Aero California
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1960[1] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2008 | ||||||
| Hubs | Mexico City International Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities |
Don Miguel Hidalgo Int'l Airport Gen. Abelardo L. R. Int'l Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size |
22 (upon closure) | ||||||
| Destinations |
17 (upon closure) | ||||||
| Headquarters | La Paz, Mexico | ||||||
| Website | www.aerocalifornia.com.mx (defunct) | ||||||
Aero California (at times shortened AeroCal) was a low-cost airline with its headquarters in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, operating a network of domestic passenger flights with its hub at the city's Manuel Márquez de León International Airport.[2][3]
History
The airline was founded in La Paz, Mexico in 1960 as an air taxi operator using a fleet of Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, initially known as Servicios Aéreos . By the early 1980s the demand for domestic charter flights had grown enough that the larger Douglas DC-3 was added to the fleet. Scheduled services were launched in June 1982, initially interlinking La Paz, Tijuana and Hermosillo using Convair 340 aircraft. In 1989, international scheduled flights commenced, with Los Angeles being the first destination. By 1995 the fleet had been upgraded to only include jet aircraft of various Douglas DC-9 subtypes.
On 3 April 2006 all operations of Aero California were suspended by the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transport, after it was found that the airline was not complying with safety standards. It was given 90 days to correct the problems and was able to resume services on 11 August 2006. On 23 July 2008 (at a time when the route network consisted of 17 domestic destinations),[4] the airline was again suspended, this time due to an alleged debt with the Mexican Air Traffic Control (SENEAM). This prompted a labor strike of the employees on 5 August, which technically continues to the present day. Aero California's license still remains valid to this day.
Destinations
Accidents and incidents
- Aero California suffered an accident, which occurred on 29 January 1986. A Douglas DC-3 (registered XA-IOR) crashed into a range of hills near Las Lomitas during bad weather and visibility conditions. The aircraft had been on a scheduled passenger flight from Villa Constitución Airport to Los Mochis Airport.[5]
- On 21 July 2004 at 19:33 local time, a Douglas DC-9 (registered XA-BCS) encountered a wind shear upon take-off at Mexico City International Airport to Durango. All 52 passengers and the four crew members survived the accident.[6]
Fleet
Aero California operated the following aircraft during its existence:[7]
The airline was operating an all-jet fleet with DC-9 aircraft when it ceased operations.
External links
- Aero California (Archived version of the official website)
- Aero California (Archived version of the official website) (Spanish)
References
- ↑ Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook (3rd ed.). Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 978-0-9653993-8-8.
- ↑ "Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. March 16–22, 2004. 46 "Aquiles Serdan No 1995, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23000, Mexico"
- ↑ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 46.
- ↑ Hawley, Chris (30 July 2009), "Mexico's airline groundings spark protests", USA Today., retrieved 10 October 2009
- ↑ Aero California 1986 crash at the Aviation Safety Network
- ↑ Aero California 2004 accident at the Aviation Safety Network
- ↑ http://www.airliners.net, photos of Aero California aircraft