Aserca Airlines

Old Aserca Airlines Logo

The airline was established on March 6, 1968 as a private air transport company. Subsequently, on July 27, 1990, the Valencian businessman Simeón García, acquired all the shares and decided to direct it to passenger air transport. The airline started operations on September 4, 1992 with small aircraft for private transport. In 1992 it entered the domestic scheduled market with a leased Douglas DC-9-30. Aserca's operations were centred on Valencia, but it managed to develop Caracas as a hub after 1994 which, combined with the demise of flag carrier Viasa in 1997, made Aserca experience a significant growth in its market share, expanding its network to Bogotá, Lima and Miami (no longer in service) via Aruba. Between 1998 and 2000 Aserca had a controlling interest in Air Aruba.

In September 2008, the airline created a commercial alliance with SBA Airlines, also from Venezuela with whom it undertakes international expansion through, unifying the corporate image of both airlines and coordinating their respective itineraries to improve their connection times between the flights of both airlines, to facilitate connections between the national destinations of Aserca with international destinations of SBA. A proposed merger was in discussion. On the other hand, it collaborated with the Dominican airline PAWA Dominicana and in February 2016, the alliance now called Grupo Cóndor C.A. announced the purchase of Línea Turística Aereotuy.

In June 2013, Venezuela's National Institute of Civil Aviation (Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil - INAC) announced that it will prohibit operations of classic aircraft types like the Douglas DC-9, Boeing 727 and Boeing 737-200 in Venezuela from November 1, 2013. Aserca Airlines could obtain a special dispensation from INAC allowing the airline to operate its remaining two DC-9 until July 1, 2014. Aserca has chosen to replace its DC-9 with two ex-Aeromexico MD-87 that went to Miami Opa-locka Airport awaiting delivery.

In February 2018, it was announced that Venezuela's National Institute of Civil Aviation had withdrawn the airline's operating license until further notice. The country's newspapers blame the lack of proof of insurance for the aircraft in the fleet. Aserca Airlines planned to restart operations. But on May 22, 2018, Aserca announced it had ceased all operations due to financial bankruptcy after returned its air operator's certificate.[4][2][1]

Former Aserca Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 in its former color scheme

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

Aserca Airlines additionally had codeshare agreements with PAWA Dominicana (on routes to Antigua, Havana, Miami, Port-au-Prince, San Juan and St. Maarten) and SBA Airlines.

• On July 10, 2000, a DC-9-30 named "Virgen del Valle", landed without a front landing gear at Jacinto Lara International Airport in Barquisimeto.
• On January 27, 2006, a DC-9-30 with 125 passengers makes an emergency landing at General José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport in Barcelona due to a fire in one of the engines.
• On April 11, 2007, a DC-9-30 made an emergency landing at the Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport after taking off from it bound for the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía, due to problems in one of the engines, according to the authorities.
• On February 12, 2008, a DC-9-30 crashed on one of the runways of the Simón Bolívar International Airport, Maiquetía, Venezuela, the aircraft left the hangar with engines running and apparently could not brake or turn, on the ground it crossed with runway 09 stopping when it fell into a channel in the area between runway 09 and foxtrot, before reaching runway 10L.[6]
• On May 15, 2009, a DC-9-30, registration YV243T, bound for Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía, had to return to Barcelona due to cabin depressurization.
• On September 2, 2011, DC-9-30 flight 752, returned to Maiquetía airport due to a failure in the right engine.
• On March 6, 2012, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration YV348T, struck against five cows that were on the runway during landing at Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport, generating minor damage to the jet on the left main gear and left hand flaps. All 125 passengers and 6 crew were uninjured, but the aircraft was removed from service.[7][8]

Media related to Aserca Airlines at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (in Spanish)