Aero California

Aero California (at times shortened AeroCal) was a low-cost airline with its headquarters in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, operating a network of domestic passenger flights with its hub at the city's Manuel Márquez de León International Airport.[2][3]

This article is about a former Mexican airline. For the defunct airline in California, see Air California.
Aero California
IATA ICAO Callsign
JR SER AEROCALIFORNIA
Founded1960[1]
Ceased operations2008
HubsMexico City International Airport
Focus citiesDon Miguel Hidalgo Int'l Airport
Gen. Abelardo L. R. Int'l Airport
Fleet size22 (upon closure)
Destinations17 (upon closure)
HeadquartersLa Paz, Mexico
Websitewww.aerocalifornia.com.mx (defunct)

History
An Aero California Convair CV-340 at Manuel Márquez de León International Airport in 1981.
An Aero California McDonnell Douglas DC-9 approaches Los Angeles International Airport in 2001.

The airline was founded in La Paz, Mexico in 1960 as an air taxi operator using a fleet of Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, initially known as Servicios Aéreos. By the early 1980s the demand for domestic charter flights had grown enough that the larger Douglas DC-3 was added to the fleet. Scheduled services were launched in June 1982, initially interlinking La Paz, Tijuana and Hermosillo using Convair 340 aircraft. In 1989, international scheduled jet flights commenced, with Los Angeles (LAX) being the first destination. By late 1989, the airline was also serving Phoenix (PHX) and Tucson (TUS) besides Los Angeles in the U.S.[4] [5] In 1992, San Diego (SAN) had been added to the list of cities served by Aero California in the U.S.[6] By 1995 the fleet had been upgraded to only include jet aircraft of various McDonnell Douglas DC-9 subtypes.

On 3 April 2006 all operations of Aero California were suspended by the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transport, for alleged deficiencies of administrative and operative nature. It was given 90 days to correct the problems and was able to resume services on 11 August 2006. On 23 July 2008 (at a time when the route network consisted of 17 domestic destinations),[7] the airline was again suspended, this time due to an alleged debt with the Mexican Air Traffic Control (SENEAM). This prompted a labor strike of the employees on 5 August, which technically continues to the present day. Aero California's license still remains valid to this day.

Destinations
Main article: List of Aero California destinations

Accidents and incidents
  • Aero California suffered an accident, which occurred on 29 January 1986. A Douglas DC-3 (registered XA-IOR) crashed into a range of hills near Las Lomitas during bad weather and visibility conditions, killing all 18 passengers and 3 crew. The aircraft had been on a scheduled passenger flight from Villa Constitución Airport to Los Mochis Airport.[8]
  • On 21 July 2004 at 19:33 local time, a Douglas DC-9 (registered XA-BCS) encountered a wind shear upon take-off at Mexico City International Airport to Durango. All 52 passengers and the four crew members survived the accident, but the airframe was damaged beyond repair and written off.[9][10]

Fleet

Aero California operated the following aircraft during its existence:[11]

  • Beechcraft 18
  • Convair 340
  • Douglas DC-3
  • Douglas DC-9-14
  • Douglas DC-9-15
  • McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32

The airline was operating an all-jet fleet with DC-9 aircraft when it ceased operations.

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References
  1. Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook (3rd ed.). Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 978-0-9653993-8-8. Archived from the original on 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  2. "Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. March 16–22, 2004. 46 "Aquiles Serdan No 1995, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23000, Mexico"
  3. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 46.
  4. http://www.departedflights.com/PHX89intro.html
  5. http://www.departedflights.com/TUS89intro.html
  6. http://www.departedflights.com/JR1992.html
  7. Hawley, Chris (30 July 2009), "Mexico's airline groundings spark protests", USA Today, retrieved 10 October 2009
  8. Aero California 1986 crash at the Aviation Safety Network
  9. Aero California 2004 accident at the Aviation Safety Network
  10. "Crash of a Douglas DC-9 in Mexico City, Mexico | B3A Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  11. http://www.airliners.net, photos of Aero California aircraft
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