Conviasa

Conviasa (legally Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, S.A., "Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautics Industries and Air Services"[1]) is a Venezuelan airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela, near Caracas.[2] It is the flag carrier and largest airline of Venezuela, operating services to domestic destinations and to destinations in the Caribbean and South America.

Conviasa S.A.
IATA ICAO Callsign
V0 VCV CONVIASA
FoundedMarch 31, 2004
HubsSimón Bolívar International Airport
Secondary hubsSantiago Mariño International Airport
Frequent-flyer programInfinito
Fleet size28
Destinations30
Parent companyMinistry of Aquatic and Air Transport
HeadquartersMaiquetía, Venezuela
Key peopleRamón Araguayano, CEO
Websiteconviasa.aero

History

Early years
A former Conviasa Boeing 737-200 at Simón Bolívar International Airport

In January 1997, Venezuela's former flag carrier, Viasa, ceased operations after 37 years of service due to prolonged financial problems. In May 2001, the idea to create a new flag carrier for Venezuela was proposed, but in December 2002, the project was put on hold until October 1, 2003. On March 31, 2004, then President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, signed a decree that formally established the airline. This decree was published in the nation's official gazette the next day.

On November 28, 2004, Conviasa's inaugural flight was made with a De Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft flying from the airport in Charallave to the Santiago Mariño International Airport, on Margarita Island. On December 10, 2004, Conviasa formally began its national and international operations. Conviasa was originally run by the now defunct Ministry of Production and Commerce (Ministerio de la Producción y el Comercio), but it has since been taken over by the Ministry of Infrastructure.[3]

On April 17, 2006, José David Cabello Rondon replaced Wilmer Castro Sotelo as head of Conviasa. On June 30, 2006, Jose David Cabello Rondon replaced Ramon Alonzo Carrizalez Rengifo as the Minister of Infrastructure and on 18 July 2006, Franklin Fernandez Martinez became president of Conviasa.

Development since 2010
Conviasa's only Airbus A340-200. This aircraft is also the last of its type in commercial airline service

Following the Flight 2350 crash, on September 17, 2010, the government of Venezuela grounded all Conviasa flights so that it could perform a technical review of the airline's fleet. The airline said that the temporary suspension would remain in effect until October 1, 2010. Flights were then re-instated.

Decree No. 7838 of the Official Gazette No. 39,558 published on Wednesday, provides for the appointment of Colonel citizen (AVB) Jesús Rafael Viñas García, President of the Venezuelan Consortium Trading Company Aircraft Industries and Air Services SA (CONVIASA) under the Ministry of Popular Power for Transportation and Communications.

On 3 April 2012, Conviasa has been banned from flying to countries in the European Union because of safety concerns. It said that Conviasa failed to show it had taken adequate steps to prevent future accidents, but had this restriction lifted on 10 July 2013.[4][5]

Conviasa is under the authority of the Ministry of Aquatic and Air Transport.[6] The airline is owned by the Venezuelan government (80%) and the regional government of Nueva Esparta (20%). Conviasa has its headquarters on the grounds of Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela, near Caracas.[7][8] Originally Conviasa had its headquarters on Margarita Island.[9] At one time Conviasa had its headquarters in the East Tower of Parque Central in Caracas.[10]

In August 2016, it has been reported that over 80 percent of Conviasa pilots quit their jobs due to low and outstanding payments and the airline had to reduce operations down to around 16 flights per day subsequently. Additionally, several of the company's aircraft have been stored unused since several months.[11]

On May 5, 2017, Conviasa was forced to suspend all international operations due to a lack of foreign currency to pay for international aircraft insurance.[12] Also in May 2017, Wamos Air terminated its contract with Conviasa on short notice.[13] Wamos Air operated a single Boeing 747-400 for Conviasa between Caracas and Madrid.[12] At autumn 2019 Conviasa started again many early terminated international routes back for the Conviasas network.

On February 7, 2020 the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") added Conviasa and its fleet of 40 aircraft to the Specially Designated Nationals ("SDN") list. In practice this makes it extremely unlikely that Conviasa will be able to source replacement parts for its fleet of airworthy and grounded B737 aircraft. Additionally, US Nationals are prohibited from flying on Conviasa's domestic and international flights. Finally, to the extent that other countries abide by OFAC policy, those countries (Brazil, France, UK) will refuse to sell Conviasa replacement parts for Embraer and Airbus aircraft, prohibit its nationals from flying Conviasa, and will cancel Conviasa-serviced routes to their respective countries (Panama, Mexico, Bolivia, and Ecuador).[14]

In July 2020, Conviasa bought a 23-year old Airbus A340-300 to supplement its single A340-200, as well as to reinforce air cargo and long radius.[15]

Destinations

As of December 2020, Conviasa serves the following scheduled destinations:[16]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
ArgentinaBuenos AiresMinistro Pistarini International Airport
ArubaOranjestadQueen Beatrix International Airport
BoliviaSanta Cruz de la SierraViru Viru International Airport
BrazilManausEduardo Gomes International Airport
CubaHavanaJosé Martí International Airport
Dominican RepublicSanto DomingoLas Americas International Airport
EcuadorGuayaquilJosé Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport
QuitoMariscal Sucre International Airport
MexicoCancúnCancún International Airport
TolucaToluca International Airport[17]
NicaraguaManaguaAugusto C. Sandino International AirportFocus city
PanamaPanama CityTocumen International Airport
RussiaMoscowSheremetyevo International Airport[18]
VenezuelaBarcelonaGeneral José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport
BarinasLuisa Cáceres de Arismendi Airport
BarquisimetoJacinto Lara International Airport
CaracasSimón Bolívar International AirportHub
Ciudad GuayanaManuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport
CumanáAntonio José de Sucre Airport
El VigíaJuan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport
Gran RoqueLos Roques Airport
La FríaFrancisco García de Hevia Airport
Las PiedrasJosefa Camejo International Airport
MaracaiboLa Chinita International Airport
MaturínJosé Tadeo Monagas International Airport
PorlamarSantiago Mariño Caribbean International AirportHub
Puerto AyacuchoCacique Aramare Airport
San Fernando de ApureLas Flecheras Airport
San ToméDon Edmundo Barrios Airport
Santo DomingoMayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport
TucupitaSan Rafael Airport
ValenciaArturo Michelena International Airport

Fleet

Current Fleet
A Conviasa Embraer 190AR taking off from Caracas

The Conviasa fleet includes the following aircraft as of January 2021:[19][20][21]

Aircraft In
Service		 Orders Passengers
(Economy)		 Notes
Airbus ACJ319 1 — VIP Operated for Venezuelan Government
Airbus A340-200 1 — 239 Named "Simón Bolívar El Libertador"
Last A340-200 passenger commercial operator
Airbus A340-300 1 — 255
Boeing 737-200 1 — VIP Operated for Venezuelan Government
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan 8 — 12
Embraer 190AR 15 — 104
Embraer Lineage 1000 1 — VIP Operated for Venezuelan Government
Total 28 —

Former Fleet

Conviasa had in the past operated the following aircraft:

Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A330-200 1 2015 2015 Leased from Hi Fly
Airbus A330-300 1 2015 2015 Leased from Air Asia X[22]
ATR 42-300 2 2006 2010
ATR 42-400 2 2006 2010
ATR 72-200 3 2007 2011
Boeing 737-300 4 2005 2016
Boeing 747-400 2 2015 2017 Leased from Wamos Air
Boeing 767-300ER 1 2014 2015 Leased from Blue Panorama Airlines
Bombardier CRJ700 4 2009 2019
De Havilland Canada Dash 7 3 2004 2010

Incidents and accidents
  • On December 16, 2005, Conviasa flight 2600, a De Havilland Canada Dash 7 (registered YV-1003) with 36 passengers and 4 crew members on board, was forced to make a belly landing at Porlamar's airport when the landing gear failed to deploy. After circling Porlamar for an hour and a half to burn off fuel, the aircraft touched down without any injuries.[23][24]
  • On August 30, 2008, a Boeing 737-200 (registered YV102T), took off from Caracas's Maiquetia airport, Venezuela, and was bound to Latacunga, Ecuador, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito. Three crew members (a captain, a first officer and a mechanic) were on board. The plane crashed in mountainous area in Ecuador's Andes, killing all the three people on board. The Boeing 737 had been stored for a while at Caracas. It was being ferried to Latacunga, reportedly underway to a new owner.

References
  1. "Corporate Mail." Conviasa. Retrieved on May 22, 2017. Spanish page
  2. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. April 3, 2007. p. 68.
  3. Archived April 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Neuman, William (April 4, 2012). "Venezuela: Airline Banned by Europe". The New York Times.
  5. "EU Removes Philippine Air, Conviasa From Access Blacklist" Bloomberg, 10 July 2013
  6. "Organigrama." () Ministry of Aquatic and Air Transport. Retrieved on April 17, 2012.
  7. "Contacts." Conviasa. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
  8. "Sede Principal." Conviasa. Retrieved on May 9, 2010. "Av. Intercomunal Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía Edf. Sector 6.3, Zona Estratégica, Lado Este del Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía, Adyacente a Tránsito Terrestre. Venezuela."
  9. Bloomberg News and Wire Reports. "GLOBAL BUSINESS." South Florida Sun. March 12, 2004. 3D. Retrieved on May 9, 2010. "Conviasa which will have headquarters on the tourist island of Margarita."
  10. "Contactos." Conviasa. July 11, 2007. Retrieved on May 9, 2010. "Dirección Sede Principal Av. Lecuna, Parque Central, Torre Oeste, Piso 49, Caracas, Venezuela."
  11. aerotelegraph.com - "Pilot shortage puts Conviasa into struggle" (German) 17 August 2016
  12. ch-aviation.com - Venezuela's Conviasa suspends international operations May 9, 2017
  13. http://a21.com.mx/aerolineas/2017/05/19/wamos-air-anula-contrato-con-conviasa
  14. https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20200207.aspx
  15. "Conviasa Takes Another Airbus A340". Simpleflying.com. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  16. conviasa.aero - Flight Frequencies retrieved October 17, 2019
  17. "Conviasa announces routes to Cancún and Toluca" (in Spanish). EnElAire. October 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  18. "Conviasa receives permit for Moscow–Caracas flights". ruaviation.com. Russian Aviation. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  19. rzjets.net - Conviasa Fleet Details and History retrieved September 2019
  20. http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/conviasa-realizo-mantenimiento-al-airbus-340-200-para-expandir-nuevas-rutas/
  21. "Conviasa Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  22. "Conviasa increases flights between Caracas and Madrid with A330-300 from Malaysia". Newsavia.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  23. "Avión de Conviasa aterrizó de emergencia en aeropuerto de Margarita". Primera-clase.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  24. "ATERRIZAJE DE EMERGENCIA DEL YV-1003 EN MARGARITA, VENEZUELA". Rescate.com. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  25. "Plane crashes in eastern Venezuela". BBC News Online. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  26. "Crash: Conviasa AT42 near Puerto Ordaz on Sep 13th 2010, impacted terrain". Aviation Herald. 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  27. "Aumentan a 17 fallecidos por accidente de avión de Conviasa - El Universal Venezuela" (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 September 2010.

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