This all-freight carrier is formed at Barranquilla in 1966. Scheduled services are initiated in June 1967 to the major Colombian cities of Bogota, Cartagena, Cali, and Medellin, as well as Margarita Island, Aruba, and Panama in the Caribbean plus Miami. An exceptionally large propeller fleet is assembled, comprising 6 Douglas DC-6As, 4 Curtiss C-46s, 4 Lockheed L-188 Electras, and 1 DC-7F.
The U. S. CAB grants the company a foreign air carrier permit in February 1969. The certificate allows Aerocosta to undertake scheduled roundtrip flights two months later between Barranquilla, San Andres, and Miami. During the summer, a route is opened from San Andres to Panama City. A DC-6B is purchased in 1970 for use as a freighter on the U. S. and Panamanian sectors.
By 1971, Aerocosta has changed the emphasis of its nonpassenger business. Having taken a 40% stake in the flower-growing concern Floramerica, S. A., the carrier eliminates haulage of many more traditional charter items in favor of transporting large shipments of fresh flowers north.
The last C-46 is withdrawn in 1975. Just after takeoff from Bogota for a flight to Barranquilla on July 10, an L-188AF of Aerocondor (Aerovias Condor de Colombia, Ltda.) with four crew veers right and then sinks back, landing on top of a parked Aerocosta International DC-6F on the ground. Both aircraft catch fire and are destroyed, with two men on the Lockheed killed.
Against significant competition, the overextended carrier suffers terminal financial reversal and must shut down in 1976.
AERODINOS, S. A.: Bolivia (1992-1994). Aerodinos is established at La Paz in 1992 to offer charter passenger and cargo flights, air taxi, and some express services. Revenue operations commence with a pair of Fairchild Metro Ills. Recession forces deletion of one aircraft in 1993 and operations cease in 1994.
AERODYNAMICS: 6544 Highland Road, Waterford, Michigan 48327, United States; Phone (248) 666-3500; Fax (248) 666-5382; Year Founded 1959. Aerodynamics is established in 1959 as a full-service FBO in Michigan at the Pontiac Airport. During the following decades, the company constructs four large hangars west of the control tower and also undertakes worldwide FAR Part 135 charters.
Airline employment stands at 22 in 2000 and the fleet based at Oakland-Pontiac Airport includes 2 Beech 400A Beechjets and 1 each Grumman G-1159 Gulfstream II, G-1159A Gulfstream III, Mitsubishi Mu-300 Diamond IA, Beech Super King Air 200, Beech Super King Air 300, and Swearingen SW-227TT Merlin 300. Additionally, an Mu-300 Diamond IA is stationed at Rochester, New York.
AEROEL AIRWAYS, LTD.: P. O. Box 40, Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, 70100, Israel; Phone 972 (3) 5362 580; Fax 972 (3) 5362 331; Http://www. aeroelairways. co. il; Code ROL; Year Founded 1992. Chim Nir, Comecina-J. P. Rozan, Michael Weinstein, Rephael Harlev Alliances, and El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd. combine to register this regional and international passenger carrier in November 1992. Shareholder Harlev is appointed chairman, with investor Weinstein as president/CEO.
Employing two Bombardier DHC-8-311s and 3 Grumman Gulfstream Is, the company inaugurates services to Israeli and other Mideast destinations in September 1993.
Orders are placed for two Boeing 737-200s as flights continue in 1994-1997. Enplanements reach 20,000 by 1997. Two B-737-258As become available from El Al and are employed in early 1998 to inaugurate charters to Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey. Enplanements for the year total 55,000.
Airline employment at the beginning of 1999 stands at 86, a 166.7% increase over the previous year.
AEROEXO (TRANSPORTES AEREOS EJECUTIVOS, S. A. de C. V.): P. O. Box 473, Ave. Humberto Lobo No. 660, Col del Valle, San Nicholas Garza Garcia, 66220, Mexico; Phone 53 (83) 389-300; Fax 53 (83) 338-1889; Code SX; Year Founded 1992. Aero Ejecutivos is founded as the airline division of an executive jet/air taxi operation at Monterrey in 1992 to provide charter passenger and cargo flights, as well as executive services, to domestic and regional destinations. Revenue operations commence with 3 Boeing 727-225s, 2 B-727-21s, and 1 B-727-25.
Business is good and encourages the addition of further leased capacity in 1993: 8 B-727-276As, formerly flown by Ansett Australia (Pty.), Ltd., and 2 B-727-235s. The marketing name is changed to Aeroexo.
During 1994, President Ing Humberto Lobo’s growing regional purchases AVIASCA (Consorcio Aviacsa, S. A. de C. V.), but allows it to continue operating as a separate company.
During a climb from Dallas (DFW) on April 3, 1995, a fire warning sounds for the No. 1 engine of a B-727-276A. An emergency is declared and the plane returns and makes a one-engine-out landing. During the evacuation that follows, 2 of the 160 persons aboard receive slight injuries.
Flights continue in 1996-1998, during which years the fleet is reformed to include 3 B-727-225s, 2 B-727-235s, and 1 B-727-25. Principal markets are now Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana, and Monterrey. Enplanements during the latter year total 97,000.
Airline employment at the beginning of 1999 stands at 350. Customer bookings fall to 68,000.
World History
