Aérolíneas_Peruanas
Aerolíneas Peruanas
Defunct Peruvian airline, 1957–1971
Aerolíneas Peruanas S.A. (also known as APSA or the English translation Peruvian Airlines)[4] was an airline from Peru, serving as flag carrier of the country from 1956 to 1971.[1] Headquartered in Lima, it operated a network of scheduled passenger flights to major places in Latin America, as well as the United States, out of its hub at Jorge Chávez International Airport.[5]
APSA was founded by C. W. Shelton on September 16, 1956,[6] with 77 percent of the company's shares spread amongst private Peruvian investors.[3] Flight operations were launched on September 17, 1957, on the Lima to Santiago and Miami routes.[3] Originally not a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA was only joined in 1966), APSA could significantly undercut the usual airline fares for flights between South America and the USA.[7] To strengthen its market position, APSA went into a partnership with Transportes Aéreos Nacionales and Compañía Ecuatoriana de Aviación.[7][2]
The Douglas DC-6 being the aircraft most commonly used with the airline in the early 1960s,[7][8] Aerolíneas Peruanas joined the jet age on December 1, 1963 with the introduction of the Convair 990 Coronado.[9] During those years, the network was greatly expanded,[5] which culminated in the launch of transatlantic flights using the Douglas DC-8 by the end of the decade.[10][6]
In the early 1970s, APSA found itself in a worsening financial situation. Plans for a take-over by the Peruvian government and Spanish national airline Iberia failed, so the company was forced to cease all flight operations on May 2, 1971.[11]
APSA offered scheduled passenger flights to the following destinations:[2][8][12][4][5]
Over the years, APSA operated the following aircraft types:[1]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convair 990 Coronado | 4 | 1963[9] | 1971 | |
| Curtiss C-46 Commando | 2 | 1957[14] | 1970[15] | |
| Douglas DC-6 | 6 | 1960[16] | 1966 | |
| Douglas DC-7 | 1 | 1967[3] | 1970[15] | |
| Douglas DC-8-52 | 2 | 1969[10] | 1971 | Leased from Iberia |
- On January 11, 1969, a Convair 990 Coronado was hijacked en route a flight from Panama City to Miami and forced to divert to Cuba.[17] At that time, such United States-Cuba hijackings had become common occurrences.
- "Aero Transport Data Bank: Aérolíneas Peruanas". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1959 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 13 April 1967. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1966 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1968 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 13 May 1971. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Latin American Low Fare Challenge". Flight International. 12 April 1962. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1960 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2 April 1964. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 10 April 1969. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 13 May 1971. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Aérolíneas Peruanas: 1964 timetable (at timetableimages.com)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Photo of an Aérolíneas Peruanas DC-8 landing at Gatwick in 1970 (at airliners.net)". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 18 April 1958. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 24 March 1970. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 8 April 1960. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- "Description of the 1969 APSA hijacking". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
