Avensa

Avensa - Aerovías Venezolanas Sociedad Anónima

IATA ICAO Callsign VE AVE AVENSA
Founded	May 13, 1943(1943-05-13)
Commenced operations	December 1943(1943-12)
Ceased operations	December 31, 2004(2004-12-31)
Hubs	Simón Bolívar International Airport
Subsidiaries	Servivensa
Fleet size	3
Destinations	7
Headquarters	Caracas,Venezuela
Website	www.avensa.com.ve

Avensa(AerovíasVenezolanasSociedadAnonima) was aVenezuelanairline headquartered inCaracas.It was in the processof financial restructuring, after it went into bankruptcy due to poor management in 2002, withSanta Barbara Airlinestaking over its routes, although a singleEmbraer EMB 120 Brasiliacontinued to carry the Avensa name in service until it was grounded for good in 2004. Avensa operated from its hub atSimon Bolivar International AirportinMaiquetía.

Even though the airline ceased operations more than a decade ago, 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 around Venezuela's airports.

Although Avensa was reported to be in the process of economical restructuring, as of 2024, the airline has not been able to return to the skies.

History

Avensa was created on May 13, 1943, as acargo airlineby the Venezuelan businessman, Andres Boulton Pietri (1909-1994), andPan American World Airways.Its first flight occurred in December 1943, flying cargo to Venezuela's oil-rich Carteru region withFord TrimotorsandStinson Reliants.By 1944, Avensa had started passenger flights with Lockheed 10A twins.

AfterWorld War II,DC-3Dakotas were added to the fleet. These were the backbone of the fleet until 1955 whenConvair 340twins were introduced for a new service toMiami.Avensa had set up an extensive domestic route network by the beginning of the 1960s. The airline also flew internationally to Miami,Aruba,JamaicaandNew Orleans.

Avensa merged its international routes with the international routes ofLínea Aeropostal Venezolanaand the resulting network was the basis for a new international Venezuelan airline calledViasa,in which Avensa had a 45% holding. Avensa purchased jet equipment in the form of a singleSud Caravellejet in 1964. Turboprop aircraft were introduced in 1966 when the airline purchasedConvair 580s.McDonnell Douglas DC-9jets were then 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 completelystate-owned.

Later, Avensa introduced theBoeing 727-100with twoBoeing 737-200sbeing later introduced. A fleet renewal program was set in motion at the end of the 1980s and newBoeing 737-200swere added. TwoBoeing 757-200swere also introduced as part of the renewal program. These new aircraft were returned during the 1990s when Avensa fell into financial difficulties and had to make cut backs. This left the fleet with eleven aging Boeing 727s, five DC-9s and two 737-200s at the end of the 1990s.

Avensa took over many of the international routes formerly flown byViasaafter that airline collapsed in 1997. During the late 1990s, Avensa operated wide bodyMcDonnell Douglas DC-10-30flights to Europe including service toLisbon,London,Madrid,Paris,RomeandTenerife.Avensa also controlled a smallerlow-cost airlinecalledServivensa,which primarily operated the Boeing 727 and DC-9 jets. Avensa laterserved only a domestic network of three cities as it attempted to reestablish services during a time of continuing financial difficulties.

At one time it had its headquarters in the now Caracas City Government owned Torre El Chorro inCaracas,and in the Torre Humboldt complex in East Caracas.

Destinations

Avensa's onlySud Aviation Caravellelanding atSimón Bolívar International Airportin 1972

An AvensaConvair CV-580atSantiago Mariño Caribbean International Airportin 1988

This is the list of places to which Avensa flew:

Domestic

• Anaco
• Barcelona
• Barquisimeto
• Caracas
• Carúpano
• Ciudad Bolivar
• Cumaná
• La Fría
• Las Piedras
• Maturín
• Mérida
• Porlamar
• Puerto Ordaz
• San Antonio del Táchira
• Santa Bárbara del Zulia
• Valencia
• Valera
• Maracaibo
• San Tomé

International

• Aruba
• Bogota, Colombia
• Bonaire
• Curaçao
• Lima, Peru
• Lisbon, Portugal
• London, UK
• Madrid, Spain
• Medellin, Colombia
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Miami, USA
• Milan, Italy
• Montreal, Canada(Charter)
• New York City(JFK)
• New Orleans, USA
• Oporto, Portugal
• Panama City, Panama
• Paris, France
• Quito, Ecuador
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Rome, Italy
• Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• São Paulo, Brazil
• Tenerife, Spain
• Toronto, Canada(Charter)

Fleet

An AvensaBoeing 727-100taxiing atMiami International Airportin 1990

An AvensaBoeing 757-200atMiami International Airportin 1993

An AvensaBoeing 737-200taxiing atSimon Bolivar International Airportin 2001

Over the years, Avensa had operated the following aircraft:

Avensa fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Boeing 727-100	11	1982	2002	Included the Boeing 727-100combi aircraftversion capable of transporting both passengers and freight pallets in the main deck cabin
Boeing 727-200	13	1979	2002
Boeing 737-200	3	1991	2002
Boeing 737-300	1	1989	1996	Transferred toAmerica West Airlines
Boeing 757-200	2	1990	1994
Convair CV-340	5	1954	1977
Convair CV-440	3	1963	1977
Convair CV-540	1	1963	1979
Convair CV-580	10	1964	1991
Curtiss C-46 Commando	4	1944	1946
Douglas C-47 Skytrain	19	1946	1972
Douglas C-54 Skymaster	4	1948	1955
Douglas DC-2	5	1944	1946
Douglas DC-3	11	1947	1973
Douglas DC-6B	2	1958	1964
Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia	1	2002	2004	Leased fromBoeing Capital
Fairchild F-27	5	1958	1963
Ford Trimotor	2	1943	1946
Lockheed Model 10 Electra	1	Un­known	Un­known
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14	4	1967	1983
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15	2	1975	1978	Leased fromMcDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31	1	1991	1996
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32	7	1976	1985
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51	4	1991	1999
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30	3	1998	2002
Sud Aviation Caravelle	1	1970	1973	Written off

Accidents and incidents

• On August 20, 1948, aDouglas DC-3disappeared off the coast of Las Piedras,Falcón State.All 3 crew members died.

• On November 27, 1961, aDouglas DC-6Bwas hijacked by five armed students who forced the pilot to circle aroundCaracaswhile they dropped anti-Government leaflets on the city. After that, the crew was forced to fly them toCuraçao.

• On February 25, 1962, aFairchild F-27was descending through thick clouds until itcrashed into a mountainon departure fromMargarita Island.All 23 occupants on board were killed.

• On November 28, 1963, aConvair CV-440(registered YV-C-AVH) was hijacked by six young rebels armed with machineguns shortly after it took off fromCiudad Bolívar.They forced the crew to circle around the city while they dropped leaflets. They were later demanded to be flown toPort of Spain,Trinidad and Tobagowhere they surrendered.

• On March 21, 1968, aConvair CV-440was hijacked to Cuba by three passengers.

• On August 21, 1973, aSud Aviation Caravelle(registered YV-C-AVI) was landing atJacinto Lara International AirportinBarquisimetowhen its wing struck the runway on touchdown. No one on board was killed, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

• On December 22, 1974,Avensa Flight 358crashed inMaturín,shortly after take off due to a double engine failure. All 75 passengers and crew were killed.

• On March 11, 1983,Avensa Flight 007crashed atBarquisimeto Airport.22 passengers and one crew were killed.

See also

• List of defunct airlines of Venezuela

External links

• Avensa(in Spanish)
• Avensa(Archive)
• Avensa in airliners.net