Peruvian International Airways (PIA) was the first international

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 ...

from Peru and operated from 1947 to 1949.

Company history

The international air services provided to and from

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 ...

from the mid-forties until the beginning of the decade of the sixties were under dominance of the Panagra (the joint of the Pan American airways and the W.R Grace Corporation). With almost no competition in the very low fare market of the South-American west coast, this airline could develop an effective monopoly during this period of time. The only other serious presence in the first years after the second world war trying to achieve a native international air transportation service out of Lima, center of the Peruvian commercial world, was the PIA - Peruvian International Airways. The airline was founded on January 14, 1946, with a capital of four million dollars (or $ in ) by a group of investors of three different countries, Peru, Canada and the United States of America headed by nonetheless than C.M Keys, also initial promoter of Faucett Airlines. The airline started operations a little more than a year later on May 14, 1947, using the

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 ...

with flight to

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

via

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

to the north. The network was promptly extended to the south to Santiago via Antofagasta a few months later and half a year after initiating operations. In September, the northern routes were extended to Washington and New York. The slogan used for the straight in route from Santiago to New York was the “Airway of the Americas” (la avenida de las Americas) As business seemed to go fine, the airline enthusiastically approved to double the capital in October that year. Unfortunately the airline failed in its attempt to be competition for Panagra when Panagra new introduced pressurized

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 ...

on almost the same route from New York to Buenos Aires via Panama, Lima and Santiago. Besides that, a new entry in the Latin American market in June 1948,

Braniff Airlines Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 un ...

, finally pushed PIA into its final approach. On February 9, 1949, less than two years after its foundation, PIA ceased operations. Peruvian International Airways. La primera línea internacional del Perú.
Peruvianaviation.com, 200-12-20. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.

Fleet details

References

External links

* * {{cite web , url= https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/nyregion/20080729JFK_4.html , title=Flying High, for 60 Years (Image 4 of 15), work=New York Times, url-status=live Defunct airlines of Peru Airlines established in 1947 Airlines disestablished in 1949 1947 establishments in Peru 1949 disestablishments in Peru