West Caribbean Airways S.A. (abbreviated as WCA) was a commercial airline founded in December 1998 with its headquarters at Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia[1] after moving there from San Andres Island in 2001. It began operating in November 1999 and ceased operations in September 2005.[2]
The company was founded on December 29, 1998, by Colombian businessman Hassan Tannir and began operations on November 13, 1999. Originally based in San Andrés, it began operations with four Let L-410 Turbolets that served San Andrés and Providencia Island as the first destinations.[3]
In 2000, West Caribbean Airways added flights to Cartagena, Monteria, and Barranquilla with ATR 42s leased and also expanded to international routes to Varadero, Cuba; Panama City, Panama; and San Jose, Costa Rica. The next year, a group of investors acquired the airline and relocated its headquarters to Medellin. This put it in competition with ACES and Avianca.
The airline expanded very rapidly, and acquired two McDonnell Douglas MD-82s which operated various international and regional routes.
By 2005, serious financial and procedural problems were evident at West Caribbean Airways. It posted $6 million in losses in 2004.[4] In January, the airline was fined $45,000 by Colombia's civil aeronautics government agency, UAEAC, for 14 safety violations, including lack of training for pilots, pilots flying too many flight hours, and flight data not being properly logged.[5][4]
A few months later, in March 2005, Flight 9955 brought further scrutiny by UAEAC. Due to its 2004 losses, the civil aviation authority began close monitoring of West Caribbean Airways's finances in May, though it was stated that the airline was fulfilling its commitments.[4]
On August 16, 2005, Flight 708 crashed in Venezuela. By the time of this accident, WCA had only four aircraft left in its fleet: a Let L-410 Turbolet, two undergoing maintenance, and the aircraft destroyed in flight 708. West Caribbean Airways was grounded by UAEAC late in the day on August 17.[5][6]
The end of operations occurred in September 2005, when the airline could no longer sustain operations. Crew members indicated to passengers that the airline would remain on the ground due to the poor economic conditions and that it did not have the ability to meet its financial obligations.
Destinations
West Caribbean Airways operated the following services (at January 2005):
On August 16, 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a chartered McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registered HK-4374X) heading from Panama to Martinique in the Caribbean, crashed in remote western Venezuela due to human errors, killing all 160 aboard, mostly French nationals.
References
"PREGUNTAS FRECUENTES WEST CARIBBEAN AIRWAYS." West Caribbean Airways. 11 August 2003. Retrieved on 26 January 2011. "6. ¿Dónde quedan ubicadas las oficinas de West Caribbean Airways? Las oficinas principales, es decir, la sede administrativa, operaciones, el área comercial y el call center están ubicados en el hangar 73 del aeroparque Olaya Herrera."
"Acerca de WCA." West Caribbean Airways. 11 August 2003. Retrieved on 26 January 2011. "WEST CARIBBEAN AIRWAYS S.A. es una sociedad anónima, constituida legalmente el 29 de diciembre de 1998."
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