Aeropostal ALAS DE VENEZUELA
IATA VH	ICAO ALV	Callsign ALVEN
Founded		July 3, 1929
Hubs		Simón Bolívar International Airport
Focus cities		La Chinita International Airport Santiago Mariño International Airport Arturo Michelena International Airport
Frequent flyer program		AeroPass
Fleet size		32
Destinations		24
Parent company		Corporacion Alas de Venezuela
Headquarters		Maiquetía, Vargas, Venezuela
Key people		Nelson Ramiz, President & Owner Corporacion Alas de Venezuela
Website: Aeropostal

Aeropostal (Alas de Venezuela), normally referred to as just Aeropostal, is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic services and international services in the Caribbean area and to Colombia, Peru and the USA. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas^[1]. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... IATA airline designators, sometimes called IATA reservation codes, are two-character codes assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to the worlds airlines in accordance with the provisions of Resolution 762. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with ICAO airline code. ... Most airlines employ a distinctive and internationally recognised call sign that is normally spoken during airband radio transmissions as a prefix to the flight number. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Simón Bolívar International Airport (IATA: CCS, ICAO: SVMI), also known as Maiquetia International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetia Simón Bolívar), is located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from Downtown Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. ... In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has flights to at least several destinations other than its hubs. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... La Chinita International Airport (IATA: MAR, ICAO: SVMC) is an airport located at Maracaibo, Venezuela. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Del Caribe International General Santiago Marino Airport (IATA: PMV, ICAO: SVMG) is located near Porlamar, and is the only commercial airport on Isla Margarita, Venezuela. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Arturo Michelena Airport serves the fast-growing industrial city of Valencia, Venezuela, with the ICAO identification SVVA. It is an active airport but with few facilities, located at 10o 9 29. ... Membership cards of FFP This article is about airline frequent flyer programs. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Maiquetía is a town in Vargas State, Venezuela, near Caracas. ... Vargas State Anthem Location whithin Venezuela Created (given current status) 1997¹ State capital La Güaira Area 1,496 km² Population (2001 est. ... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... Nickname: La Sultana del Avila (English:The Avilas Sultan) La Sucursal del paraiso Motto: Ave María Santísima, sin pecado concebida, en el primer instante de su ser natural. ... “West Indian” redirects here. ... Simón Bolívar International Airport (IATA: CCS, ICAO: SVMI), also known as Maiquetia International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetia Simón Bolívar), is located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from Downtown Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. ...

History

Early history

^{[citation needed]}

Venezuela was one of the last South American nations to resort to commercial aviation as an effective means of transportation. In 1929, the French company Aeropostale (known as Lignes Aeriennes Latecoere until 1927), then under the leadership of its owner Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont, arrived in Venezuela. Aeropostale viewed Venezuela as the ideal bridge to link South America with the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. This idea materialized on July 3, 1929. Three Latecoere 28's carried out the first flights of the new airline, although some Latecoere 26's were also used in those earlier routes. On December 31, 1933, the Venezuelan government purchased the airline after the French government inexplicably decided to stop subsidizing it. Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Aéropostale (formally, Compagnie générale aéropostale) was a pioneering French aviation company. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Life as a government owned company

^{[citation needed]}

Despite its new Venezuelan ownership, the airline continued to be run by French personnel under the direction of Robert Guerin until January 1, 1935, when its name was changed to Linea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV) and operations shifted to Venezuelan hands under the management of commander Francisco Leonardi. At the start, the company was capitalized at 1,600,000 Bolívares, but it wasn't until May 21, 1937, that the government of Venezuela secured full ownership of the airline. It did so through an injection of capital and by replacing the Latecoe 28's with several Fairchild 71's. The expansion program was further reinforced with the purchase of six Lockheed Model 10 Electras. In 1939, LAV's headquarters were moved from Maracay to Maiquetía because of its proximity to Caracas. That same year, Douglas DC-3s were introduced in order to transport larger cargo loads and passengers. By 1942 the fleet had grown considerably. LAV's first international flights began in July 1945, serving the city of Boa Vista in northern Brazil. It wasn't really considered an internation destination as it was close to Venezuela's border. LAV's second international route was to Aruba in January 1946. This connected to KLM's international route structure. is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Market capitalization, often abbreviated to market cap, is a measurement of corporate size that refers to the current stock price times the number of outstanding shares. ... ISO 4217 Code VEB User(s) Venezuela Inflation 16% Source The World Factbook, 2005 est. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1944 Fairchild Argus III (G-BCBH) Fairchild were an aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York, Hagerstown, Maryland, and San Antonio, Texas. ... Clarence Kelly Johnson testing an Electra model in the University of Michigans wind tunnel. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: none Coordinates: , Country Venezuela State Aragua Counties Girardot Government  - Mayor Humberto Prieto (2004 – 2008) Area  - City 311. ... Maiquetía is a town in Vargas State, Venezuela, near Caracas. ... The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft, which revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s and is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made (also see Boeing 707 and Boeing 747). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Boa Vista is the capital of the Brazilian state of Roraima. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Prior to its merger with Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ...

Aeropostal 1950's Logo

After the war ended, LAV re-equipped with newer aircraft, replacing it's Electra and Lockheed Lodestar fleet which was decimated by many accidents over the previous five years. Douglas DC-3s and Douglas DC-4s were introduced along with Martin 2-0-2 aircraft. In 1947, the airline introduced Lockheed Constellations to fly a new direct international route from Caracas to New York's Idlewild Airport. This new service started on March 21, 1947. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Lockheed 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the Second World War era. ... The designation DC-4 was used by Douglas Aircraft Company when developing the DC-4E as a large, four-engined type to complement its forthcoming DC-3 design. ... The Martin 2-0-2 was one of the first of the modern airliners. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Lockheed Constellation, affectionately known as the “Connie”, was a four-engine propeller-driven airliner built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK), originally known as Idlewild Airport and colloquially known as JFK, is an international airport located in Jamaica, Queens, in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 km) from Lower Manhattan. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

In 1951, LAV began service to Lima, Peru and Bogotá, Colombia. The Bogotá route was acquired by LAV after they purchased 88% of TACA de Venezuela. Previously, TACA de Venezuela had a joint route agreement with the Colombian airline, LANSA. Until TACA de Venezuela was completely absorbed by LAV in 1958, the route to Bogotá was flown using TACA aircraft in TACA livery. During the 1950s, LAV opened a transatlantic service and began flying to Panama (in 1953). The Constellation fleet was upgraded to L-1049G Super Constellations. An order for the first jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1, was placed, but with the Comet crashes of the 1950s, the airline never got their Comet jets. On March 24, 1956, LAV introduced its first turboprop, a Vickers Viscount 701 which was to replace the older piston engined Douglas and Martin aircraft. Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location within Lima Region Lima shown within Peru Coordinates: , Country  Peru Region Lima Region Province Lima Province Settled 1535 Government  - Mayor Luis Castañeda Lossio Area  - City 804. ... Nickname: Motto: Bogotá, 2600 metros más cerca de las estrellas Bogotá, 2600 meters closer to the stars Localities (localidades) of Bogotá Country Colombia Department Bogotá, D.C.* Foundation August 6, 1538 Government  - Mayor Luis Eduardo Garzón, PDA Area  - City 1,587 km²  (612. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The term transatlantic refers to something occurring all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lockheed Constellation was a civil airliner and military transport in operation in the 1940s and 1950s. ... This article is about the de Havilland Comet jet airliner. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Viscount was a medium-range turboprop airliner introduced in 1953 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world. ... The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. ... The Glenn L. Martin Company was an aircraft company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin on August 16, 1912. ...

Old Aeropostal Logo

In the early 1960s, the Venezuelan government wanted to separate LAV's international and domestic routes, thus creating a new airline, Viasa, for international flights. A new livery was introduced for the new decade. The full airline title which had appeared on the Constellation fleet was simplified to a simple and bold AEROPOSTAL. The Constellations flew with a flying globe logo on the nose, was also simplified, now appearing on the fin as a flying bird logo, a logo that would remain with the airline. Also in the early 1960s, the 'jet-prop' Avro 748 was introduced to replace the smaller piston twins that had made up LAV's fleet since 1938. Douglas DC-8 jets were introduced in 1961 to replace the Super Constellations. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Viasa was a Venezuelan airline. ... The Avro 748 was a small short-range turboprop airliner designed by Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. ... The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined jet airliner, manufactured between 1959 and 1972. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the 1970s and 1980s LAV continued to introduce new fleet types like the Douglas DC-9-32 and the Douglas DC-9-51. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (initially known as the Douglas DC-9) is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. ... The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (initially known as the Douglas DC-9) is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. ...

Current history

^{[citation needed]}

In August 1994, commercial operations ceased, as part of a government effort to trim expenses. This resulted in the company being sold to the Corporacion Alas de Venezuela in 1996, a privately owned company that re-started operations on January 7, 1997. Flights to the United States began in July 1998 and to Madrid in November 2001, although the latter have since ceased. In the late 1990s, Aeropostal introduced two US-regisitered Airbus A320s to fly alongside the fleet of DC-9 and McDonnell Douglas MD-83 jets. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different ways—first, referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations; and second, referring to ownership of the companys stock by a relatively small number of holders who do not trade the stock publicly. ... January 7 is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Motto: (Spanish for From Madrid to Heaven) Location Coordinates: , Country Spain Autonomous Community Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid Province Madrid Administrative Divisions 21 Neighborhoods 127 Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Jimémez (PP) Area  - Land 607 km² (234. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The Airbus A320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 are twin-engine, medium-range, single-aisle commercial jet airplanes. ...

The airline is wholly owned by Corporacion Alas de Venezuela and has 2,319 employees (at March 2007)^[1]. Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Destinations

Further information: Aeropostal destinations

This is the list of cities that Aeropostal flies to: // Florida Miami (Miami International Airport) Fort Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport) Cuba Havana (José Martí International Airport) Dominican Republic Santo Domingo (Las Américas International Airport) Puerto Plata (Gregorio Luperón International Airport) Kingdom of the Netherlands Aruba Oranjestad (Queen...

Incidents and accidents

Aeropostal has had a total of 24 accidents and incidents since April 23, 1937 with a total of 319 fatalities. The worst single aircraft accident for Aeropostal was on June 20, 1956, when 74 people were killed when a Lockheed Constellation, with call signs YV-C-AMS, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York. ^[2] April 23 is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lockheed Constellation, affectionately known as the “Connie”, was a four-engine propeller-driven airliner built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. ... NY redirects here. ...

• On July 29, 1984, Aeropostal Flight 252 from Caracas to Curacao, two gunmen, one Haitian and one of Dominican nationality, hijacked the plane with 82 people on board. The hijackers demanded money, weapons, and a helicopter to remove five children from the aircraft, and also threatened to blow up the plane if stormed. The plane was stormed by Venezuelan commandos of the DISIP, both hijackers were killed, and all hostages were released, ending the 3 day crisis.^{[citation needed]}

July 29 is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: La Sultana del Avila (English:The Avilas Sultan) La Sucursal del paraiso Motto: Ave María Santísima, sin pecado concebida, en el primer instante de su ser natural. ... Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Curaçao [pronounced koo-rah-sow] (population 150,000) is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea, one of the Windward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Disip is the Venezuelan political police. ...

Fleet

The Aeropostal fleet includes the following aircraft (at July 2007) ^[3] :

External links

• Aeropostal Spanish Page
• Aeropostal English Page
• Aeropostal German Page
• Aeropostal in airliners.net
• PASAJERO, La Revista Oficial de Aeropostal
• Aeropostal flight attendant uniforms page

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International, 2007-03-27, p. 49-50. 
2. ^ [1] Aircraft Crashes Record Office (2006).
3. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006