West Caribbean Airways

West Caribbean Airways S.A. (WCA) was a commercial airline founded in 1998 with its headquarters on the grounds of Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia.[1]

West Caribbean Airways
IATA ICAO Callsign
YH WCW WEST
FoundedDecember 29, 1998
Ceased operationsDecember 2005
HubsJosé María Córdova Int'l Airport
El Dorado Int'l Airport
Fleet size12
Destinations26
HeadquartersOlaya Herrera Airport
Medellín, Colombia
WebsiteWca.com.co

History

The company was founded in December 29, 1998 by Colombian businessman Hassan Tannir and began operations in December 1999. Originally based in San Andres, it began operations with four Let L-410 that served San Andres and Providencia Island as the first destinations.[2]

In 2000, West Caribbean Airways added flights to Cartagena, Monteria, and Barranquilla with ATR 42 aircraft 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 Colombia, and national airline Avianca. It had routes to El Bagre, Monteria, Caucasia, Tolu, Chigorodo, Otu, Puerto Berrio, among others.

The airline expanded very rapidly, and acquired two McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft 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.[3] 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.[4][3]

A few months later, in March 2005, an accident involving one of the airline's turboprop planes 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.[3]

On 16 August 2005, West Caribbean Airways 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 17 August.[4][5] The airline went into bankruptcy later in October of the same year.

The end of West Caribbean Airways operations occurs in December 2005, when the airline could no longer sustain operations of its latest MD-88, crew members indicate to passengers that the aircraft will remain on the ground due to the economic conditions to fly were not given and the airline did not have the ability to make money back.

Services

West Caribbean Airways operated the following services (at January 2005):

Fleet
West Caribbean Airways MD-82, this aircraft in particular crashed in Venezuela as West Caribbean Airways Flight 708.

The West Caribbean Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[6]

West Caribbean Airways fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
ATR 42-300 1 2000 2005
ATR 42-320 4 2001 2005
Let L-410 UVP-E 8 1999 2005
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 1 2003 2005
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 2 2003 2005

Incidents and accidents

References
  1. "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."
  2. "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."
  3. Ellsworth, Brian; Forero, Juan (17 August 2005). "160 Die in Crash of Airliner in Venezuela". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  4. Staff; agencies (18 August 2005). "Airline's flights suspended after Venezuela crash". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  5. "Venezuela Accident Probe Adds French Experts". The Daily Journal, at Newspapers.com. 19 August 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  6. https://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/West%20Caribbean%20Airlines.htm
  7. planecrashinfo.com
  8. Flight International, July 2005
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