Latin American Wings
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 2015 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 27 January 2016 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 10 March 2018 | ||||||
| Operating bases | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 5 | ||||||
| Destinations | 8 | ||||||
| Key people | Andrés Dulcinelli, general manager | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Latin American Wings (LAW) was a short-lived scheduled charter airline based at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile. At the time that operations were suspended,[1] LAW flew to six destinations using Boeing 737-300 aircraft.
History
LAW was founded by a group of lawyers; executives in the insurance company and construction industries; and pilots for Middle Eastern airlines. It was led by Andrés Dulcinelli. The consortium had invested US$3 million in the airline, which might increase to $5 million. LAW would focus on operating flights to underserved markets.[2]
LAW operated its first flight on 27 January 2016, from Santiago to Punta Cana.[2][3] Flights made a technical stop in Lima.[4] LAW used a Boeing 737-300 aircraft belonged to fellow start-up Chilejet.[5] The airline had planned to receive two Boeing 767-300 operated by Air New Zealand and two Boeing 757-200 operated by Icelandair. In August 2017, the CEO of the LAW had stated a plan to add up to 14 Boeing 737-300 in the next two years.[citation needed]
In February 2017, the Chilean government filed a complaint against LAW for possible implications related to Haitian immigrants smuggling, using the route between Santiago and Port-au-Prince to smuggle an estimate of 14,000 people. [6]
After only 2 years, unable to gain any significant market share against Sky Airline and the nascent JetSmart, LAW abandoned all domestic operations in January 2018. Two months later, on March 10, facing the inability to use Jorge Chávez International Airport as a technical stop effective March 15, LAW announced that it was suspending operations.[1]
Destinations
At the time that operations were suspended, LAW flew to the following destinations:
| Country | City | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Mendoza | Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport | — |
| Chile | Santiago | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport | Base |
| Dominican Republic | Punta Cana | Punta Cana International Airport | — |
| Haiti | Port-au-Prince | Toussaint Louverture International Airport | — |
| Peru | Lima | Jorge Chávez International Airport | — |
| United States | Miami | Miami International Airport | — |
| Venezuela | Caracas | Simon Bolivar International Airport (Venezuela) | — |
Fleet
When operations were suspended, the Latin American Wings consisted of the following aircraft:[7]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300 | 5 | — | ||||
| Total | 5 | — | ||||
References
- ^ a b "LAW suspends operations". World Airline News. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ a b Infante, M. P. and Villagrán, J. M. (30 December 2015). "New Chilean airline will debut in late January" (in Spanish). El Mercurio: B5. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ "New Chilean airline will arrive in Paraguay" (in Spanish). ABC Color. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ "Chile's Latin American Wings commences operations". Ch-aviation. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Chile's Latin American Wings eyes launch later this month". Ch-aviation. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ "Migrant smuggling: Why the Government is accusing LAW and how the airline is defending itself (in Spanish)". EMOL. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2017): 9.