Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas S.A.S (LAS Cargo) is a cargo airline based in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. It operates scheduled and chartered cargo flights to Latinoamerica and the Caribbean. Its main base is El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá.

History

Douglas C-118B Liftmaster (DC-6A), Lineas Aereas Suramericanas AN2340192

The airline was founded on April 14, 1972 as AeroNorte Ltda. and commenced operations using the

Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...

. In 1975, it started regional cargo service and bought 2

Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is an American four-engined (piston), propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Military versions of the plane, the C-54 and R5D, served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s ...

and 2

Douglas DC-6A The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with th ...

. The company changed its name in 1986 to Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas when its operation's certificate is cancelled by Law 30. Operations started serving North America with a Canadair CL-44. In 1987 it started flying between Bogotá and Panamá, when a

Sud Aviation Caravelle The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle is a French jet airliner produced by Sud Aviation. It was developed by SNCASE in the early 1950s and made its maiden flight on 27 May 1955. It included some de Havilland designs and components developed for t ...

joined the fleet. In 1991, the first

Boeing 727-100 The Boeing 727 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy Boeing 707, 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter f ...

was acquired. To complement the fleet, two

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. After ...

freighters were added for greater national coverage. By 2005 the company had built its own two hangars and purchased its fourth Boeing 727-200, and by the end of 2008 two more joined the fleet. Additionally, LAS Cargo constructed two big hangars at El Dorado International Airport. They include four aircraft parking positions, structural repairs, mods, engineering services, aircraft painting facilities. The company became an

International Air Transport Association The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...

member in 2013. The company updated its corporate image in 2014 including a new logo and a new livery design for its aircraft.

Destinations

As of May 2022, LAS Cargo serves the following destinations: LAS Cargo also operates charter flights internationally and within Colombia.

Partners

Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...

Avianca Cargo Avianca Cargo (formerly ''Tampa Cargo - Transportes Aereos Mercantiles PanAmericanos S.A.'') is a cargo airline based at José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín, Colombia. It is an all-cargo airline transporting flowers from Lati ...

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...

DHL DHL is an American founded, German logistics company providing courier, package delivery and express mail service, which is a division of the German logistics firm Deutsche Post. The company group delivers over 1.8 billion parcels per year. DHL ...

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

KLM KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally ''Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amste ...

Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines ( Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları'') is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the w ...

Fleet

Current fleet

LAS Cargo has a fleet consisting of the following aircraft (at June 2022):

Former fleet

The airline previously operated the following aircraft: *5

Boeing 727-100F The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpor ...

*1 Canadair CL-44 *6

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

*1 Douglas C-54 Skymaster *2

Douglas R6D Liftmaster The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with ...

*2 McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15F *7

Accidents and incidents

*On December 11, 1991, a

(registration HK-2716), was flown into a hill during the approach to El Dorado International Airport. All 8 occupants were killed. *On January 31, 2001, a

crashed near

El Alcaraván Airport El Alcaraván Airport ( es, Aeropuerto El Alcaraván, ), also known as El Yopal Airport, is an airport serving the city of Yopal, the capital of the Casanare Department of Colombia. The airport is on the southeast edge of the city. Although the a ...

while attempting to make an emergency landing. Three of the six occupants were killed. *On December 18, 2003, LAS Flight 4246, a Douglas DC-9-15F (registered HK-4246X), crashed near

Mitú Mitú () is the capital town of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. It is a small town located in South eastern Colombia in the Amazon Basin. Founded in 1936, Mitú lies next to the Vaupés River at 180 meters above sea level. It is where the ...

, killing all 3 occupants on board. *On May 28, 2018, a Boeing 727-200F (registered HK-4637) suffered a hard landing at El Dorado International Airport, causing the nosegear to collapse during touchdown. All 5 crew members were uninjured, and the aircraft was repaired. *On October 20, 2020, the same 727 from before, HK-4637, veered off the runway of

Arturo Michelena International Airport Arturo Michelena International Airport is an airport serving the city of Valencia in Venezuela. The airport was named after artist Arturo Michelena, who was born in Valencia. It is a hub for Turpial Airlines and a secondary hub for Avior Airline ...

during landing. The aircraft's landing gear was damage on due to wet grass. All 3 crew members were uninjured, and the aircraft was repaired again after.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lineas Aereas Suramericanas Airlines of Colombia Airlines established in 1972 Cargo airlines Colombian companies established in 1972