Aerolíneas Peruanas

Aerolíneas Peruanas S.A. (also known as APSA or the English translation Peruvian Airlines)[4] was an airline from Peru, serving as flag carrier of the country from 1956 to 1971.[1] Headquartered in Lima, it operated a network of scheduled passenger flights to major places in Latin America, as well as the United States, out of its hub at Jorge Chávez International Airport.[5]

Not to be confused with Peruvian Airlines, Peruvian International Airways, Aeroperú, Air Perú, or APSA Colombia.
Aerolíneas Peruanas
IATA ICAO Callsign
EP[1] PRU[2] APSA
FoundedSeptember 16, 1956
Commenced operationsSeptember 17, 1957
Ceased operationsMay 2, 1971
HubsJorge Chávez International Airport
HeadquartersLima, Peru
Key peopleC. W. Shelton (Founder)
Employees1,000 (1967)[3]

History

APSA was founded by C. W. Shelton on September 16, 1956,[6] with 77 percent of the company's shares spread amongst private Peruvian investors.[3] Flight operations were launched on September 17, 1957, on the Lima to Santiago and Miami routes.[3] Originally not a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA was only joined in 1966), APSA could significantly undercut the usual airline fares for flights between South America and the USA.[7] To strengthen its market position, APSA went into a partnership with Transportes Aéreos Nacionales and Compañía Ecuatoriana de Aviación.[7][2]

The Douglas DC-6 being the aircraft most commonly used with the airline in the early 1960s,[7][8] Aerolíneas Peruanas joined the jet age on December 1, 1963 with the introduction of the Convair 990 Coronado.[9] During those years, the network was greatly expanded,[5] which culminated in the launch of transatlantic flights using the Douglas DC-8 by the end of the decade.[10][6]

In the early 1970s, APSA found itself in a worsening financial situation. Plans for a take-over by the Peruvian government and Spanish national airline Iberia failed, so the company was forced to cease all flight operations on May 2, 1971.[11]

Destinations

APSA offered scheduled passenger flights to the following destinations:[2][8][12][4][5]

Country City Airport Notes
 Argentina Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport
 Bolivia La Paz El Alto International Airport
 Brazil Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport
São Paulo Congonhas-São Paulo Airport
 Chile Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
 Colombia Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport
Bogotá El Dorado International Airport
 Ecuador Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport
 France Paris Orly Airport
 Honduras Tegucigalpa Toncontín International Airport
 Mexico Acapulco General Juan N. Álvarez International Airport
Mexico City Mexico City International Airport
 Panama Panama City Tocumen International Airport
 Peru Arequipa Rodríguez Ballón International Airport
Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport Hub
Talara Cap. FAP Víctor Montes Arias Airport
 Spain Madrid Madrid–Barajas Airport
 Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain Piarco International Airport
 United Kingdom London Gatwick Airport[13]
 United States Los Angeles Los Angeles International Airport
Miami Miami International Airport
 Venezuela Caracas Simón Bolívar International Airport

Fleet
An APSA Douglas DC-8-52 parked at Gatwick Airport in 1969

Over the years, APSA operated the following aircraft types:[1]

APSA fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Convair 990 Coronado 4 1963[9] 1971
Curtiss C-46 Commando 2 1957[14] 1970[15]
Douglas DC-6 6 1960[16] 1966
Douglas DC-7 1 1967[3] 1970[15]
Douglas DC-8-52 2 1969[10] 1971 Leased from Iberia

Accidents and incidents

See also

References
  1. "Aero Transport Data Bank: Aérolíneas Peruanas". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  2. "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1959 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  3. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 13 April 1967. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  4. "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1966 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  5. "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1968 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  6. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 13 May 1971. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  7. "Latin American Low Fare Challenge". Flight International. 12 April 1962. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  8. "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1960 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  9. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2 April 1964. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  10. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 10 April 1969. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  11. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 13 May 1971. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  12. "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1964 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  13. "Photo of an Aérolíneas Peruanas DC-8 landing at Gatwick in 1970 (at airliners.net)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  14. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 18 April 1958. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  15. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 24 March 1970. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  16. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 8 April 1960. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  17. "Description of the 1969 APSA hijacking". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
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