in Mendoza. It was delivered to British Airways in 1984 and has also flown with Aerolineas Argentinas and its short-lived Chilean affiliate, Aerolineas del Sur.
Sources: Aviacion News 19Jul12
www.airfleets.net
Photo: Phil Perry
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Expensive Argentine Peso & Currency Restrictions = Fewer Charter Flights
Argentine government controls on the US$ exchange rate keeping it at an artificially low 4.60 pesos to 1 US$ has made travel to Argentina more expensive for Brazilians resulting in only 40 or so charter flights by GOL and TAM from Brazil to the Argentine ski resort of Bariloche, far fewer than the 140 flights originally planned. The slowing Brazilian economy and weaker Real are surely factors too.
Also, Aerolineas Argentinas has fewer flights from Sao Paulo to Bariloche plus Las Lenas, San Martin de los Andes and Ushuaia are also receiving fewer charter flights than expected this winter season.
Restrictions imposed by the Argentine government on purchases of US$ by Argentine citizens have also seen a reduced number of outbound charters.
Source: Aviacion News 19Jul12
Also, Aerolineas Argentinas has fewer flights from Sao Paulo to Bariloche plus Las Lenas, San Martin de los Andes and Ushuaia are also receiving fewer charter flights than expected this winter season.
Restrictions imposed by the Argentine government on purchases of US$ by Argentine citizens have also seen a reduced number of outbound charters.
Source: Aviacion News 19Jul12
Friday, July 27, 2012
PHOTO GALLERY: PLUNA 737-200's !
PLUNA 737-200, CX-BHM (msn 20299)
possibly at Seattle (SEA) upon return to Boeing
(Photo: Courtesy of Eric Trum Collection)
This aircraft has an interesting and varied history having been delivered by Boeing directly to PLUNA on 31Dec69 where it served on the "Air Bridge" linking Montevideo (MVD) and Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) plus flights to Rio de Janeiro until it was repossessed by Boeing in 1974. This was PLUNA's first jet aircraft and it remained so until the airline took delivery of two used 727-100's from Lufthansa in the late 1970's. CX-BHM and one of PLUNA's Viscounts were the only planes in the airline's fleet to be painted in the carrier's colorful "orange-belly" scheme.
This 737-200 went on to serve 22 years with SAHSA of Honduras until 1996 when it was transferred to WestJet of Canada. WestJet retired the plane in 2003 and it went on to Kingston University in the UK where its fuselage is used for aerospace instruction at the university's Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing.
engineering-msc/who-teaches-this-course.html
PLUNA 737-200, CX-BOO (msn 22738)
at MVD in delivery colors
(Photo: Courtesy of Eric Trum Collection)
CX-BOO was one of three 737-200s delivered to PLUNA in 1982, the others being CX-BON and CX-BOP. The three aircraft replaced the two 727-100's, CX-BKA and CX-BKB, purchased from Lufthansa. This aircraft served with PLUNA for 26 years until it was retired in 2008. It was also leased to Transavia Holland and Britannia a few times. Today the aircraft is in the hands of Global Air of Mexico.
CX-BOO in its final PLUNA colors.
(Photo: Courtesy of Eric Trum Collection)
PLUNA 737-200, PP-VMI (msn 21004)
at MVD in VARIG colors
(Photo: Courtesy of Eric Trum Collection)
Source: http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-21004.htm
PLUNA 737-200, PP-VPD, (msn 21518/522)
later reregistered as CX-FAT
(Photo: Courtesy of Eric Trum Collection)
This aircraft was delivered to Far East Air Transport of Taiwan in 1978 and has since seen service with several carriers. PLUNA operated it from 1998 - 2001 with Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro painting it in the above special scheme, often, but mistakenly referred to as the "Aztec" scheme due to its similarity to Mexican art. Today, msn 21518/522 flies for the Indonesian Air Force as A-7304.
Source: www.airfleets.net
Thursday, July 26, 2012
FLEET UPDATE: American Jet to acquire Two ATR-42's from TRIP of Brazil
American Jet, a charter carrier that is based at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) but does most of its flying in the Argentine province of Neuquen, is due to get two ATR-42's from Brazilian airline TRIP, as this carrier sheds its ATR-42 fleet as part of its merger with Azul Linhas Aereas. The ATR-42's will complement American Jet's existing fleet of one Learjet 35, two Dornier 228's, and three Metro IIIA's and are expected to be used for flights to a remote mine in Neuquen.
The first aircraft to be delivered is expected to be ATR-42-300, PP-ATV, (msn 298) originally delivered to Canadian Regional Airlines as C-GICY in 1993.
Sources: http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/search?q=american+jet
http://www.aeropuertosarg.com.ar/losforos
www.aircharterguide.com
The first aircraft to be delivered is expected to be ATR-42-300, PP-ATV, (msn 298) originally delivered to Canadian Regional Airlines as C-GICY in 1993.
Sources: http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/search?q=american+jet
http://www.aeropuertosarg.com.ar/losforos
www.aircharterguide.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
PLUNA - 3 CRJ-900's need Significant Maintenance before Sale
PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRA
PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRB
PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRC
The PLUNA pilots' union, the Asociacion Civil de Pilotos de Lineas Aereas (ACIPLA), informed a committee of the Uruguayan House of Representatives that three of PLUNA's CRJ-900's; CX-CRA, CX-CRB, and CX-CRC, the earliest deliveries to the airline, require US$ 5 million in maintenance work, a cost that has not been taken into account in the upcoming auction of PLUNA's assets. The union has also warned that the longer the former PLUNA fleet stays on the ground the greater the costs that will be incurred due to ongoing maintenance required to keep the aircraft flight-ready.
Source: El Pais Uruguay 11Jul12
Monday, July 23, 2012
PLUNA CRJ-900 Incident on Approach to Punta del Este (PDP) - US$ 500,000 Repair
PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRI
The aircraft was moved to the large Uruguayan Navy hangar at the airport where it has been worked on by Bombardier technicians. The cost of repairs have not been calculated into PLUNA's debt load.
Source: El Pais Uruguay 08Jul12, 11Jul12
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Aerolineas Argentinas presents "2012 Operational Plan"
Aerolineas Argentinas president Mariano Recalde, along with Minister of Tourism Enrique Mayer and Chamber of Tourism president Osca Ghezzi, recently presented the airline's "2012 Operational Plan", the main purpose of which is to "promote domestic and inbound international tourism and strengthen the airline's presence in strategic markets to improve the profitability of its route network."
Specific actions to be taken include "consolidating" the "Corredores Federales" and "Corredor Petrolero" introduced during the last year that directly connect important Argentine cities and destinations to each other without having to go through the carrier's Buenos Aires' hubs. Also planned are increased frequencies in the existing domestic route networks of Aerolineas / Austral,
including the addition of new cities, such as the new service that will soon start to Rio Hondo (RHD) in Santiago de Estero province.
Mr. Recalde claimed that the two carriers increased domestic frequencies by 26% this year but he did not clarify if there was a net increase in seats too, as the 150-seater MD-80 fleet was retired and replaced by smaller 100-seat EMB-190's. In the two-year period from March 2010 to March 2012, the number of passengers carried on the AR/AU "regional" route network (usually defined as international routes within South America) increased by 41%.
Internationally, Aerolineas is looking to increase frequencies to Barcelona (BCN), Bogota (BOG), Caracas (CCS), and Miami (MIA), adding an additional flight via Caracas. Its flight to Sydney (SYD), which previously stopped in Auckland is now nonstop and will increase from three to four flights per week in December.
Source: Aviacion News 14Jun12
Specific actions to be taken include "consolidating" the "Corredores Federales" and "Corredor Petrolero" introduced during the last year that directly connect important Argentine cities and destinations to each other without having to go through the carrier's Buenos Aires' hubs. Also planned are increased frequencies in the existing domestic route networks of Aerolineas / Austral,
including the addition of new cities, such as the new service that will soon start to Rio Hondo (RHD) in Santiago de Estero province.
Mr. Recalde claimed that the two carriers increased domestic frequencies by 26% this year but he did not clarify if there was a net increase in seats too, as the 150-seater MD-80 fleet was retired and replaced by smaller 100-seat EMB-190's. In the two-year period from March 2010 to March 2012, the number of passengers carried on the AR/AU "regional" route network (usually defined as international routes within South America) increased by 41%.
Internationally, Aerolineas is looking to increase frequencies to Barcelona (BCN), Bogota (BOG), Caracas (CCS), and Miami (MIA), adding an additional flight via Caracas. Its flight to Sydney (SYD), which previously stopped in Auckland is now nonstop and will increase from three to four flights per week in December.
Source: Aviacion News 14Jun12
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Air Class Metro CX-LAS - More Details on Finding
More details have emerged on the discovery of the remains of Air Class Metro CX-LAS yesterday submerged in the Rio de la Plata approx. one mile southeast of Isla de Flores.
Hector Bado - Treasure Hunter
The Uruguayan Navy patrol boat "ROU 12 Paysandu "set sail yesterday morning with the famed treasure hunter Hector Bado and his diving team aboard to search using radar to detect anomalies in the sea floor followed with dives to confirm the nature of any objects that were potentially part of the lost aircraft.
Mr. Bado has led the discovery of several high-profile shipwrecks off the Uruguayan coast, the most famous dives being not for the purposes of discovery, but rather recovery of several items from the sunken World War II German Navy heavy cruiser, the Graf Spee, scuttled by its commander off the coast of Montevideo in December 1939. Objects recovered include a 27-ton "telemeter" range finder and the ship's Nazi eagle emblem.
Moment of Discovery
At about 3:30pm, after three dives that had not turned up anything, Mr. Bado saw on the radar screen of the sweeping device an object 6-8 meters long that he believed could be the plane's fuselage. Two divers went down in the shallow waters to investigate. Mr. Bado and the ship's crew anxiously waited for them to resurface and they were not disappointed as the two men emerged with part of what appeared to be the Metro's nose landing gear. On further dives they recovered a part from the wing and an "electric charger". The three objects were determined to be from the Metro confirming that they had found the aircraft.
What appears to be the plane's tail was located some 40 meters from the fuselage. Additionally, there are many unidentified small objects scattered around the plane's fuselage. Maybe the packages that it was carrying ?
Mr. Bado first announced the find to the world through his Facebook page exclaiming "We just found the plane, God exists!".
Possible Crash Hypothesis
There is speculation that something happened disabling the aircraft but that the commander of the flight, Captain Walter Rigo, was able to control the plane until it hit the water, possibly in a ditching maneuver. This would explain why the plane is relatively intact and no floating parts were ever found which would have been more likely if it had crashed into the sea at high speed, resulting in a breakup.
There were at least three eyewitnesses, including one highly-qualified one that saw two explosions in the air south of Montevideo on the night of the crash which would suggest that there might have been some sort of uncontained engine failure leading to the aircraft's descent to the sea, possibly with the flight controls still being effective.
Recovery
The priority now is to recover the bodies of the two crewmen, Captain Walter Rigo (63) and First Officer Martin Riva (34), possibly tomorrow (Sunday, July 22) as weather conditions are unfavorable today. The Uruguayan Navy ship ROU Vanguardia will perform this task with Mr. Bado and his divers leading the effort. Recovery of the Metro's "black box" that should help determine the cause of the crash will follow later on.
Source: El Pais Uruguay 21Jul12
Hector Bado - Treasure Hunter
The Uruguayan Navy patrol boat "ROU 12 Paysandu "set sail yesterday morning with the famed treasure hunter Hector Bado and his diving team aboard to search using radar to detect anomalies in the sea floor followed with dives to confirm the nature of any objects that were potentially part of the lost aircraft.
Mr. Bado has led the discovery of several high-profile shipwrecks off the Uruguayan coast, the most famous dives being not for the purposes of discovery, but rather recovery of several items from the sunken World War II German Navy heavy cruiser, the Graf Spee, scuttled by its commander off the coast of Montevideo in December 1939. Objects recovered include a 27-ton "telemeter" range finder and the ship's Nazi eagle emblem.
Moment of Discovery
At about 3:30pm, after three dives that had not turned up anything, Mr. Bado saw on the radar screen of the sweeping device an object 6-8 meters long that he believed could be the plane's fuselage. Two divers went down in the shallow waters to investigate. Mr. Bado and the ship's crew anxiously waited for them to resurface and they were not disappointed as the two men emerged with part of what appeared to be the Metro's nose landing gear. On further dives they recovered a part from the wing and an "electric charger". The three objects were determined to be from the Metro confirming that they had found the aircraft.
What appears to be the plane's tail was located some 40 meters from the fuselage. Additionally, there are many unidentified small objects scattered around the plane's fuselage. Maybe the packages that it was carrying ?
Mr. Bado first announced the find to the world through his Facebook page exclaiming "We just found the plane, God exists!".
Possible Crash Hypothesis
There is speculation that something happened disabling the aircraft but that the commander of the flight, Captain Walter Rigo, was able to control the plane until it hit the water, possibly in a ditching maneuver. This would explain why the plane is relatively intact and no floating parts were ever found which would have been more likely if it had crashed into the sea at high speed, resulting in a breakup.
There were at least three eyewitnesses, including one highly-qualified one that saw two explosions in the air south of Montevideo on the night of the crash which would suggest that there might have been some sort of uncontained engine failure leading to the aircraft's descent to the sea, possibly with the flight controls still being effective.
Recovery
The priority now is to recover the bodies of the two crewmen, Captain Walter Rigo (63) and First Officer Martin Riva (34), possibly tomorrow (Sunday, July 22) as weather conditions are unfavorable today. The Uruguayan Navy ship ROU Vanguardia will perform this task with Mr. Bado and his divers leading the effort. Recovery of the Metro's "black box" that should help determine the cause of the crash will follow later on.
Source: El Pais Uruguay 21Jul12
Friday, July 20, 2012
Air Class Metro CX-LAS FOUND !
The website of Argentine newspaper La Nacion reports that Uurguayan military authorities have confirmed that the remains of Air Class Metro CX-LAS, disappeared on the evening of Wednesday 06Jun12, were found this afternoon by a group of divers led by apparent elite diver Hector Bado and the Uruguayan Navy. The aircraft is submerged in the Rio de la Plata sea approximately two miles southeast of Isla de Flores. Family members of the two flightcrew members Walter Rigo (63) and Martin Rivas (34) have been advised.
Sourcse: www.lanacion.com.ar
www.elpais.com.uy
Sourcse: www.lanacion.com.ar
www.elpais.com.uy
FLEET UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas recently received another 737-700, LV-CVX, the 17th in its Fleet
Aerolineas Argentinas 737-700, LV-CPH, rotates off AEP's runway 31 on 11Feb12. This was the first Aerolineas 737-700 painted in the carrier's new color scheme.
Aerolineas Argentinas recently took delivery of 737-700, LV-CVX, from ILFC (International Lease Finance Corporation), the fifth of ten it has on order from the leasing company and 17th it has taken delivery of in all since 2009. The airline also has two 737-800's with two more on order. Aerolineas expects to eventually have a fleet of 26 737-700/800's replacing its 737 "Classic" fleet of 737-200's and -500's which has already been retired.
Source: Aviacion News 14Jun12
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