CENTRAL AMERICA CHILE & PERU

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CHILE

Línea Aérea Nacional de Chile, S.A. - LAN. - (LA/LAN)

Santiago

During 1970 a twice weekly schedule was flown by Austral Compañía Argentina de Transportes Aéreas on behalf of LAN between Puerto Montt and San Carlos de Bariloche with its One-Elevens.

Línea Aérea del Cobre, S.A. - LADECO. - (UC/LCO)

Santiago

Prior to the introduction of its own aircraft, this company wet leased a Srs.521FH from Austral Lineas Aéreas from early October to early November 1990.  Points served during this lease included Antofagasta, Balmaceda, Concepción, Copiapó, Puerto Montt and Santiago. Two series 301AG and two 207AJ aircraft obtained from ILFC between November 1990 and December 1991 flew single class schedules from Santiago to Antofagasta, Arica, Balmaceda, Concepciόn, Iquique, La Serena, Puerto Montt, Temuco, Valdivia and Viña del Mar and to Mendoza in Argentina. Charter flights were also flown as far south as Puerto Williams. The last aircraft was withdrawn at the end of December 1994.

COLOMBIA

Aerovías Cóndor de Colombia, S.A. – AeroCóndor. – (OD)

Barranquilla

Following a demonstration to this carrier on 26th April 1966 by the BAC Series 400AQ, an order was announced three days later for a Series 400 for delivery in October 1967 to be operated between Bogotá, Barranquilla and Miami. The order was never confirmed and no airframe identified.

COSTA RICA

Líneas Aéreas Costarricenses, S.A. - LACSA. - (LR/LRC)

San José

This Costa Rican based airline was the second Central American carrier to order the type when it placed its first order for a Series 409AY on 19th January 1966 with an option on a second. The first aircraft was delivered in April 1967 in a 74 seat single class configuration and entered service on 14th May 1967 from San José to Miami. The option was taken up and although this aircraft was accepted by LACSA in early 1969 it was retained by BAC and used for Quebecair crew training, demonstrations to Gulf Aviation and for a three month lease to TAROM of Romania and a two month lease to Germanair before it was eventually delivered to LACSA in November 1969. Over the years the type was operated on scheduled services from San José to Barranquilla, Cartagena and San Andrés Island in Columbia, Caracas and Maracaibo in Venezuela, Panamá City, Grand Cayman, Miami and Mexico City. Three new Series 531FSs were later ordered and delivered in May 1971, November 1972 and May 1973 which led to the withdrawal of one of the Series 409AYs in November 1972 and subsequent sale to TACA. In December 1973 a used Series 515FB was added to the fleet which saw the second Series 409AY being returned to BAC. One of the Series 531FSs suffered a heavy landing in September 1975 which led to its return to Hurn for repair which took nearly two months. From 1973 to November 1977 one aircraft was operated on behalf of Cayman Airways in full colours. Other aircraft, both Series 400 and 500, were also operated on behalf of Cayman Airways for short periods sometimes with Cayman Airways titles added. Another Series 500 aircraft was leased to TACA from November 1981 to March 1982. The last aircraft was disposed of in May 1982 after the type had served the airline for some fourteen years.

Names used on the aircraft:-

TI-1056C - El Tico

TI-1084C - Miravalles

TI-1095C - Poas

TI-LRJ - Chirripo

TI-LRK - Arenal

TI-LRL - Arenal

EL SALVADOR

TACA International Airlines, S.A. - (Transportes Aéreos Centro Americanos). - (TA/TAI)

San Salvador

The El Salvador based TACA was the first airline in Central America to order One-Elevens when it placed an order for two Series 407AWs on 19th March 1965. An option on two additional aircraft was placed at the same time but it was not taken up. The aircraft were delivered in December 1966 and February 1967 in a single class 74 seat configuration. In April 1973 a Series 409AY was purchased from Lineas Aéreas Costarricenses SA – LACSA but this was sold in January 1979. A Series 531FS was leased from the same source from November 1981 to March 1982. Service was inaugurated on 28th December 1966. The aircraft were flown on schedules from San Salvador to Belize City, Guatemala City, Houston, Kingston ( Jamaica), Mexico City, Miami, New Orleans, Panamá City, San José ( Costa Rica) and Tegucigalpa. During the later years of service the aircraft were also flown on charter flights throughout Central America and to Mexican destinations before the type was finally withdrawn from use on 1st June 1988 after some twenty-one and a half years of continuous operation.

Names used on the aircraft:-

YS-01C - El Izalco

YS-17C - El Centroamericano

YS-18C - El Salvador

GUATEMALA

Aero Guatemala.  -   see Tikal Jets Airlines. S.A.

Aerolíneas de Guatemala - AVIATECA. - (GU/GUG)

Guatemala City

 This company, known as Empresa Guatemalteca de Aviaciόn SA until 1974, leased a Series 518FG from Court Line in November 1970 until its own Series 516FP was delivered in March 1971. The company operated its new aircraft in a 99 seat single class configuration. A second aircraft, a Series 518FG, was added in September 1975 while a Series 523FJ was taken on short term lease from late April to late May 1978. Daily schedules were flown from Guatemala City to Miami, Mexico City and San Pedro Sula with additional services to New Orleans and Mérida. The aircraft were finally disposed of in April 1979 and April 1980.

Names used on the aircraft:-

TG-AVA - Zaculeu

TG-AZA - Quetzel

Tikal Jets Airlines, S.A. - (JJ, A5 & WU/TKC)

Guatemala City

This company took delivery of two Srs.401AKs in June 1994 and August 1996. Service was inaugurated with the type on 25th June 1994. Scheduled passenger services were flown from the home base to Flores Petén (tourist destination for the Tikal Mayan ruins) while passenger charter flights were flown to Cancún and Acapulco in Mexico, Havana in Cuba and to other Caribbean destinations. Operations ceased on 2nd February 1998. The company was re-launched after refinancing on 15th October 1998. Service was restarted on 19th December 1998 with one of the One-Elevens. From January 2000 the company was marketed as Aero Guatemala, adopting a new colour scheme. From 3rd September 2001 San Pedro Sula ( Honduras) was added to the schedules with a six times weekly service from Guatemala City. The aircraft were operated in a 79 seat two class configuration. The type was finally withdrawn from use on 21 April 2003.

Names used on the aircraft:-

TG-TJF - Quiriguá

TG-TJK - Ciudad de Flores

HONDURAS

Transportes Aéreos Nacionales, S.A. - TAN. - (TX/TAN)

Tegucigalpa

Following an inter-governmental agreement signed on 19th October 1967, this Honduran carrier commenced joint services with LANICA using their Series 412EB with capacity shared on a 50/50 basis over the San Pedro Sula to Miami route three times weekly with effect from 1st November 1967. The aircraft was flown in a 74 seat single class configuration. The aircraft was also flown on TAN’s own routes from Tegucigalpa to Miami via San Pedro Sula and /or Belize City five times weekly and to Mexico City three times per week.

NICARAGUA

Líneas Aéreas de Nicaragua, S.A. - LANICA. - (NI)

Managua

This airline became the third Central American airline to order One-Elevens when it placed its initial order for one Series 412EB on 4th April 1966 with an option on a second. Prior to delivery of its own aircraft, service was inaugurated on the Miami to Managua route on 1st November 1966 with a Series 208AL leased from Aer Lingus. LANICA’s own aircraft entered service on 1st May 1967 in a single class 74 seat configuration. Apart from Miami, schedules were also flown from Managua to San Pedro Sula, Mexico City and San Salvador. The aircraft also flew on behalf of Transportes Aéreos Nacionales – TAN on a pooled route between San Pedro Sula and Miami and also on TAN’s own schedules from Tegucigalpa to Miami via San Pedro Sula and or Belize City and to Mexico City. On 12th December 1971 the aircraft was hi-jacked when operating flight NI419 from Miami to Managua. The aircraft was diverted to San José, Costa Rica to pick up fuel before continuing to Cuba. However, departure was refused and the aircraft was stormed by the National Guard. Much gun shot damage was done to the aircraft and it was repaired sufficiently for a ferry to the United Kingdom for a permanent repair. A Series 518FG was leased from Court Line as a replacement from late December 1971 to mid March 1972 this in turn being replaced by an American Airlines Series 401AK. The Hughes Tool Company took a 25% holding in LANICA in July 1972 and decided to replace the One-Eleven with company owned Convair 880s and the Series 412EB was retained by the manufacturer after its repair.

PERU

Compañía de Aviaciόn Faucett, S.A.- (CF/CFP)

Lima

This company was the first to order Series 475 One-Elevens when it purchased two Series 476FMs laid out in an 84 seat configuration. They were delivered in July 1971 and July 1974 and served numerous domestic points on scheduled services from Lima including Arequipa, Ayacucho, Chiclayo, Cuzco, Iquitos, Piura, Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, Tacna, Talara, Tarapoto, Tingo Maria, Trujillo and Tumbes. Many of these points had gravel strips in mountainous terrain for which the Series 475 had been specifically developed. In August 1977 a Series 523FJ was leased from British Aerospace for use to the less demanding destinations. This last aircraft was eventually purchased from British Aerospace in September 1979. The Series 523FJ was withdrawn in early June 1982 and the Series 476FMs withdrawn in December of the same year.

Name used on aircraft:-

OB-R-1173 - Río Ucayali

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