Aerovías de Integración Regional S.A. (Acronym: AIRES, lit. airs), d/b/aLATAM Airlines Colombia (formerly known as LAN Colombia), is a Colombian airline. It is the second-largest air carrier in Colombia, after Avianca. It operates scheduled regional domestic passenger services, as well as a domestic cargo service. Its main hub is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.[2]
The airline was founded on 2 October 1980 as AIRES, starting operations on 23 February 1981, with a few small planes, until they acquired some Embraer 110 Bandeirante and Fairchild F27. In 1990, the airline registered a 9% decrease in passenger transport.
With the rise of competition with AeroRepública in November 1992, AIRES made small expansions, mostly adding service to the neighboring countries of Venezuela and Ecuador.
On 13 December 2000, the airline began its internationalization with the opening of the Barranquilla-Oranjestad, Aruba route, flying twice a week, later it began operations to Willemstad, Curaçao.
In 2004, the company made a corporate image change, as well as a change in the stationery, said the investment had a cost of close to 1,000 million pesos.
In 2009, with the beginning of the trunk routes, a new era began and thus rubbed shoulders with Avianca and AeroRepública, and this was done by incorporating Jet aircraft and breaking the tariff scheme by becoming a low-cost airline.
On 28 October 2010, it was announced that 98% of the shares in the previous airline AIRES had been acquired by Chilean carrier LAN Airlines. On 26 November 2010, LAN Airlines announced that it completed the purchase of 98.9% of AIRES' shares, assuming its total debt and including it in the LAN holding company as a subsidiary of the group. On 3 December 2011, AIRES was renamed and started operations as LAN Colombia, becoming a member of the aeronautical holding LATAM Airlines Group.
It became an affiliate member of the Oneworld alliance on 1 October 2013 but left on 1 May 2020.[3][4]
On 20 February 2002, a Bombardier Dash 8-300 (registered HK-3951X), en route from Neiva to Bogotá, was hijacked by 4 brigands, forcing them to land in a town and kidnapped a senator who was on board.[19]
On 28 January 2008, AIRES Flight 053, Bombardier Dash 8-200 (registered HK-3997), overran the runway at El Dorado International Airport, en route from Maracaibo, Venezuela after the left gear collapsed. The probable cause of the crash was that the aircraft was carrying out a landing with an unresolved fault in the left engine, which prevented the aircraft from being able to stop within the length of runway available, causing a runway excursion. A contributing factor was the failure to correct the maintenance reports in a satisfactory manner and the failure to properly follow up on repetitive entries. None of the 41 occupants were injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged and written off.[20]
On 23 August 2008, AIRES Flight 051, a Bombardier Dash 8-300 (registered HK-3952), sustained substantial damage after the right-hand main landing gear collapsed on landing at Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport. The crew noticed a vibration of the right gear. None of the 31 occupants were injured, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and was written off.[21]
On 16 August 2010, AIRES Flight 8250 crashed on landing at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport, in San Andrés, Colombia, after reportedly being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. The death of one person was reported as a result of a heart attack on the way to the hospital and another 129 were injured.[22] One of the injured occupants later died.[23] The cause was later determined to be a pilot error.
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