Aerovias Brasil

Empresa de Transportes Aéreos Aerovias Brasil S/A was a Brazilian airline founded in 1942. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Aerovias Brasil was one of the partners.

Aerovias Brasil
Founded1942
Ceased operations1961
Parent companyTACA until 1947
HeadquartersSão Paulo, Brazil
Key peopleRoberto Taves
Linneu Gomes

History

Aerovias Brasil was founded on August 26, 1942, as part of an ambitious project of TACA Airlines: the creation of one national airline in each Latin American country. Therefore, two of the shareholders of Taca had 66.6% of the shares whereas 33.4% belonged to 29 Brazilian share-holders being the brothers Oscar and Roberto Taves the most important. Later, the brothers would leave the society and Roberto Taves would be one of the start-up shareholders of Lóide Aéreo Nacional. Its operations were authorized on December 29, 1942, and flights started the following year.[1]

In its first years, Aerovias Brasil operated passenger flights within Brazil, and particularly during World War II, non-regular cargo flights to the United States. Because of reciprocal rights in bi-lateral agreements between Brazil and the United States, two airlines of each country could operate between them. In Brazil, Aerovias Brasil and Cruzeiro do Sul were the ones that had traffic rights granted. Aerovias Brasil was thus able to transform its non-scheduled flights to the United States in scheduled and could also include passenger transportation. Flights started in 1946 and Aerovias Brasil was the first Brazilian airline to establish those regular passenger flights. The twice-weekly flight from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont to Miami lasted more than 48 hours and was operated with a Douglas DC-3. It stopped in Anápolis, Carolina, Belém, Paramaribo-Zanderij, Port of Spain, La Guaira (Caracas), and Santo Domingo (then Ciudad Trujillo). Since the flight operated only during daylight, from Rio de Janeiro to Miami, overnight stops were made in Belém and Ciudad Trujillo. From Miami to Rio de Janeiro, the overnight stops were in Port of Spain and Belém.[2]

In 1947, Aerovias Brasil was flying to all main cities on the Brazilian coast, from Porto Alegre to Belém. In the same year, the participation of shares in the hands of Brazilian citizens grew to 91% and another route to Belém, this time flying on a straight line via Goiânia, Porto Nacional, and Carolina was opened. This inland route complemented the coastal one.

On February 17, 1949, Aerovias Brasil was bought by the State of São Paulo. The new administrator implemented an extensive reorganization.

In 1951, Aerovias Brasil bought four Douglas DC-4s to start flights to Buenos Aires and Montevideo. On January 15, 1953, Aerovias Brasil bought Aeronorte and increased its presence in the north and northeast regions of Brazil. Aeronorte, however, continued to operate as an autonomous unit in partnership with its new owner.[3]

In 1954, it was sold again to the private initiative, this time to a financial conglomerate owned by Adhemar de Barros, former governor of São Paulo. Adhemar de Barros in turn sold 87% of the shares to Linneu Gomes, owner of Real Transportes Aéreos. With this purchase, Real gained the prestige, experience and influence that it lacked.

With the later acquisition of Transportes Aéreos Nacional in 1956 also by Linneu Gomes, a Consortium was formed. It took the name of Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional and it was able to fly on the entire Brazilian territory and international destinations formerly served by Aerovias Brasil. Though maintaining legal independent identities, because they were controlled by the same person, Linneu Gomes, the three airlines operated jointly and in practice it was Real which controlled the consortium. In its time, the Consortium dominated the passenger traffic on the triangle São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, the economic center of the country.[4]

In 1961 Varig bought a participation in Aerovias Brasil and later the same year, it bought the whole Consortium Real-Aerovias-Nacional. Aerovias Brasil and its sister companies were merged into Varig.[5]

Aerovias Brasil, still as a part of the Consortium Real-Aerovias-Nacional, bought three Convair CV-990A to operate on its intercontinental routes shortly before the Consortium was sold to Varig. Varig tried to cancel the transaction but was unable. Therefore, against its will, Varig had to receive and operate those three aircraft.

Destinations

As of May 1950, Aerovias Brasil served the following Brazilian and international destinations:

Fleet
Aerovias Brasil Fleet[6]
Aircraft Total Years of operation Notes
Lockheed 14H2 2 1942–1945
Fairchild 71A 2 1944–1945
Lockheed 12A 2 1944–1947
Douglas DC-2 2 1945–1948
Douglas DC-3/C-47 30 1945–1961
Curtiss C-46 Commando 4 1951–1954
Douglas DC-4 4 1951–1960

Accidents and incidents

Accidents involving fatalities

See also

References
  1. Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica (1991). História Geral da Aeronáutica Brasileira: da criação do Ministério da Aeronáutica ao final da Segunda Guerra Mundial (in Portuguese). 3. Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro: Villa Rica Editoras Reunidas. pp. 305–306.
  2. Instituto Histórico-Cultural da Aeronáutica (2005). História Geral da Aeronáutica Brasileira: de janeiro de 1946 a janeiro de 1956 após o término da Segunda Guerra Mundial até a posse do Dr. Juscelino Kubitschek como Presidente da República (in Portuguese). 4. Rio de Janeiro: GR3 Comunicação & Design. pp. 344–345.
  3. Migliora, Carlos Affonso (1996). Breve resumo histórico da Aerovias Brasil e outras histórias... (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Sindicato Nacional dos Aeronautas. p. 110.
  4. Pereira, Aldo (1987). Breve história da aviação comercial brasileira (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Europa. pp. 283–287.
  5. Beting, Gianfranco; Beting, Joelmir (2009). Varig: Eterna Pioneira (in Portuguese). Porto Alegre and São Paulo: EDIPUCRS and Beting Books. pp. 98–114. ISBN 978-85-7430-901-9.
  6. Pereira, Aldo (1987). Breve História da Aviação Comercial Brasileira (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Europa. pp. 285–287.
  7. Pereira, Aldo (1987). Breve História da Aviação Comercial Brasileira (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Europa. p. 285.
  8. "Accident description PP-AVO". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  9. "Accident description PP-AXG". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  10. "Accident description PP-AVZ". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  11. Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "A sobrevivente". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928-1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 91–94. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
  12. "Accident description PP-AXJ". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  13. Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "Erro de navegação". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928-1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 112–117. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
  14. "Accident description PP-AVL". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
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