Dominicana de Aviación
Encyclopedia
Compañía Dominicana de Aviación, usually shortened to Dominicana, was an airline
from the Dominican Republic
, serving as flag carrier
of the country.
and Spain
. The initial fleet consisted of Douglas DC-3
and DC-6
aircraft. During the 1950s, Dominicana launched a domestic route network to places like Puerto Plata, La Romana and Santiago de los Caballeros
, acquiring Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando and Aviation Traders Carvair
airplanes. In the 1960s, Dominicana renewed its fleet with the more modern Douglas DC-8
, DC-9 and Boeing 727
. The route network was further expanded with more destinations in the Americas and the Caribbean during the 1970s. At its height in the 1980s, Dominicana operated Boeing 747
aircraft to European destinations like Madrid and Frankfurt
.
At the end of the decade, the airline's economic situation worsened due to a poorly led management and the heavy maintenance costs of its ageing fleet. Subsequently, the fleet and network were scaled back, leaving only the original routes like New York, Miami and San Juan. In an effort to save costs, Dominica began to operate leased
aircraft (mostly Boeing 727
, but also an Airbus A300
) instead of owned ones. Nonetheless, the financial situations further worsened into the 1990s, which coincided with a negative customer reputation (like lost or delayed luggage). In order to be able to operate newer aircraft which required less maintenance expenses, and to cut crew costs, Dominicana leased Boeing 737-300s and a Boeing 757-200 (including the flight crews) from Mexican
low-cost airline TAESA
. Further aircraft were leased from Express One International
, Atlantic Aviation and Carnival Air Lines
. During Christmas of 1994, many Dominicana VFR passengers
got stranded when the airline was not able to provide the necessary funding for operating the aircraft the passengers had already been booked on. As a consequence to this abysmal publicity, in early 1995 the government of the Dominican Republic decided to shut down the airline. Originally only planned as a temporarily measure, the company never became operational again and was officially dissolved in 1999.
Aruba
Dominican Republic
Haiti
Netherlands Antilles
Puerto Rico
United States of America
Venezuela
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...
from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, serving as 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...
of the country.
History
Dominicana was established in 1944 in an effort to create a national airline aiming at the large number of Dominican citizens who emigrated to the United States of America, Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The initial fleet consisted of 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...
and DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The 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...
aircraft. During the 1950s, Dominicana launched a domestic route network to places like Puerto Plata, La Romana and Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...
, acquiring Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando and Aviation Traders Carvair
Aviation Traders Carvair
The Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair was a large piston-engine transport aircraft. It was a Douglas DC-4-based air ferry developed by Freddie Laker's Aviation Traders Limited , with a capacity of 25 passengers and five cars, loaded at the front.-Design and development:Freddie Laker's idea to...
airplanes. In the 1960s, Dominicana renewed its fleet with the more modern Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
, DC-9 and 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...
. The route network was further expanded with more destinations in the Americas and the Caribbean during the 1970s. At its height in the 1980s, Dominicana operated Boeing 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...
aircraft to European destinations like Madrid and 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...
.
At the end of the decade, the airline's economic situation worsened due to a poorly led management and the heavy maintenance costs of its ageing fleet. Subsequently, the fleet and network were scaled back, leaving only the original routes like New York, Miami and San Juan. In an effort to save costs, Dominica began to operate leased
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
aircraft (mostly 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...
, but also an Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
) instead of owned ones. Nonetheless, the financial situations further worsened into the 1990s, which coincided with a negative customer reputation (like lost or delayed luggage). In order to be able to operate newer aircraft which required less maintenance expenses, and to cut crew costs, Dominicana leased Boeing 737-300s and a Boeing 757-200 (including the flight crews) from Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
low-cost airline TAESA
TAESA
TAESA was a low cost airline with its headquarters in No. 27 of Hangar Zone C on the grounds of Mexico City International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico...
. Further aircraft were leased from Express One International
Express One International
Express One International is an airline based in Orlando, Florida, USA. It operates domestic and international cargo services and charter passenger services throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as wet and dry leasing...
, Atlantic Aviation and Carnival Air Lines
Carnival Air Lines
Carnival Air Lines was a charter and low-cost air division of Carnival Cruise Lines started in 1988 after Carnival Cruise Lines purchased Pacific Interstate Airlines. It was headquartered in Dania, Florida.-History:...
. During Christmas of 1994, many Dominicana VFR passengers
Visits to Friends and Relatives
"Visiting Friends and Relatives" is a substantial form of travel worldwide. Scholarly interest into VFR travel developed in the mid 1990s after Jackson’s seminal article suggested that this type of tourism was much larger than official estimates suggested...
got stranded when the airline was not able to provide the necessary funding for operating the aircraft the passengers had already been booked on. As a consequence to this abysmal publicity, in early 1995 the government of the Dominican Republic decided to shut down the airline. Originally only planned as a temporarily measure, the company never became operational again and was officially dissolved in 1999.
Destinations
In 1984, Dominicana offered scheduled flights to the following destinations:Aruba
- OranjestadOranjestad, ArubaOranjestad is the capital and largest city of Aruba, which is in the Caribbean north of Venezuela. Oranjestad is located on the southern coast near the western end of the island country...
- Queen Beatrix International AirportQueen Beatrix International AirportQueen Beatrix International Airport , in Oranjestad, Aruba, is an aviation facility. It has flight services to the United States, most countries in the Caribbean, the northern coastal countries of South America, Canada and some parts of Europe, notably the Netherlands...
Dominican Republic
- Puerto Plata - Gregorio Luperón International AirportGregorio Luperón International Airport- Cargo carriers :- External links :*...
- Santo DomingoSanto DomingoSanto Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
- Las Américas International AirportLas Américas International Airport-Cargo airlines:-Accidents and incidents:*On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed, killing all 102 persons on board ....
(hub)
Haiti
- Port-au-PrincePort-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
- Francois Duvalier International Airport
Netherlands Antilles
- CuraçaoCuraçaoCuraçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
- Hato International AirportHato International AirportHato International Airport or Curaçao International Airport is the airport of Willemstad, Curaçao. It has services to the Caribbean region, South America, North America and Europe...
Puerto Rico
- San JuanSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
- Isla Verde International AirportLuis Muñoz Marín International AirportLuis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles southeast of San Juan. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to FAA reports . It is owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports...
United States of America
- Miami - Miami International AirportMiami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
- New York CityNew York CityNew 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...
- John F Kennedy International Airport
Venezuela
- CaracasCaracasCaracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
- Simón Bolívar International AirportSimón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is an international airport located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas....
Fleet
Over the years, Dominicana operated the following aircraft types:| Aircraft | Total | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| A300-200 Airbus A300 The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS... |
3 | OY-CNA, OY-CNL, N216PA |
| ATL-98A Aviation Traders Carvair The Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair was a large piston-engine transport aircraft. It was a Douglas DC-4-based air ferry developed by Freddie Laker's Aviation Traders Limited , with a capacity of 25 passengers and five cars, loaded at the front.-Design and development:Freddie Laker's idea to... |
2 | HI-168, HI-172 |
| BAC One-Eleven BAC One-Eleven The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s... |
1 | G-AVGP |
| Boeing 707-300 | 3 | HI-442, N706PA, N716PA |
| Boeing 720 Boeing 720 The Boeing 720 is a four-engine narrow-body short- to medium-range passenger jet airliner. Developed by Boeing in the late 1950s from the Boeing 707, the 720 has a shorter fuselage and less range... |
1 | N421MA |
| Boeing 727-100 | 5 | HI-312CT, N15512, N7421U, HI-212CT, HK-727 |
| Boeing 727-200 | 10 | N8858E, HI242CT, HI-452, HI-606CA, HI-612CA, HI-616CA, HI-617CA, HI-629CA, HI-630CA, HI-637CA |
| Boeing 737-400 | 1 | n/a |
| Boeing 747-100 | 1 | HI-472 |
| Boeing 757 Boeing 757 The 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... |
1 | n/a |
| 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... |
2 | HI-6, HI-7 |
| 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... |
5 | HI-16, HI-18, HI-36, HI-39, HI-46 |
| Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-6 The 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... |
5 | HI-59, HI-83, HI-92, HI-251, HI-292CT |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-8 | 1 | N72488 |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by... |
2 | HI-177 Dominicana DC-9 air disaster The Dominicana de Aviación Santo Domingo DC-9 air disaster occurred on February 15, 1970 when a Dominicana de Aviación McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 twin-engine jet airliner crashed on takeoff from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico.The aircraft used for the Dominicana... , N8500 |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a... |
3 | N902JW, XA-SYE, N143US |
Livery
The most common Dominicana livery consisted of a metallic silver fuselage, with red and blue cheatlines tail painting, representing the colors in the Dominican flag. The Dominicana titles was written in black letters above the passenger windows.Accidents and incidents
- On 11 January 1948, a Dominicana Douglas C-47 Skytrain (registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
HI-6) crashed into a mountain near YamasáYamasaYamasa Corporation is a Japanese corporation founded in 1645 whose primary field of business is the manufacturing of soy sauce and various seasonings. It was incorporated in November 1928. With its head office located in Choshi, Chiba, it runs two factories in Choshi and Salem, Oregon, United...
in bad weather conditions, killing all 30 passengers and two crew members on board, amongst them the baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team of B.B.C Santiago. The aircraft had been on a scheduled flight from Barahona to Santiago de los CaballerosSantiago de los CaballerosSantiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...
. - On 17 July 1958 at 10:16 UTC, a Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando cargo aircraft (registered HI-16) operating Dominicana Flight 402 from Ciudad Trujillo (today's Santo DomingoSanto DomingoSanto Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
) to Miami crashed shortly after take-off due to an engine problem, killing the two pilots on board. - On 23 June 1969 at 15:42 local time, a Dominicana Aviation Traders CarvairAviation Traders CarvairThe Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair was a large piston-engine transport aircraft. It was a Douglas DC-4-based air ferry developed by Freddie Laker's Aviation Traders Limited , with a capacity of 25 passengers and five cars, loaded at the front.-Design and development:Freddie Laker's idea to...
cargo aircraft (registered HI-168), which was operating Flight 401 from Miami to Santo Domingo, crashed shortly after take-off from Miami International AirportMiami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, killing all four persons on board, as well as six people on the ground. The aircraft had suffered an engine failure during take-off run, on which the pilots were not able to react accordingly. - On 15 February 1970 at approximately 18:30 local time, a Dominicana Douglas DC-9 (registered HI-177) crashed into the seaDominicana DC-9 air disasterThe Dominicana de Aviación Santo Domingo DC-9 air disaster occurred on February 15, 1970 when a Dominicana de Aviación McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 twin-engine jet airliner crashed on takeoff from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico.The aircraft used for the Dominicana...
some 3 kilometres off Santo DomingoSanto DomingoSanto Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, killing all 97 passengers and 5 crew members on board, making it the worst accident in the history of the Dominican Republic. The aircraft had just departed Las Américas International AirportLas Américas International Airport-Cargo airlines:-Accidents and incidents:*On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed, killing all 102 persons on board ....
for a scheduled flight to San JuanSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, when it suffered a dual engine failure. - On 5 September 1993, a Dominicana Boeing 727-200 (registered HI-617CA) was destroyed in a fire at Las Américas Airport. The then 20 years old aircraft had been operating a scheduled flight from San Juan to Santo Domingo carrying 98 passengers and 7 crew members, when the cabin filled with smoke during disembarkation, which was caused by a fire due to electrical overheating. All people involved managed to leave the aircraft before it was completely engulfed by the flames.