Aerolíneas Argentinas
Encyclopedia
34°36′12"S 58°22′54"W
Aerolíneas Argentinas (Argentine Airlines), formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline
and serves as the country's flag carrier
. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard
, located in San Nicolás
, Buenos Aires
. Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo, domestic airline Austral Líneas Aéreas
, ramp service
provider Aerohandling, cargo division JetPaq S.A., and tourism operator Optar S.A. are listed as Aerolíneas Argentinas subsidiaries. Despite sharing all their operating structure, Aerolíneas Argentinas operates under IATA airline designator AR and ICAO airline designator ARG, whereas AU and AUT, respectively, are assigned to Austral Líneas Aéreas operations. The callsign for Aerolíneas Argentinas is ARGENTINA.
The airline and its subsidiaries operates from two hub
s, both located in Buenos Aires. Operations of domestic and regional flights are concentrated at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
, which also serves as its operating base, whereas Ministro Pistarini International Airport
is mainly used for international services, although some regional and few domestic services are operated as well. The company provides free-of-charge transportation to those passengers that need to change from one airport to the other.
Under Skytrax
five-star ranking, the Aerolíneas Argentinas service merits three stars. The company does not currently participate in any airline alliance
, although it is expected it will join SkyTeam
in 2012.
; it later expanded its network to cities located in the Patagonia
. French
men Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
, were among the first pilots that flew for the company. Argentine
personnel occupied vacant posts left by the Frenchmen as they gradually withdrew from the airline, and shortly after the Argentine company Aeroposta Argentina was formed. In 1947 this airline stepped into a mixed-stock company, in which the Government had a 20% stake and private investors held the balance.
As Aeroposta expanded its network southwards and incorporated the Douglas DC-3
into its fleet, other three mixed-stock companies were present at that time: ALFA (Aviación del Litoral Fluvial Argentino) mainly operated flying boat
s northwards to the Mesopotamia
, FAMA (Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina) operated overseas services with DC-4
s as its mainstay equipment, and ZONDA (Zonas Oeste y Norte de Aerolíneas Argentinas) was mainly concerned with operations in the northwest region. As these carriers started being unprofitable, all of them were amalgamated into a single state-owned company on . The state holding was officially rebranded as Aerolíneas Argentinas-Empresa del Estado, despite it was commonly known as Aerolíneas Argentinas, or simply Aerolíneas. The four companies comprising the state holding ceased operations on . Aerolíneas Argentinas started operations on its own on .
Key to the growth of the airline were Alfonso Aliaga García, and Dirk Wessel Van Layden, a former pilot of the French
carrier Aéropostale
, who was influential in raising flying standards.
The DC-3 proved to be an invaluable asset for Aerolíneas Argentinas, as for many other airlines worldwide. It enabled them to fly to domestic destinations that had, until then, been unreachable, and to keep flying the FAMA international network. Soon afterwards, Douglas DC-4
s joined the fleet and services were inaugurated to Santiago de Chile, Lima, Santa Cruz, and São Paulo.
The 1950s
saw the arrival of the DC-6, allowing Aerolíneas Argentinas to fly at night for the first time. Thanks to this plane, the name of the company was seen at terminals in New York City
's Idlewild Airport and London
's Heathrow Airport, as well as in Dakar
, Havana
, Lisbon
, and Rio de Janeiro
. By the end of the decade, the Comet IV
jet had begun commercial jet services worldwide, and the carrier once again wanted to set the pace among South America's air companies. Aerolíneas' president A. Cdre.
Juan José Güiraldes persuaded Argentina's President Arturo Frondizi
to buy six of the new planes, on the understanding that Aerolíneas would pay for the planes later. The first of them, named “Las Tres Marías”, which became the first jetliner
flown by Aerolíneas, landed at Ezeiza Airport on . With these jets, Aerolíneas Argentinas kept a steady growth during the 1960s
, opening routes to London, Paris
, Rome
, and Madrid
. The 1960s also saw the incorporation of the Avro 748
short-haul turboprop airliner, that had its maiden flight
with the company on between Buenos Aires and Punta del Este
; Aerolíneas was actually the launch customer for this type of aircraft. Likewise, the Caravelle
first flew for the carrier on the Buenos Aires–Santiago de Chile route on .
The 1970s
saw the arrival of the Boeing 727
s, 737
s, and 747
s, a stronger marketing strategy, and the introduction of new routes to Amsterdam
, Frankfurt
and Zurich
. The carrier was featured on many Jorge Porcel
movies at that time, and it began licensing toy companies to produce models of their aircraft, a practice it maintains today.
The airline was assigned by law the monopoly of international operations in 1971. This meant no other Argentine airline was able to operate international flights, let alone the already created Austral
. The carrier therefore became the flag carrier of the country. The same law also assigned Aerolíneas Argentinas a 50% of the domestic market share.
During the Falklands War
, as well as for a short period later, the company was banned from flying through British airspace. There used to be a flight from London Gatwick to Argentina's capital; however, because of the ban passengers bound to Argentina had to change planes at Madrid Barajas.
Upon the acquisition of Austral by the Argentine government in 1980, both Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral were government-owned, to the extent that some routes were simultaneously operated, even using similar equipment. However, there existed a state of continuous tension over salary differences between both companies that eventually led the Aerolíneas Argentinas' pilots to a three-week-long strike that started on . During this strike, the government leased pilots from the Argentine Air Force
to operate some aircraft. Other companies took advantage from this situation and gained the market share Aerolíneas Argentinas lost, as domestic routes were operated by Austral, LADE
and LAPA, and the government temporarily authorised foreign carriers to exploit the company's international routes.
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The privatisation of the company started being considered under the government of Raúl Alfonsín
, when SAS was proposed to become a 40% shareholder of the state company. This was firmly resisted by the Peronist
opposition. On the next government authorised the privatisation of the airline. On a consortium
led by Iberia
and Austral's owner Cielos del Sur S.A. acquired a 85% stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas, which became the first major Argentine company to be privatised during the first presidence of Carlos Menem
. Paradoxically, one of the first actions taken by the new Peronist government was to privatise the carrier, after airily opposing to the privatisation propositions of its predecessor. Despite the carrier was regarded as overstaffed and bureaucratic
, it was debt-free at that time, having an average profitability of US$
90 million a year. The carrier actually had in revenues on the year prior to privatisation. It was not until 2009 that this privatisation process would be ruled as illegal.
Austral's owner Cielos del Sur S.A. was sold to Iberia in March 1991, further increasing the Spanish flag's stake in the Argentine air market. Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral never merged throughout the private era, and remained as separate companies with the same shareholder. Iberia subsequently boosted its stake in the airline to 85% in April 1994 after a cash injection. Out of the remaining 15%, the Argentine Government held the 5% stake it was initially assigned, while 10% belonged to the employees. Furthermore, at this stage the Argentine Government resigned to the voting privilege it had in the Directory of the airline.
Iberia was afterwards obliged by the European Comission to cut its stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas as a condition for receiving state aid. Iberia thence reduced its stake to 20%, transferring the remaining 65% to Interinvest/Andes holding, a consortium comprising the Spanish Government
holding company (SEPI) –the actual owner of Iberia before it was privatised in 2001– and banks Merrill Lynch
and Bankers Trust
, among others. In July 1997 Iberia cut again its stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas from 20% to 10%, while American Airlines
's parent company AMR acquired a 10% stake of Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral's major stockholder Interinvest, equivalent to a participation of 8.5% in both Argentine companies, with the commitment of finding investors for Aerolíneas Argentinas. AMR's 8.5% operation was finally cleared by the United States Department of Justice
in early July 1998. By that time, the Argentine Government still owned a 5% stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas. Less than two years later AMR stepped aside, as it made no offers for Aerolíneas Argentinas. Plans for the employees to take an 85% stake in 2000 never materialised.
Allegations of corruption were made on the basis of the price paid by Iberia and the Spanish firm's ulterior conduct (including some convoluted lease-back operations), with the airline paying the price for its own purchase with its assets. Subsequent management by American Airlines and SEPI drove Aerolíneas Argentinas into an almost terminal crisis in 2001. The following table shows the position of the carrier when it was acquired by Iberia, and when the Spanish airline sold it.
By the late 1990s
the airline was near bankruptcy; losses in 1999 where around US$ 240 million. The Spanish Government tried to sell its controlling share to American Airlines but the offer was declined.
In June 2001 the airline filed for protection from creditors —from which it emerged 10 years later—, went into administration, and the aftermath began. Salaries were paid by the Argentine Government, instead of using money coming from the SEPI. The payment of salaries for the upcoming months were suspended, as the mechanics union refused to accept the reorganisation plan raised by the SEPI to keep the company afloat. Most of the international flights were halted. After this, most of the fleet was grounded, and only 30% and 10% of domestic and international flights, respectively, were operating. The crisis deepened when the daily flight to Madrid, and also the last connection with Europe, was also disrupted.
Marsans group
acquired a 92% stake through its subsidiary Air Comet from the SEPI in late 2001, and committed to inject US$50 million capital with the intention of resuming short– as well as long–haul services. The resumption of international flights started in early November 2001.
After teetering on the brink of closure during most of 2001, combined with the adverse effects of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the industry and Argentina's financial meltdown of December 2001, Aerolíneas was forced to close down international services for a few days during early 2002. However, fresh capital was provided and the airline resumed services almost immediately. In 2002, the airline came out of administration after a Buenos Aires judge accepted its debt restructuring agreement with creditors. Furthermore, it also announced its private era's first profit.
The airline endured a pilot's strike during November 2005. After nine days of negotiations, the airline and its pilots struck an agreement.
Several disagreements between the government and Grupo Marsans ended with a vote by both the lower and the upper houses of the Argentine congress in support of the takeover of the company and its subsidiaries, when the Chamber of Deputies voted 152-84 in favor of the expropriation, and the Senate approved the bill in a 42-20 votation.
On the last Boeing 737-200
flight was operated on a scheduled Buenos Aires–Catamarca
–La Rioja
–Buenos Aires passenger service.
In June 2010, Aerolíneas Argentinas revamped its image to give the airline a more modern appearance. The new logo is a combination of light blue and grey colours. Likewise, the previous eurowhite livery
is replaced with a combination of the Argentine flag
colours plus grey. Subsidiary airline Austral also adopted this new livery, additionally including a red cheatline.
The company signed an agreement to begin the process of joining SkyTeam in late . It is expected the airline will become a member of the alliance by 2012. Aerolíneas Argentinas will become the alliance's first South America
n member.
In , the different Unions that affiliate the airline staff demonstrated over concerns the Government was looking for local private investors to participate into the company.
In late , the government announced an austerity plan for the company in order to reduce the deficit it has been incurring since it was taken over from Marsans; the plan includes the revision of unprofitable routes, the reduction of pilot/aircraft rates, and the withdrawal of obsolete equipment, among others.
Following is a table providing the composition of Aerolíneas Argentinas' fleet, . Information concerning seat configuration is accurate for most of the fleet; nevertheless, on some equipment this information differs from the one shown below.
, the fleet age is 13.9 years.
database, the last accident involving a company's aircraft that yielded fatalities was in 1970, ; Aviation Safety Network records 43 accidents or incidents for Aerolíneas Argentinas since it started operations in 1950. The company ranks among the safest airlines in the world.
Aerolíneas Argentinas (Argentine Airlines), formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and serves as the country's flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard
Torre Bouchard
Torre Bouchard is a skyscraper in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The building houses the headquarters of Aerolíneas Argentinas. The World Bank has its Argentina offices in the tower....
, located in San Nicolás
San Nicolás, Buenos Aires
San Nicolás is one of the neighbourhoods of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing most of the city and national government structure with neighboring Montserrat and home to much of Buenos Aires' financial sector...
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Aerolíneas Argentinas Cargo, domestic airline Austral Líneas Aéreas
Austral Líneas Aéreas
Austral Líneas Aéreas , more commonly known by its shortened name Austral, is a domestic airline of Argentina, the sister company of Aerolíneas Argentinas. It is the second largest domestic scheduled airline in the country, after Aerolíneas Argentinas itself...
, ramp service
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
provider Aerohandling, cargo division JetPaq S.A., and tourism operator Optar S.A. are listed as Aerolíneas Argentinas subsidiaries. Despite sharing all their operating structure, Aerolíneas Argentinas operates under IATA airline designator AR and ICAO airline designator ARG, whereas AU and AUT, respectively, are assigned to Austral Líneas Aéreas operations. The callsign for Aerolíneas Argentinas is ARGENTINA.
The airline and its subsidiaries operates from two hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
s, both located in Buenos Aires. Operations of domestic and regional flights are concentrated at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
, which also serves as its operating base, whereas Ministro Pistarini International Airport
Ministro Pistarini International Airport
Ministro Pistarini International Airport , more commonly known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location within the Ezeiza Partido in the Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport located south-southwest of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina...
is mainly used for international services, although some regional and few domestic services are operated as well. The company provides free-of-charge transportation to those passengers that need to change from one airport to the other.
Under Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
five-star ranking, the Aerolíneas Argentinas service merits three stars. The company does not currently participate in any airline alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
, although it is expected it will join SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
in 2012.
Early years to privatisation
The history of the airline can be traced back to 1929, when Compagnie Generale Aeropostale started airmail operations between Buenos Aires and AsunciónAsunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
; it later expanded its network to cities located in the Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
. French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
men Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry , officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry , was a French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of France's highest literary awards, and in 1939 was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award...
, were among the first pilots that flew for the company. Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
personnel occupied vacant posts left by the Frenchmen as they gradually withdrew from the airline, and shortly after the Argentine company Aeroposta Argentina was formed. In 1947 this airline stepped into a mixed-stock company, in which the Government had a 20% stake and private investors held the balance.
As Aeroposta expanded its network southwards and incorporated the Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
into its fleet, other three mixed-stock companies were present at that time: ALFA (Aviación del Litoral Fluvial Argentino) mainly operated flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s northwards to the Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia, Argentina
La Mesopotamia, Región Mesopotámica is the humid and verdant area of north-east Argentina, comprising the provinces of Misiones, Entre Ríos and Corrientes. The region called Litoral consists of the Mesopotamia and the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe...
, FAMA (Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina) operated overseas services with DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
s as its mainstay equipment, and ZONDA (Zonas Oeste y Norte de Aerolíneas Argentinas) was mainly concerned with operations in the northwest region. As these carriers started being unprofitable, all of them were amalgamated into a single state-owned company on . The state holding was officially rebranded as Aerolíneas Argentinas-Empresa del Estado, despite it was commonly known as Aerolíneas Argentinas, or simply Aerolíneas. The four companies comprising the state holding ceased operations on . Aerolíneas Argentinas started operations on its own on .
Key to the growth of the airline were Alfonso Aliaga García, and Dirk Wessel Van Layden, a former pilot of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
carrier Aéropostale
Aéropostale (aviation)
Aéropostale was a pioneering aviation company. It was founded in 1918 in Toulouse, France, as Société des lignes Latécoère, also known as Lignes Aeriennes Latécoère or simply "The Line" .- History :Aéropostale founder Pierre-Georges Latécoère envisioned an air route connecting France to the...
, who was influential in raising flying standards.
The DC-3 proved to be an invaluable asset for Aerolíneas Argentinas, as for many other airlines worldwide. It enabled them to fly to domestic destinations that had, until then, been unreachable, and to keep flying the FAMA international network. Soon afterwards, Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
s joined the fleet and services were inaugurated to Santiago de Chile, Lima, Santa Cruz, and São Paulo.
The 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
saw the arrival of the DC-6, allowing Aerolíneas Argentinas to fly at night for the first time. Thanks to this plane, the name of the company was seen at terminals in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Idlewild Airport and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Heathrow Airport, as well as in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. By the end of the decade, the Comet IV
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
jet had begun commercial jet services worldwide, and the carrier once again wanted to set the pace among South America's air companies. Aerolíneas' president A. Cdre.
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Juan José Güiraldes persuaded Argentina's President Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...
to buy six of the new planes, on the understanding that Aerolíneas would pay for the planes later. The first of them, named “Las Tres Marías”, which became the first jetliner
Jetliner
Jetliner are an alternative rock band from the USA. They focus on melodic piano based rock and have been compared to Queen and early Elton John, being heavily influenced by early 70s rock. Composed of Adam Paskowitz of The Flys, son of Doc Paskowitz, on piano and lead vocals, Jeff Kluesner on...
flown by Aerolíneas, landed at Ezeiza Airport on . With these jets, Aerolíneas Argentinas kept a steady growth during the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, opening routes to London, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. The 1960s also saw the incorporation of the Avro 748
Avro 748
The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated...
short-haul turboprop airliner, that had its maiden flight
Maiden flight
The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage....
with the company on between Buenos Aires and Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
; Aerolíneas was actually the launch customer for this type of aircraft. Likewise, the Caravelle
Caravelle
Caravelle may be a reference to:* Caravelle, the French marketing name for the typeface Folio* Sud Aviation Caravelle, the short/medium-range jet airliner, produced by Sud Aviation...
first flew for the carrier on the Buenos Aires–Santiago de Chile route on .
The 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
saw the arrival of the Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
s, 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s, and 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s, a stronger marketing strategy, and the introduction of new routes to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. The carrier was featured on many Jorge Porcel
Jorge Porcel
Jorge Raúl Porcel de Peralta was a comedy actor and television host from Argentina. He was nicknamed El Gordo de América...
movies at that time, and it began licensing toy companies to produce models of their aircraft, a practice it maintains today.
The airline was assigned by law the monopoly of international operations in 1971. This meant no other Argentine airline was able to operate international flights, let alone the already created Austral
Austral Líneas Aéreas
Austral Líneas Aéreas , more commonly known by its shortened name Austral, is a domestic airline of Argentina, the sister company of Aerolíneas Argentinas. It is the second largest domestic scheduled airline in the country, after Aerolíneas Argentinas itself...
. The carrier therefore became the flag carrier of the country. The same law also assigned Aerolíneas Argentinas a 50% of the domestic market share.
During the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, as well as for a short period later, the company was banned from flying through British airspace. There used to be a flight from London Gatwick to Argentina's capital; however, because of the ban passengers bound to Argentina had to change planes at Madrid Barajas.
Upon the acquisition of Austral by the Argentine government in 1980, both Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral were government-owned, to the extent that some routes were simultaneously operated, even using similar equipment. However, there existed a state of continuous tension over salary differences between both companies that eventually led the Aerolíneas Argentinas' pilots to a three-week-long strike that started on . During this strike, the government leased pilots from the Argentine Air Force
Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
to operate some aircraft. Other companies took advantage from this situation and gained the market share Aerolíneas Argentinas lost, as domestic routes were operated by Austral, LADE
Lade
Lade may refer to:People* Brendon Lade , Australian rules footballer* Sir John Lade , baronet and Regency horse-breeder* Heinrich Eduard von Lade , German banker and amateur astronomer...
and LAPA, and the government temporarily authorised foreign carriers to exploit the company's international routes.
Privatisation: 19902008
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
, when SAS was proposed to become a 40% shareholder of the state company. This was firmly resisted by the Peronist
Peronism
Peronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the programmes associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón...
opposition. On the next government authorised the privatisation of the airline. On a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
led by Iberia
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
and Austral's owner Cielos del Sur S.A. acquired a 85% stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas, which became the first major Argentine company to be privatised during the first presidence of Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
. Paradoxically, one of the first actions taken by the new Peronist government was to privatise the carrier, after airily opposing to the privatisation propositions of its predecessor. Despite the carrier was regarded as overstaffed and bureaucratic
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
, it was debt-free at that time, having an average profitability of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
90 million a year. The carrier actually had in revenues on the year prior to privatisation. It was not until 2009 that this privatisation process would be ruled as illegal.
Austral's owner Cielos del Sur S.A. was sold to Iberia in March 1991, further increasing the Spanish flag's stake in the Argentine air market. Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral never merged throughout the private era, and remained as separate companies with the same shareholder. Iberia subsequently boosted its stake in the airline to 85% in April 1994 after a cash injection. Out of the remaining 15%, the Argentine Government held the 5% stake it was initially assigned, while 10% belonged to the employees. Furthermore, at this stage the Argentine Government resigned to the voting privilege it had in the Directory of the airline.
Iberia was afterwards obliged by the European Comission to cut its stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas as a condition for receiving state aid. Iberia thence reduced its stake to 20%, transferring the remaining 65% to Interinvest/Andes holding, a consortium comprising the Spanish Government
Spanish Government
Spain is a constitutional monarchy whose government is defined by the Constitution of Spain. This was approved by a general referendum of the people of Spain in 1978...
holding company (SEPI) –the actual owner of Iberia before it was privatised in 2001– and banks Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
and Bankers Trust
Bankers Trust
Bankers Trust was an historic American banking organization. The bank merged with Alex. Brown & Sons before being acquired by Deutsche Bank in 1998.-History:A consortium of banks created Bankers Trust to perform trust company services for their clients....
, among others. In July 1997 Iberia cut again its stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas from 20% to 10%, while American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
's parent company AMR acquired a 10% stake of Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral's major stockholder Interinvest, equivalent to a participation of 8.5% in both Argentine companies, with the commitment of finding investors for Aerolíneas Argentinas. AMR's 8.5% operation was finally cleared by the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
in early July 1998. By that time, the Argentine Government still owned a 5% stake in Aerolíneas Argentinas. Less than two years later AMR stepped aside, as it made no offers for Aerolíneas Argentinas. Plans for the employees to take an 85% stake in 2000 never materialised.
Allegations of corruption were made on the basis of the price paid by Iberia and the Spanish firm's ulterior conduct (including some convoluted lease-back operations), with the airline paying the price for its own purchase with its assets. Subsequent management by American Airlines and SEPI drove Aerolíneas Argentinas into an almost terminal crisis in 2001. The following table shows the position of the carrier when it was acquired by Iberia, and when the Spanish airline sold it.
| Item | 1991 | 2001 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets (without routes, brand, etc., US$ mil.) | ? | ? | |
| Annual Balance (US$ mil.) | 18 | -390 | ? |
| Debt (US$ mil.) | ? | 900 | ? |
| Planes (owned/leased) | 28/1 | 1/43 | 17/32 |
| Flight simulators | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Number of employees | 10,372 | 6,734 | 10,200 |
By the late 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
the airline was near bankruptcy; losses in 1999 where around US$ 240 million. The Spanish Government tried to sell its controlling share to American Airlines but the offer was declined.
In June 2001 the airline filed for protection from creditors —from which it emerged 10 years later—, went into administration, and the aftermath began. Salaries were paid by the Argentine Government, instead of using money coming from the SEPI. The payment of salaries for the upcoming months were suspended, as the mechanics union refused to accept the reorganisation plan raised by the SEPI to keep the company afloat. Most of the international flights were halted. After this, most of the fleet was grounded, and only 30% and 10% of domestic and international flights, respectively, were operating. The crisis deepened when the daily flight to Madrid, and also the last connection with Europe, was also disrupted.
Marsans group
Grupo Marsans
Grupo Marsans was an private Spanish consortium mainly dedicated to tour operations. It had operations in Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina, as well as representations in Latin America. The company was founded in 1910 and was based in Madrid, Spain...
acquired a 92% stake through its subsidiary Air Comet from the SEPI in late 2001, and committed to inject US$50 million capital with the intention of resuming short– as well as long–haul services. The resumption of international flights started in early November 2001.
After teetering on the brink of closure during most of 2001, combined with the adverse effects of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the industry and Argentina's financial meltdown of December 2001, Aerolíneas was forced to close down international services for a few days during early 2002. However, fresh capital was provided and the airline resumed services almost immediately. In 2002, the airline came out of administration after a Buenos Aires judge accepted its debt restructuring agreement with creditors. Furthermore, it also announced its private era's first profit.
The airline endured a pilot's strike during November 2005. After nine days of negotiations, the airline and its pilots struck an agreement.
Renationalisation: 2008onwards
On , the Argentine Government took the airline back into state control after acquiring 99.4% of the stake for an undisclosed price; the remaining 0.6% continued being owned by the company's employees. The enactment for the renationalisation of Aerolíneas Argentinas and its subsidiary Austral Líneas Aéreas was passed by the Chamber of Deputies in August 2008; it became law on following the 46-21 votation in the Argentine Senate.Several disagreements between the government and Grupo Marsans ended with a vote by both the lower and the upper houses of the Argentine congress in support of the takeover of the company and its subsidiaries, when the Chamber of Deputies voted 152-84 in favor of the expropriation, and the Senate approved the bill in a 42-20 votation.
On the last Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
flight was operated on a scheduled Buenos Aires–Catamarca
Catamarca
Catamarca may refer to:*San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Argentina*Catamarca Province, Argentina...
–La Rioja
La Rioja, Argentina
La Rioja is the capital city of the Argentine province of La Rioja, located on the east of the province. The city has a population of almost 150,000 as per the ....
–Buenos Aires passenger service.
In June 2010, Aerolíneas Argentinas revamped its image to give the airline a more modern appearance. The new logo is a combination of light blue and grey colours. Likewise, the previous eurowhite livery
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
is replaced with a combination of the Argentine flag
Flag of Argentina
The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
colours plus grey. Subsidiary airline Austral also adopted this new livery, additionally including a red cheatline.
The company signed an agreement to begin the process of joining SkyTeam in late . It is expected the airline will become a member of the alliance by 2012. Aerolíneas Argentinas will become the alliance's first South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n member.
In , the different Unions that affiliate the airline staff demonstrated over concerns the Government was looking for local private investors to participate into the company.
In late , the government announced an austerity plan for the company in order to reduce the deficit it has been incurring since it was taken over from Marsans; the plan includes the revision of unprofitable routes, the reduction of pilot/aircraft rates, and the withdrawal of obsolete equipment, among others.
Codeshare agreements
, the carrier has codeshare agreements with the following SkyTeam members:- Air France-KLMAir France-KLMAir France-KLM is a European airline holding company incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, Paris...
, on some EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an routes; these companies codeshares on Aerolíneas' services to Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Asunción and Montevideo. Furthermore, mileage earned by cardholders of Aerolíneas Plus and Flying BlueFlying BlueFlying Blue is the loyalty program of Air France and KLM that offers rewards to passengers travelling on certain types of tickets. In June 2005, the frequent flyer programmes of Air France and KLM were combined to create the Flying Blue program after the two companies merged into a single parent...
frequent flyer programmes can be redeemed in either airline. Despite the agreement has already been signed, it will be effective from the first quarter of 2012. - Delta Air LinesDelta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, on the Buenos Aires–Atlanta–Buenos Aires route; Delta in turn places its code on Buenos Aires–Miami–Buenos Aires fligths actually operated by Aerolíneas. The agreement also considers Aerolíneas codesharing Delta flights to/from Miami and Atlanta operated to various cities in the United States and CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, while Delta does so on regional flights to/from Buenos Aires.
Fleet
Aerolíneas Argentinas began modernising its fleet in 2009:- In early 2009 the airline agreed to purchase 2 new Boeing 737-700s; these aircraft were incorporated into the fleet in mid-2009, being the first brand new ones acquired by the company after 17 years. In late November 2010 it also agreed to lease a further 10 aircraft of the same model from ILFC; these aircraft started being delivered in April 2011.
- It was announced in October 2009 that the carrier was looking for about 6 Boeing 737-800Boeing 737 Next GenerationThe Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
aircraft, both to complement the 12 Boeing 737-700s and to replace the ageing Boeing 737-500s.
- The company intends to purchase or lease six Airbus A330-300s and seven Airbus A340-600s by mid-2011, aimed at resuming services to CancúnCancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, Havana, JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, London, New York City, Paris and Puerto Plata, as well as to launch a new service to OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Following is a table providing the composition of Aerolíneas Argentinas' fleet, . Information concerning seat configuration is accurate for most of the fleet; nevertheless, on some equipment this information differs from the one shown below.
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A340-200 Airbus A340 The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is... |
4 | — | 32 | 217 | 249 | |
| Airbus A340-300 | 3 | 4 | 248 | 280 | ||
| Boeing 737-500 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
16 | — | 8 | 100 | 108 | To be phased out effective |
| Boeing 737-700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
14 | 9 | 120 | 128 | 12 fitted with winglets | |
| Boeing 737-800 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
— | 2 | TBA | |||
| Boeing 747-400 Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe... |
3 | — | 42 | 379 | 421 | To be phased out effective |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 1 | — | 8 | 140 | 148 | To be phased out effective |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 42 | 15 | ||||
, the fleet age is 13.9 years.
Retired
Aerolíneas Argentinas has also operated the following aircraft all through its history:- Airbus A310-300Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
- Airbus A320-200Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
- Avro 748Avro 748The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated...
- Avro YorkAvro YorkThe Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
- Boeing 707-300BBoeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
- Boeing 707-300CBoeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
- Boeing 727-100Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
- Boeing 727-200Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
- Boeing 737-200Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
- Boeing 737-200CBoeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
- Boeing 737-300FBoeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
- Boeing 747SPBoeing 747SPThe Boeing 747SP is a modified version of the Boeing 747 jet airliner which was designed for ultra-long-range flights. The SP stands for "Special Performance". Compared with its predecessor, the 747-100, the 747SP retains its wide-body, four-engine layout, along with its double-deck design, but...
- Boeing 747-200BBoeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
- Boeing 757-200Boeing 757The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
- Caravelle III
- Caravelle VI-N
- Caravelle VI-R
- Convair CV-240
- Comet 4
- Comet 4C
- Douglas C-47
- Douglas C-47A
- Douglas C-47B
- Douglas C-54A
- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
- Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
- Fokker F28 Mk-1000Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
- Fokker F28 Mk-4000Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
- Lockheed ConstellationLockheed ConstellationThe Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
- Short SandringhamShort Sandringham- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
- YS-11-100NAMC YS-11The NAMC YS-11 is a turboprop airliner built by a Japanese consortium, the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The program was initiated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1954, the aircraft was rolled out in 1962, and production ceased in 1974.-Development and design:In...
Accidents and incidents
According to the Aviation Safety NetworkAviation Safety Network
-External links:**...
database, the last accident involving a company's aircraft that yielded fatalities was in 1970, ; Aviation Safety Network records 43 accidents or incidents for Aerolíneas Argentinas since it started operations in 1950. The company ranks among the safest airlines in the world.
External links
- Aerolíneas Argentinas old sites (Archives)