Aserca Airlines C.A
IATA ICAO Callsign
R7 OCA ASERCA
FoundedMarch 6, 1968 (1968-03-06)
Commenced operationsSeptember 14, 1992 (1992-09-14)
Ceased operationsMay 22, 2018 (2018-05-22)
HubsSimón Bolívar International Airport
Frequent-flyer programPrivilege
AllianceSBA Airlines
Fleet size5
Destinations12
Parent companyGrupo Cóndor C.A.[1]
HeadquartersArturo Michelena International Airport, Valencia, Venezuela
Key people
  • Simeon Garcia
  • Migdalia Garcia
Websitewww.asercaairlines.com

Aserca Airlines C.A. (legally Aero Servicios Carabobo C.A.) was an airline based in Valencia, Venezuela. It operated domestic and regional scheduled services to destinations in the Caribbean and Central America. Its main hub was at Arturo Michelena International Airport.[2]

History

The old Aserca Airlines logo

The airline was established on March 6, 1968, as a private air transport company. Subsequently, on July 27, 1990, the Valencian businessman Simeón García, acquired all the shares and decided to direct it to passenger air transport. The airline started operations on September 4, 1992, with small aircraft for private transport. In 1992 it entered the domestic scheduled market with a leased Douglas DC-9-30. Aserca's operations were centered on Valencia, but it managed to develop Caracas as a hub after 1994 which, combined with the demise of flag carrier Viasa in January 1997, made Aserca experience significant growth in its market share, expanding its network to Bogotá, Lima and Miami, via Aruba. Between 1998 and 2000 Aserca had a controlling interest in Air Aruba, forming an alliance between both airlines.


In September 2008, the airline created a commercial alliance with SBA Airlines,[3] also from Venezuela with whom it undertook international expansion through, unifying the corporate image of both airlines and coordinating their respective itineraries to improve their connection times between the flights of both airlines, to facilitate connections between the national destinations of Aserca with international destinations of SBA. The alliance, named Grupo Cóndor C.A., also collaborated with the Dominican airline PAWA Dominicana.

In June 2013, Venezuela's National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) announced that it would prohibit operations of classic aircraft types like the Douglas DC-9, Boeing 727, and Boeing 737-200 in Venezuela from November 1, 2013. Aserca Airlines could obtain a special dispensation from INAC allowing the airline to operate its remaining two DC-9s until July 1, 2014, when it chose to replace them with the McDonnell Douglas MD-80.

On February 21, 2018, it was announced that INAC had withdrawn the airline's operating license until further notice. The country's newspapers blame the lack of proof of insurance for the aircraft in the fleet. Aserca Airlines planned to restart operations. But on May 22, 2018, Aserca announced it had ceased all operations due to financial bankruptcy after returning its air operator's certificate.[4][5][6]

Destinations

A former Aserca McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 in its former scheme

Aserca Airlines served the following destination at the time of its demise:[7]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
ArubaOranjestadQueen Beatrix International Airport
CuraçaoWillemstadCuraçao International Airport[8]
Dominican RepublicSanto DomingoLas Américas International Airport[8]
VenezuelaBarcelonaGeneral José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport
BarquisimetoJacinto Lara International Airport
CaracasSimón Bolívar International AirportHub
El VigíaJuan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo AirportSuspended
Las PiedrasJosefa Camejo International Airport
MaracaiboLa Chinita International Airport
MaturínJosé Tadeo Monagas International Airport
Puerto OrdazManuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport
ValenciaArturo Michelena International Airport

Codeshare agreements

Aserca Airlines additionally had codeshare agreements with:

Fleet

Final fleet

A former Aserca McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 in its final scheme
A former Aserca McDonnell Douglas MD-82

The Aserca Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of February 2018):[9]

Aserca Airlines fleet
Aircraft In
service		 Passengers Notes
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 3 153
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 2 165 Leased to SBA Airlines
Total 5

Former fleet

Over the years, Aserca Airlines has operated the following aircraft types:[9]

Aserca Airlines former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Boeing 737-200 5 2001 2004 Leased from TACA Airlines
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 1 2002 2003
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 30 1992 2014
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 1 1998 2000 Leased from Air Aruba

Accidents and incidents

  • On February 12, 2008, a Douglas DC-9-31 (registered YV298T) crashed on one of the runways of the Simón Bolívar International Airport, the aircraft left the hangar with its engines running and could not brake or turn, it crossed runway 09 when it fell into a channel in the area before reaching runway 10L.[10]
  • On March 6, 2012, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registered YV348T) struck against five cows that were on the runway during landing at Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport, generating minor damage to the jet on the left main gear and left hand flaps. All 125 passengers and 6 crew were uninjured and the aircraft was repaired.[11][12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Aserca and SBA Airlines celebrated the anniversary of Grupo Condor". Dinero.com.ve (in Spanish). Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 27 March 2007. pp. 77–78.
  3. ↑ "Commercial Alliance between Aserca Airlines and SBA Airlines celebrates 2 years". October 14, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Venezuela's Aserca Airlines calls it quits, surrenders AOC". Ch-aviation.com. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Aserca anunció el cese de sus operaciones tras 25 años en el país". 23 May 2018.
  6. ↑ eluniversal.com - Aserca Airlines cierra operaciones en Venezuela (Spanish) 24 March 2018
  7. ↑ ".: Aserca Airlines :". www.asercaairlines.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13.
  8. 1 2 "Aserca Airlines Opens New Route To Curacao And Second Flight To The Dominican Republic". Curacaochronicle.com. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Aserca Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Ground accident of a DC-9-31 in Caracas". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Incident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Plane Hits Cows When They Fail to Mooove Off Venezuela Runway". www.nycviation.com. 10 March 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Incident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
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