Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano S.A.M. (abbreviated LAB and internationally known as LAB Airlines), was the

flag carrier A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Hist ...

and principal

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

from 1925 until it ceased operations in 2010. Before its demise it was headquartered in

Cochabamba Cochabamba ( ay, Quchapampa; qu, Quchapampa) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 63 ...

and had its main hubs at

Jorge Wilstermann International Airport Jorge Wilstermann International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Wilstermann, ) is a high elevation international airport serving Cochabamba, the capital of the Cochabamba Department of Bolivia. The facility is named after Jorge Wils ...

and

Viru Viru International Airport Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra is Bolivia's largest international airport. Viru Viru handles domestic, regional, and international flights from Bolivia, North America, South America and Europe and is the hub for Boli ...

. Founded in September 1925, it was the second oldest airline in South America after

Avianca Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A.'', "Airways of the American Continent") is a Colombian airline. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered under ...

and one of the oldest airlines in the world.

History

The beginnings

Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB) was founded by German immigrants in August 1925. On 24 September 1925, the airline launched its services between

and Santa Cruz using a single

Junkers F13 The Junkers F 13 was the world's first all-metal transport aircraft, developed in Germany at the end of World War I. It was an advanced cantilever-wing monoplane, with enclosed accommodation for four passengers. 322 planes of the type were manufa ...

aircraft. In July 1930, Lloyd Aéreo began to serve international routes, with scheduled flights between

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

, where it was based then, and

Corumbá Corumbá is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 km northwest of Campo Grande, the state's capital. It has a population of approximately 112,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly on agriculture, anima ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. On the grounds of a co-operation agreement with Syndicato Condor, an airline catering for the German minority in Brazil, LAB passengers could connect in Corumbá on a flight to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, and vice versa. Over the following years, more destinations in Brazil were added, so that Lloyd Aéreo became the second largest airline in South America at that time, only surpassed by

from

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 ...

. In 1932, the Bolivian government seized all of LAB's planes and staff, so that they could be dispatched for military use during the

Chaco War The Chaco War ( es, link=no, Guerra del Chaco, gn, Cháko ÑorairõParaguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Bolivian national airline

In May 1941, LAB was taken over by the government of Bolivia as the country's

national airline A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Hist ...

and Panagra was granted a contract to administer it. In March 1960, Panagra held a 20% interest in LAB and the government of Bolivia was the major shareholder. At this time, Edmundo Gonzalez was the president of the airline and the fleet consisted of seven

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

s, one

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 six

Boeing B-17 The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

s. With the

Lockheed L-188 Electra The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flown in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner built in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes that led to expensiv ...

joining the fleet in September 1968, LAB was in the position to offer non-stop international flights. A further improvement in comfort and travel times was achieved when Lloyd Aéreo acquired its first jet aircraft (of the

Boeing 727 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 airpo ...

type) in 1970, allowing for the inauguration of flights to Central America and the United States. At March 1990, the airline had 1,700 employees and was 99.98% owned by the government. By this time the network, which consisted of 21 domestic destinations and 15 international ones (Arica, Asunción, Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Cuzco, Lima, Manaus, Miami, Montevideo, Panama, Rio de Janeiro, Salta, Santiago and São Paulo), was served with two

Boeing 707-320C The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...

, three

Boeing 727-200 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 ...

s, two

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 ...

s, one

Fokker F27-600 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Europe ...

and one Fokker F27-200.

Financial difficulties and demise

From 1994 onwards, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano was encountering rising financial difficulties. As a consequence, the Bolivian government prepared the

privatization Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...

of the airline and began to negotiate with potential buyers. On 19 October 1995, Brazilian airline

VASP Viação Aérea São Paulo S/A (São Paulo Airways), better known as VASP, was an airline with its head office in the VASP Building on the grounds of São Paulo–Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. It had main bases at São Paulo's two m ...

acquired 50 percent of the LAB shares. In an effort to cut costs, VASP aimed at a full merger of the two airlines, with a similar livery and a joint

frequent flyer program A frequent-flyer program (American English) or frequent-flyer programme (British English) is a loyalty program offered by an airline. Many airlines have frequent-flyer programs designed to encourage airline customers enrolled in the program ...

as initial steps. , 49% and 48.3% of the shares were held by VASP and the Bolivian government, respectively. In 2001, VASP sold its shares in LAB back to Bolivian investors, though, due to the ongoing monetary constraints. On the other hand, in 2004 LAB was awarded shares in Ecuatoriana de Aviación, the national airline of

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

at that time, as a compensation for outstanding debts, which led to a

codeshare agreement A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...

between the two airlines. From 2006, Lloyd Aéreo had to cut flights because it was in bad financial shape;

leased A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

long-haul aircraft (a random mix of

Airbus A310 The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300, the first twin-jet wide-bod ...

Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its mai ...

Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, also known as the L-1011 (pronounced "El-ten-eleven") and TriStar, is an American medium-to-long-range, wide-body trijet airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation. It was the third wide-body airliner to enter comme ...

at that time) could not be paid for anymore. On 30 March 2007, it was decided by the Bolivian government to shut down Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, which meant that effective on 1 April, all flight operations were suspended. In October of the same year,

Boliviana de Aviación Boliviana de Aviación, legally incorporated as ''Empresa Pública Nacional Estratégica Boliviana de Aviación'' ("Bolivian National Strategic Aviation Public Company") and commonly known as BoA, is the flag carrier airline of Bolivia and is wh ...

was established as new national airline of Bolivia. LAB operated a limited number of charter flights during late 2007 and early 2008 on behalf of AeroSur, but has since fully gone out of business, with its airline license officially been revoked in 2010.

Destinations

During the 1930s

At that time, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano offered mostly domestic flights, each of which with several stopovers (which was normal at a time where the range of airlines was very limited compared to today's situation). The route network had two hubs: In

, the headquarters of the airline, and in

Santa Cruz de la Sierra Santa Cruz de la Sierra (; "Holy Cross of the Mountain Range"), commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the largest city in Bolivia and the capital of the Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz department. Situated on the Pirai River (Bolivia), P ...

. Scheduled services were offered to the following destinations: ;Bolivia *

Cachuela Esperanza Cachuela Esperanza is a village in the Bolivian Departamento Beni. Location ''Cachuela Esperanza'' ("rapids of hope") is situated on the right bank at the rapids of Beni River, 30 km before its confluence with Mamoré River which both for ...

Camiri Camiri (Camirito, La Bomba, Choreti, Capital Petrolera de Bolivia) is a city in Bolivia, Santa Cruz Department, Cordillera Province. It is the seat of the Camiri Municipality. The town has an estimated population of 65,897 inhabitants,< ...

Charagua Charagua is a small town in the southern part of Bolivia. It is the principal village of the Cordillera province. Most inhabitants speak Guaraní. The city was briefly occupied by the Paraguayan Army in April 1935, during the last stages of the ...

Cobija Cobija is a city in Bolivia, capital of the department of Pando, is located about 600 km (373 mi.) north of La Paz in the Amazon Basin on the border with Brazil. Cobija lies on the banks of the Rio Acre across from the Brazilian ci ...

(hub) *

Guajará-Mirim Guajará-Mirim is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. It is located at an altitude of 128 meters. Its population was 46,556 (2020) and its area is 24,856 km².IBGE /ref> Location Guajará-Mirim lies along the Mamoré River, j ...

* Lagunillas *

* Magdalena *

Oruro Oruro (Hispanicized spelling) or Uru Uru is a city in Bolivia with a population of 264,683 (2012 calculation), about halfway between La Paz and Sucre in the Altiplano, approximately above sea level. It is Bolivia's fifth-largest city by pop ...

Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal . For centuries, it was the location o ...

Puerto Suárez Puerto Suárez is an inland river port and municipality in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is located 10 km west of the border with Brazil. Location ''Puerto Suárez'' is located in the province of Germán Busch, Santa Cruz Department a ...

Riberalta Riberalta is a town in the Beni Department in northern Bolivia, situated where the Madre de Dios River joins the Beni River. Riberalta is on the south (south east) bank of the Beni River. As the capital of the province of Vaca Diez, the city ...

Roboré Roboré is a town in eastern Bolivia. Located in Chiquitos Province, Roboré was founded by Dr. Ángel Sandoval in November 26th, 1947. It is home to the ''Regimiento De Infanteria 15 Junin Roboré''San José de Chiquitos San José de Chiquitos or simply San José is the capital of Chiquitos Province in the Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is known as part of the ''Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos'', which is declared in 1990 a World Heritage Site, as a former ...

Santa Ana del Yacuma Santa Ana del Yacuma (also ''Santa Ana'') is a town in the Beni Department in north-eastern Bolivia. History The Jesuit mission of Santa Ana was founded in 1719.. Movima Indians resided at the mission. Location Santa Ana is the capital of th ...

(hub) *

Sucre Sucre () is the Capital city, capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the List of cities in Bolivia, 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . T ...

Tarija Tarija or San Bernardo de la Frontera de Tarixa is a city in southern Bolivia. Founded in 1574, Tarija is the largest city and capital and municipality within the Tarija Department, with an airport (Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport, (TJA)) offe ...

* Todos Santos *

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

Vallegrande Vallegrande (''Spanish: "Big Valley"'') is a small colonial town in Bolivia, located in the Department of Santa Cruz, some 125 km (bee-line) southwest of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It is the capital of the Vallegrande Province and Vallegrande ...

Villamontes Villamontes (or: ''Villa Montes'') is a town in the Tarija Department in south-eastern Bolivia. Also it is called the benemerita town (well-deserving of the mother country) due to its importance during the Chaco War in the 1930s. Location ''Vi ...

Yacuíba Yacuiba is a city in southern Bolivia and the capital city of Gran Chaco Province in the Tarija Department. It lies three kilometers from the Argentine border. It has a population of approximately 80,000 and lies above sea level. Yacuiba is on ...

;Brazil *

In Corumba, passengers could connect on Syndicato Condor flights to destinations within Brazil and even to Europe. Similarly, in La Paz, connecting flights to the

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

vian towns of

Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...

and

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

were offered in co-operation with Deutsche Lufthansa Peru. Like LAB, these airlines were aiming at the German minorities in the respective countries.

During the 1960s

By then, Santa Cruz had replaced Cochabamba as the largest hub for Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (now

of Bolivia), with another one having been opened at Trinidad Airport, and international routes being offered from La Paz Airport. The domestic network had grown to extensive size, covering most airports in the country (still relying on multiple-stopover flights). More international routes had been added, with LAB now also offering flights to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and

. The following destinations were served on a scheduled basis in 1964, using

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

DC-6 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 ...

or Boeing B-17G (the latter being military cargo aircraft converted from a bomber, which could also accommodate passengers). ;Bolivia * Apolo * Ascención de Guarayos * Bermejo Airport *

(hub) * Concepcíon *

Copacabana, Bolivia Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, dedicated to Our Lady of Copacabana, the patron saint of Bolivia. The town is a tourism dest ...

Guayaramerín Guayaramerín is a city within the Bolivian Beni Department. It is the capital of the Guayaramerín Municipality in the Vaca Díez Province. Guayaramerín is located on the west side of the Mamoré River, facing the Brazilian city of Guajará ...

(international focus city) * Magdalena *

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

* Reyes *

Roboré Roboré is a town in eastern Bolivia. Located in Chiquitos Province, Roboré was founded by Dr. Ángel Sandoval in November 26th, 1947. It is home to the ''Regimiento De Infanteria 15 Junin Roboré''Rurrenabaque Rurrenabaque is a small town in the north of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park ( ...

* San Borja *

San Ignacio de Moxos San Ignacio de Moxos (or ''San Ignacio'') is a town in the Beni Department of northern Bolivia. History San Ignacio de Moxos was founded in 1689 by the Jesuit missionaries Antonio de Orellana, Juan de Espejo and Alvaro de Mendoza. Its first l ...

San Ignacio de Velasco San Ignacio de Velasco, is the capital of the José Miguel de Velasco Province and the San Ignacio de Velasco Municipality in the Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia. History The Jesuit mission of San Ignacio de Velasco was founded in 1748 by the ...

* San Javier *

San Joaquín San Joaquín (Spanish for Saint Joachim) is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is part of Greater Santiago. Demographics According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Joa ...

San José de Chiquitos San José de Chiquitos or simply San José is the capital of Chiquitos Province in the Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is known as part of the ''Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos'', which is declared in 1990 a World Heritage Site, as a former ...

* San Ramón *

(main hub) *

* Todos Santos *

(hub) *

* Yacuíba, Tarija ;Argentina *

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Salta Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...

;Brazil *

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

;Chile *

Arica Arica ( ; ) is a Communes of Chile, commune and a port city with a population of 222,619 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only south of the border with Peru. The ...

;Peru *

During the 1970s

During the 1970s, LAB's President Mario Patino Ayoroa developed the company's routes and made it an international player. The international network saw further expansion, most notably with the launch of scheduled flights to the United States. ;Argentina *

Ezeiza Airport Ministro Pistarini International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini) , also known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location in the Ezeiza Partido in Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport s ...

- El Ayball Airport ;Bolivia *

(focus city) *

El Alto International Airport El Alto International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional El Alto) is an international airport serving La Paz, Bolivia. It is located in the city of El Alto, west of La Paz. At an elevation of , it is the highest international air ...

(focus city) *

El Trompillo Airport El Trompillo Airport is located in the south part of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, about 2 km (1.25 miles) away from the central plaza. Creation It was created in 1920 with a lane that measured no more than 800 meters (2,624 feet). The airport wa ...

(main hub) *

- Trinidad Airport ;Brazil *

- Galeão Airport *

Congonhas Airport Congonhas (Congonhas do Campo until 1948) is a historical Brazilian city located in the state of Minas Gerais. It is situated south from Belo Horizonte, the capital of state of Minas Gerais, by the highway BR-040. As of 2020, the city had a popul ...

;Chile *Antofagasta - Cerro Moreno International Airport, Antofagasta Airport *

- Chacalluta International Airport, Chacalluta Airport *Santiago de Chile - Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, Pudahuel Airport ;Panama *Panama City - Tocumen International Airport ;Paraguay *Asunción - Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, Presidente Stroessner International Airport ;Peru *

- Jorge Chávez International Airport ;United States *Miami - Miami International Airport

During the 1980s

At that time, the LAB network had been consolidated, appearing more or less in the shape it would retain until the 2000s. The largest Bolivian cities were linked with destinations all over South America, as well as in the United States (international flights usually had several stopovers). International flights as well as hub-to-hub flights were operated using

aircraft, whilst the Fokker F27 Friendship, Fokker F-27 and the similar Fairchild F-27 were deployed on the domestic network. From 1990, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano moved its main hub in

from

. ;Bolivia *Bermejo, Bolivia, Bermejo - Bermejo Airport *

- Camiri Airport *

- Captain Aníbal Arab Airport *

(focus city) *

- Guayaramerín Airport *

(hub) * Magdalena - Magdalena Airport *

- Puerto Suárez International Airport * Reyes - Reyes Airport *

- Riberalta Airport *

Rurrenabaque Rurrenabaque is a small town in the north of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park ( ...

- Rurrenabaque Airport * San Borja - Capitán Germán Quiroga Guardia Airport *

- Cap. Av. Juan Cochamanidis S. Airport, San Ignacio Airport *

- San Joaquín Airport *

- Santa Ana del Yacuma Airport *

(hub)
(from 1990 replaced by

) *

- Juana Azurduy de Padilla International Airport *Tarija - Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport *

- Trinidad Airport *

- Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Pabón Airport *

- Yacuiba Airport ;Argentina *

- El Ayball Airport ;Brazil *Belo Horizonte - Belo Horizonte/Pampulha – Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport, Pampulha Airport
(Tancredo Neves International Airport from 1990) *Manaus - Eduardo Gomes International Airport *

- Galeão Airport *

;Chile *

- Chacalluta International Airport, Chacalluta Airport *Iquique *Santiago de Chile - Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, Pudahuel Airport ;Panama *Panama City - Tocumen International Airport ;Paraguay *Asunción - Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, Presidente Stroessner International Airport ;Peru *Cusco - Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport *

- Jorge Chávez International Airport ;United States *Miami - Miami International Airport ;Uruguay *Montevideo - Carrasco International Airport ;Venezuela *Caracas - Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela), Simón Bolívar Airport

Prior to closure

During the 2000s, LAB offered scheduled flights to the following destinations: ;Argentina *

- Ministro Pistarini International Airport *Córdoba, Argentina, Córdoba - Ingeniero Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport *

- Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport *Tucumán, Argentina, Tucumán - Benjamín Matienzo International Airport ;Bolivia *

(hub) *

(focus city) *

(hub) *

- Juana Azurduy de Padilla International Airport *

- Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport *

- Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport ;Brazil *Manaus - Eduardo Gomes International Airport *

- São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, Guarulhos Airport *

- Galeão International Airport ;Chile *Santiago de Chile - Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport *

- Chacalluta International Airport ;Colombia *Bogotá - El Dorado International Airport ;Cuba *Havana - José Martí International Airport ;Ecuador *Guayaquil - Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport *Quito - Mariscal Sucre International Airport ;Mexico *Cancún - Cancún International Airport *Mexico City - Mexico City International Airport ;Panama *Panama City - Tocumen International Airport ;Paraguay *Asuncion - Silvio Pettirossi International Airport ;Peru *Cusco - Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport *

- Jorge Chávez International Airport ;Spain *Madrid - Madrid-Barajas Airport ;United States *Miami - Miami International Airport *Washington, D.C. - Washington Dulles International Airport ;Uruguay *Montevideo - Carrasco International Airport ;Venezuela *Caracas - Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela), Simón Bolívar International Airport

Fleet

Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Boeing 767-300ER CP-2426 MIA 2006-1-26

Over the years of its existence, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano operated the following aircraft types:

Accidents and incidents

*On 21 August 1944, an LAB Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (aircraft registration, registered CB-25) was destroyed in a fire at La Paz Airport. *On 29 May 1947, an LAB Douglas C-47 Skytrain (registered CB-32) crashed near

. *On 10 August 1949, an LAB Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando (registered CB-37) crashed near

. In September of the same year, a Lodestar (registered CB-26) was damaged beyond repair in a shooting during the History of Bolivia#Bolivian National Revolution, Bolivian National Revolution. *In 1950, two LAB C-46s crashed: The one registered CB-51 near

on 24 April, its sister aircraft CB-38 on 2 October near La Laguna Lake. *On 1 January 1951, an LAB C-47 (registered CB-31) was damaged beyond repair in a crash-landing at La Paz Airport. *On 3 November 1953, a Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano

(registered CP-600) crashed into a mountain near

, killing the 25 passengers and 3 crew members on board. The aircraft had been on a scheduled domestic flight from

. *On 5 September 1955, two LAB aircraft collided mid-air over Cochabamba: A DC-3 (registered CP-572) on a scheduled passenger flight, and a Boeing B-17G (CP-597) on a cargo flight. The Boeing crashed, killing all three crew members. The DC-3 managed to perform an emergency landing. *On 25 August 1956, a cargo-configured Lloyd Aéreo DC-3 (registered CP-506) crash-landed at La Paz Airport, killing two out of the three people on board. *On 26 September 1956, the first hijacking of a commercial flight with political purposes was of the Lloyd Aereo Boliviano on 26 September 1956. The airplane (Douglas DC-4, DC-4), carried 47 prisoners. They were being transported from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz, Bolivia to the town of El Alto, in La Paz Department (Bolivia), La Paz. There, a political group was waiting to take them to a concentration camp located in Carahuara de Carangas,

. The 47 prisoners gained control of the aircraft in mid-flight and rerouted the airplane to Tartagal, Argentina. Two of the 47 prisoners took control of the aircraft controls and received instructions to again reroute to Salta, Salta, Argentina as the airfield in Tartagal was not big enough for the DC-4. They did and moments later arrived safely to the city of Salta. They told the government of the injustice they were submitted to, and received political asylum. *On 18 March 1957, another DC-3 (registered CP-535), which had been on a passenger flight from Cochabamba to

, crashed into a mountain near Sayari. All 16 passengers and 3 crew members died. *On 31 December 1959, all 11 occupants of an LAB C-47 (registered CP-584) died when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from an airfield near

. *On 5 February 1960, a Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Douglas DC-4 (registered CP-604), that had been on a scheduled passenger flight from Cochabamba to La Paz, crashed shortly after take-off int
Laguna Huañacota
a mountain lake, following an engine fire. All 55 passengers and 4 crew members lost their lives (a two-year-old girl could be saved, but later died in hospital). *On 21 August 1962, an LAB C-47 (registered CP-536) crashed near Jorge Wilstermann International Airport, Cochabamba Airport during a post-maintenance test flight, killing four out of the five people on board. *On 15 March 1963 at approximately 13:55 local time, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Flight 915 from

to La Paz, that was operated by a Douglas DC-6 (registered CP-707) on this day, crashed into Chachakumani mountain, killing all 36 passengers and three crew members. At the time of the accident, there were poor visibility conditions due to bad weather. *On 4 February 1964, an LAB C-47 aircraft (registered CP-568) crashed shortly after departing Yacuiba Airport, killing two out of the 29 people on board. *On 3 August 1966, an LAB C-46 (registered CP-730) that had been on a cargo flight from

to Cochabamba crashed into a mountain range of the Andes, killing all three people on board. The accident likely occurred because of a navigational error of the pilot, who had chosen a wrong flight path and subsequently had flown at the wrong altitude. *On 19 April 1968, a Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano DC-3 (registered CP-734) crashed shortly after take-off from an airstrip at

. Even though the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, there were no fatalities. *On 26 September 1969 at around 15:10 local time, an LAB DC-6 (registered CP-968) carrying 69 passengers and 5 crew members on a scheduled flight from

to La Paz crashed into Mount Choquetanga 176 kilometres away from the destination airport. There were no survivors when the wreckage was found after three days. The Strongest#1969: The Viloco tragedy, Seventeen Bolivian football players had been amongst the passengers. *On 16 December 1971, an LAB passenger flight from

to La Paz was hijacked and demanded to be diverted to

. The aircraft landed at Cochabamba Airport instead, police forces stormed the plane and arrested the perpetrator. In the ensuing shooting, one crew member and one passenger were killed. *On 13 October 1976 at 13:32 local time, a Jet Power Boeing 707 freighter aircraft (registered N730JP), that had been chartered by LAB to operate a cargo flight from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Miami, 1976 Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Boeing 707 crash, crashed directly after take-off from

into a housing area and a crowded football pitch, killing the three crew members as well as 88 people on the ground, making it the deadliest air disaster in Bolivia to date. The accident had likely occurred because the pilots had not selected the correct amount of thrust, so that the aircraft did not gain sufficient height. *On 23 January 1980, a LAB Fairchild F-27J (registered CP-1175) ran off a taxiway whilst being on ground at Santa Ana del Yacuma Airport and went into a ditch, during which the fuel tank was ruptured by debris from the propeller. In the ensuing fire, the aircraft was destroyed, but all 15 passengers and the three crew members could be saved. *On 2 June 1980, a Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano F-27J (registered CP-1117) crashed into a hill whilst approaching Yacuiba Airport, killing the 10 passengers and three crew members on board. *On 16 March 1984, another F-27M (registered CP-862) crashed, this time in a jungle somewhere between

and San Borja, claiming the lives of the 20 passengers and three crew. *On 23 January 1985, a passenger detonated a bomb in a lavatory on board an LAB flight from La Paz to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, killing him. The aircraft involved, a

registered CP-1276, was substantially damaged but could safely be landed. There were no fatalities among the other 119 passengers and seven crew members. *On 31 August 1991, an LAB Boeing 707 (registered CP-1365) was destroyed in a hangar fire at Dothan Regional Airport in the United States. *On 22 December 1994, a Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Fokker F27 Friendship (registered CP-2165) overran the runway at Guayaramerín Airport following a rejected takeoff and crashed into trees. All 36 passengers and four crew members survived the accident. The planned destination of the scheduled domestic flight had been

. *On 9 January 2001 at 17:20 local time, the left main landing gear of an LAB Boeing 727-200 (registered CP-2323) collapsed while taxiing at Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport prior to a scheduled flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Investigator found that the accident, by which none of the 138 passengers and 8 crew members were injured but left the aircraft damaged beyond repair, happened because of corrosion damage. *On 7 August 2004, an LAB Boeing 767-300ER (registered CP-2425) experienced a hard landing at

following a scheduled flight from Miami, and was substantially damaged. *On 1 February 2008 at 10:35 local time, the pilots of an LAB Boeing 727-200 (registered CP-2429) had to execute a forced landing in a jungle clearing near

due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft carrying 151 passengers and 8 crew had been on a scheduled flight from La Paz to

, when it had to divert to Trinidad due to bad weather conditions, ultimately failing make the distance with the remaining fuel. There were no fatalities; the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Notes

References

External links

Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
(Archive)
Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd Aereo Boliviano Defunct airlines of Bolivia Airlines established in 1925 Airlines disestablished in 2010 Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association Cochabamba 1925 establishments in Bolivia