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AeroRepublica
AeroRepublica is an airline based in Bogota, Colombia. It is the second largest air carrier in Colombia behind Avianca. It operates scheduled services from Bogota to 11 domestic destinations and to Panama, as well as domestic and international charter services to the USA and the Caribbean. Its main base is El Dorado International Airport, Bogota, with a hub at Jose Maria Cordova International Airport, Medellin.
History
The airline was established on November 23, 1992 by founders Amos Ginor and Dr. Alfonso Avila. It started operations on June 19, 1993 with a fleet of 3 Boeing B727-100 aircraft, between Bogota, D.C. El Dorado International Airport and Cartagena and Santa Marta, as well as the offshore Colombian island of San Andres. It was the first new airline in Colombia for over 25 years when it began trading in 1993. Plans were announced to begin international services to the USA in 1997, but these have yet to begin.
AeroRepublica corporate headquarters was located in Bogota, Colombia. The airline was owned by Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela (33%) and Promotora de Inversiones Superior (at January 2005). On June 1, 2005, Copa Airlines, Panama's flag carrier, announced that it had purchased 90% of AeroRepublica after having earlier announced plans to codeshare with them.
With the purchase the whole board of directors was replaced.
The airline also announced it was planning to make AeroRepublica the second largest carrier in Colombia after the nation's flag carrier, Avianca. It also plans to increase domestic destinations, modernize its fleet, and initiate the airline's first international destinations starting in 2006.
The airline is owned by Copa Holdings, S.A. (99.8%) and Promotora de Inversiones Superior (at March 2007.
In September, 2007 Alfonso Avila, former president of AeroRepublica (now Aero Republica) founded a new regional carrier named EasyFly.
Destinations
Central America and the Caribbean
* San Jose (Juan Santamaria International Airport) [pending government approval]
* Panama City (Tocumen International Airport)
* Punta Cana (Punta Cana International Airport) (Seasonal)
North America
*Miami (Miami International Airport) [begins 2008]
South America
*Barranquilla (Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport)
*Bogota, D.C. (El Dorado International Airport)
*Bucaramanga (Palonegro International Airport)
*Cali (Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport)
*Cartagena (Rafael Nunez International Airport)
*Cucuta (Camilo Daza International Airport)
*Leticia (Vasquez Cobo International Airport)
*Medellin (Jose Maria Cordova International Airport)
*Monteria (Los Garzones Airport)
*Pereira (Matecana International Airport)
*San Andres (Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport)
*Santa Marta (Simon Bolivar Airport)
* Porlamar (Del Caribe International Airport) (seasonal)
Fleet
The AeroRepublica fleet includes the following aircraft (at March 2007) :
2 McDonnell Douglas MD-81
2 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
3 McDonnell Douglas MD-83
9 Embraer E-190LR/AR
AeroRepublica's fleet modernization and expansion plan includes firm orders for 4 additional Embraer 190 aircraft (3 signed from GECAS and 1 from manufacturer), as well as options for 20 additional aircraft.
On October 18, 2006 announced that it has signed with GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) a lease agreement for an E-190 aircraft to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2007. This agreement increases AeroRepublica's delivery commitments to eight Embraer E-190 aircraft through 2007, three of which will be leased through GECAS and five purchased directly form the manufacturer. In addition to these commitments, AeroRepublica has options and purchase rights for twenty additional E-190 aircraft through 2011.
OnePass
OnePass is AeroRepublica frequent flyer program through partnership with Continental Airlines. Customers accumulate miles from flight segments they fly through AeroRepublica, Continental Airlines or other partners. OnePass elite tiers are Silver, Gold, and Platinum Elite which have benefits such as mileage bonus, priority check-in, priority seats and priority boarding.
Codeshare agreements
Continental Airlines
Copa Airlines
Incidents and accidents
On 8 January, 2005 an AeroRepublica McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft overran the runway at Cali's Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport , Colombia, and the landing gear separated. There were no fatalities among the 6 crew and 164 passengers.
On 17 July, 2007 an AeroRepublica Embraer 190 aircraft overran the runway at Santa Marta's Simon Bolivar Airport , Colombia. There were no fatalities among the 5 crew and 54 passengers.
External links
AeroRepublica's fleet agehttp://www.eltiempo.com/multimedia/galerias/avinsantamarta/GALERIAFOTOS-WEB-PLANTILLA_GALERIAFOTOS-3643146.html
AeroRepublica's aircraft photos by Airliners.Net
AeroRepublica's aircraft photos by JetPhotos.Net
AeroRepublica's aircraft photos by MyAviation.Net
AeroRepublica's domestic and international route map
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article AeroRepublica
