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Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas

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This article is about the Paraguayan airline. For the defunct Brazilian airline, see Linhas Aéreas Paulistas – LAP. For the Uruguayan regional airline, see Lapsa.
Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas S.A.
IATA ICAO Call sign
PZ LAP PARAGUAYA
FoundedNovember 17, 1962
Commenced operationsAugust 20, 1963
Ceased operationsOctober 6, 1996
HubsSilvio Pettirossi International Airport
Fleet size6
Destinations30
Parent companySAETA (1995-1996)
HeadquartersAsunción, Paraguay
FounderAdrian Jara

LAP - Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (also referred to as LAP and later LAPSA Air Paraguay) was a Paraguayan airline that was founded in November 1962 to be the flag carrier airline of Paraguay. Its main hub was Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, in Asunción. The airline ceased operations in 1996 after being sold to TAM Linhas Aéreas.

History

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Early operations

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A Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas Lockheed L-188C Electra at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in 1975

LAP was a creation of the Paraguayan Military Aviation on November 17, 1962. It was officially founded by the government through the Decree Nr.337 of March 18, 1963.[1] It began services on August 20, 1963, using three Convair CV-240. Services included flights to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Sao Paulo and Curitiba from the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion.

The CV-240s were replaced by three Lockheed L-188C Electra turboprops, which were acquired from Eastern Air Lines in 1969, and were operated for over 20 years.[2] On February 26, 1969, the airline began regular operation, with three weekly frequencies for Sao Paulo. Once a week, the flight continued to Rio de Janeiro, before returning to Asunción. In 1970, service started to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Resistencia and Salta with a Douglas C-47 transferred from the Military Air Transport of the FAP. In 1972, La Paz, Bolivia was added to LAP's network. In 1973 a route to Lima was inaugurated and in 1978 to Santiago.

Jet operations

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A Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas Douglas DC-8-61 at Miami International Airport in 1989

The good service offered by the Lockheed Electras made LAP have a presence in Latin America. By March 1977, the number of weekly frequencies for Brazil had already increased. The pure jet age came in 1978 with the purchase of two Boeing 707-320 from Pan Am and with those services to Miami began. In 1979, services started to Madrid and Frankfurt. When another 707 was bought in 1982, service to Brussels started. Due to noise restrictions, a former Air Canada DC-8-63 was bought in 1984 for the route to Miami. During the 1980s, other routes were tried like Mexico City and Panama City, but just for a few months. In 1988, a former Spantax DC-8-61 was bought. In 1990, it was replaced by a leased DC-8-62 for a few months.

On February 2, 1989, General Andrés Rodríguez of the Paraguayan Army carried out a coup d'état, putting an end to the dictatorial government of General Alfredo Stroessner. A short time later, the changes that took place in the country would reach LAP. Audits revealed that there were other officials and the quality of LAP's services was deteriorating. The president ordered in 1989 that the airline be maintained using its own income. In 1990, LAP received a former United Airlines DC-8-71, followed by another similar aircraft in 1991.

In 1992, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 came into service. Eventually, LAP received two more DC-10s, one former Air France for a few months and a former Varig. Operations to the US and Europe were performed by the DC-10s and regional flights with a 707 and the DC-8. In 1993, and for a few months, a BAe 146-300 was leased and operated on loan from the factory. Since LAP was a government-losing company, attempts to privatize were not fruitful and the money-losing operation was shut down on March 8, 1994.

Restart and end

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A LAPSA Airbus A310-300 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 1995

In October 1994, LAP was privatized and sold to Ecuatorian airline SAETA, forming an Ecuadorian-Paraguayan Consortium, and restarted operations on February 7, 1995, under the new name, LAPSA Air Paraguay with two Boeing 737-200, three Airbus A320-200, and one Airbus A310-300, all operated by SAETA.

On September 1, 1996, Aerolíneas Paraguayas, a Paraguayan regional subsidiary of TAM Linhas Aéreas, purchased 80% of the majority shares of LAPSA, which by then both airlines were merged under the name TAM – Transportes Aéreos del Mercosur. It was then sold to TAM Linhas Aéreas on October 6, which used two Fokker 100s to cover its regional destinations. However, routes to Miami and Europe never restarted afterward. In 2008, TAM Mercosur was renamed as TAM Paraguay, which continues to operate today under the LATAM brand.

Relaunch attempts

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On August 3, 2020, the director of the Dirección Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil, Félix Kanazawa, announced that the state had reacquired the company and consequently its routes in the Americas, the United States and Europe. Kanazawa also mentioned that a decision has not yet been made on whether the company will be 100% state-owned, but has announced that a possible reactivation of the defunct Paraguayan flag airline is being considered.[3]

In November 2021, Nella Linhas Aéreas announced its strategy of expanding operations in several Latin American countries with the re-launch of LAP. The airline was expected to return to service in March 2022 under the name LAP by Nella, with two Boeing 737-800s.[4][5] As of July 2024, this has not happened yet.

Destinations

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Argentina

Belgium

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Germany

Mexico

Netherlands

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Spain

United States

Uruguay

Fleet

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A Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas Boeing 707-320B taxiing at Frankfurt Airport in 1988

LAP used throughout the years the following aircraft:[7][8][9]

LAP / LAPSA fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A310-300 1 1995 1996 Operated from SAETA
Airbus A320-200 3 1995 1996 Operated by SAETA
Boeing 707-320B 3 1978 1994
Boeing 737-200 2 1995 1996 Leased from SAETA
British Aerospace BAe 146-300 1 1992 1993 Leased from British Aerospace
Convair CV-240 3 1963 1972
Douglas C-47 Skytrain 1 1972 1977
Douglas C-54 Skymaster 2 1963 1964
Douglas DC-8-61 1 1988 1990
Douglas DC-8-62 2 1990 1991
Douglas DC-8-63 1 1984 1994
Douglas DC-8-71 2 1990 1993 One former LAP DC-8 crashed in 2000
Lockheed L-188C Electra 3 1968 1994
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 3 1992 1994

Accidents and incidents

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  • On May 26, 1967, a Convair CV-240 (registered ZP-CDP) was approaching runway 10 of the Ministro Pistarini International Airport. The aircraft suddenly nosed down and crashed its left wing and broke off, the aircraft skidded onto the runway and came to rest upside down.[10] All 24 occupants onboard survived.
  • On May 8, 1969, a Convair CV-240 (registered ZP-CDN) was destroyed in a collision after a Pilatus PC-6 Porter (registered N356F) was doing a demonstration flight with one pilot on board and three passengers, two of them were high-ranking military officials.[11] Everyone on board the PC-6 were killed, while no one was on board the CV-240.

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ "Ministerio de Educación y Cultura - Paraguay » Fechas Especiales » Creación de Líneas Aérea Paraguayas - LAP".
  2. ^ Eastwood and Roach, 1998, p. 432
  3. ^ "DINAC already works in protocol for possible return from-LAP". ABC.com.py. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  4. ^ "Paraguay: Paraguayan Airlines returns under Nella's leadership". Aviacionline.com. 29 November 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  5. ^ "The spirit of Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas returning to the skies next year?". Mercopress.com. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "#TBT: Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (LAP) flights between Paraguay, Spain, Belgium and Germany in 1986". Aviacionline.com. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  8. ^ "LAPSA Air Paraguay Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "LAPSA fleet". aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  11. ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved March 26, 2010.

Bibliography

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  • Eastwood, Tony and Roach, John, Turbo Prop Airliner Production List, 1998, The Aviation Hobby Shop, ISBN 0-907178-69-3.
  • "La Historia de Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas" by Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia. Author's edition. Asunción. 2004
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Media related to Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas at Wikimedia Commons

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