AerCaribe S.A., operating as AerCaribe, is a Colombia-based carrier operating both domestic and Americas-wide executive, charter and cargo services, as well as specialized fuel and military transport. The carrier is based at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport with a secondary hub at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport operating as AerCaribe Peru, and operates a fleet of turboprop and jet aircraft.[1]
AerCaribe began operations in 2006 with a fleet of Antonov turboprop aircraft, with domestic services in Colombia. AerCaribe operates its own 3,000sqm hangar at El Dorado, with departure and VIP lounges, conference rooms, and a restaurant. The carrier is certified by Antonov to offer maintenance and restoration works on Antonov aircraft in Colombia and Latin America, as well to act as a representative of Antonov in the sale and purchase of Antonov aircraft.[1]
In 2015, AerCaribe received its first of three converted B737-300P2Fs (passenger to freighter) from PEMCO World Air Services, in Tampa, US. The aircraft offers 11 pallet positions, a full-featured cargo loading system with retractable sill plate and over-rideable side restraints, all engineered to deliver good reliability and a 48,000lbs (22 tonnes) maximum payload.[2]
In 2011, AerCaribe launched its first subsidiary, AerCaribe S.A.C. Peru, operating as AerCaribe Peru. It is a Peruvian-based carrier which operates scheduled and charter cargo services from its base in Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport within Peru.[3][4]
In 2019, it was announced that AerCaribe was looking into commencing operations from its base in Colombia, and its sub-base in Peru under its subsidiary AerCaribe Peru, to the United States.[5]
On 14th October 2020, one of the An-32s crashed while landing in Iquitos. The aircraft was destroyed, but the crew survived.[6]
AerCaribe and AerCaribe Peru both offer scheduled and charter cargo services from their respective bases within Colombia, South, Central America, and the Caribbean, as well as within Peru.[7]
The AerCaribe and AerCaribe Peru fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of April 2020):[8][9]
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-400 | 3 | - | - | |
| Antonov An-26 | 3 | - | - | |
| Antonov An-32 | 7 | - | - | |
| Total | 13 | - | ||
On 28th January 2017, an AerCaribe Peru 737-400 freighter overran the runway while landing in Leticia, tearing off the main landing gear. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
On 14th October 2020, an AerCaribe Colombia An-32 veered off the runway in Iquitos, ripping off the wings and landing gear, starting a fire. All the crew members survived, but the aircraft was destroyed by fire.