RUTACA Airlines

Venezuelan airline

RUTACA Airlines

| IATA | ICAO | Callsign

|
|

5R  | RUC  | RUTACA
Founded| February 6, 1974
Hubs| Simón Bolívar International Airport
Fleet size| 8
Destinations| 13
Headquarters| Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela
Founder| Evard Mares Bianchi
Website| www.flyrutaca.com

RUTACA Airlines (legally Rutas Aéreas C.A.) is an airline headquartered in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela with its home base at Tomás de Heres Airport and a hub at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas.[1]

## History[edit]

RUTACA Airlines was founded by Evard Mares Bianchi on February 6, 1974, and began operating non-scheduled cargo and passenger flights with small aircraft.[2] It currently operates scheduled and charter services throughout the country.

The airline's operations suffered gravely during the 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis, including suspending flights between key routes.

## Destinations[edit]

A former RUTACA Embraer EMB 110 at Piarco International Airport in 2003

As of August 2023[update], RUTACA Airlines serves the following destinations:[3]

Country  | City  | Airport  | Notes  | Refs

|
|
|
|

Aruba | Oranjestad | Queen Beatrix International Airport | Terminated |
Curaçao | Willemstad | Curaçao International Airport | Terminated |
Dominican Republic | La Romana | La Romana International Airport | Terminated |
Dominican Republic | Punta Cana | Punta Cana International Airport |  |
Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | Las Americas International Airport |  | [4]
Guyana | Kaieteur | Kaieteur International Airport | Terminated |
Mexico | Cancún | Cancún International Airport | Terminated |
Panama | Panama City | Tocumen International Airport |  | [5]
Sint Maarten | Philipsburg | Princess Juliana International Airport | Terminated |
Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | Piarco International Airport | Charter |
Venezuela | Barcelona | General José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport |  | [6]
Venezuela | Barquisimeto | Jacinto Lara International Airport |  |
Venezuela | Caracas | Simón Bolívar International Airport | Hub |
Venezuela | Carúpano | General José Francisco Bermúdez Airport | Terminated |
Venezuela | Ciudad Bolívar | Tomás de Heres Airport |  | [7]
Venezuela | Cumaná | Antonio José de Sucre Airport | Terminated |
Venezuela | El Vigía | Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport | Terminated |
Venezuela | Maracaibo | La Chinita International Airport |  | [8]
Venezuela | Maturín | José Tadeo Monagas International Airport |  | [9]
Venezuela | Porlamar | Santiago Mariño Caribbean International Airport |  |
Venezuela | Puerto Ordaz | Manuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport |  |
Venezuela | Santo Domingo | Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport |  | [10]

## Fleet[edit]

### Current fleet[edit]

A RUTACA Boeing 737-200 at Santiago Mariño Caribbean International Airport in 2014

The RUTACA Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of March 2023):[11]

RUTACA Airlines fleet  Aircraft  | In
service  | Orders  | Passengers  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Boeing 737-200 | 1  | -- | 120  |
Boeing 737-300 | 3  | -- | 148  |
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 2  | -- | 166  | One operated by Venezolana
McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | 2  | -- | 166  |
Total  | 8  | -- |

### Former fleet[edit]

RUTACA Airlines formerly operated the following aircraft:[2]

* 6 Antonov An-2TP
* 1 Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
* 1 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander
* 17 Cessna 206
* 1 Cessna 207
* 4 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
* 1 Convair CV-340
* 1 Convair CV-440
* 8 Douglas C-47A Skytrain
* 1 Douglas DC-3C
* 6 Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

## Accidents and incidents[edit]

* On June 5, 1987, a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (registration YV-230C) was disarmed in flight over the area of Upata, Bolívar state. All 10 occupants on board died.

* On January 25, 2001, RUTACA Airlines Flight 225, a Douglas DC-3 (registered YV-244C) crashed shortly after taking off from Ciudad Bolívar, killing all 20 passengers and four crew members.[12]

* On October 16, 2008, a Boeing 737-200 (registered YV162T) landed on runway 28R at Simón Bolívar International Airport following a domestic flight from Puerto Ordaz. After touchdown, the airplane swerved to the left. The nose came to rest on the runway embankment.[13]

* On February 15, 2009, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (registered YV1950) overran the runway at Guasdualito Airport following a domestic flight from Las Flecheras Airport. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller and underside of the fuselage.[14]

* On July 27, 2010, a Boeing 737-200 (registered YV169T) made an emergency landing at Ciudad Guayana international airport following a domestic flight from Ciudad Bolivar after problems in engine number one.

## See also[edit]

* List of airlines of Venezuela

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Rutaca Airlines information". Retrieved 30 March 2018.
2. ^ a b "Rutaca Airlines". Rzjets.net.
3. ^ "Rutaca - Destinos".
4. ^ "Rutaca Airlines inaugurates a new route between Maracaibo and Santo Domingo". Aviacionaldia.com. 11 July 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
5. ^ "Rutaca Airlines: nueva aerolínea que opera en Panamá". Ecotvpanama.com (in Spanish). Retrieved August 20, 2023.
6. ^ "Venezuela: Rutaca resumes flights to Barcelona". Aviacionline.com. 25 August 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
7. ^ "Rutaca incorpora a Ciudad Bolívar entre sus destinos nacionales". Versionfinal.com.ve. 8 April 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
8. ^ "Rutaca Airlines abrirá vuelo entre Maracaibo, Venezuela y Punta Cana". Arecoa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved October 28, 2021.
9. ^ "Flights to Venezuela: Rutaca Airlines schedules flights between Caracas and Maturín". Aviacionline.com. 23 April 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
10. ^ Daniel Martínez Curiel. "Rutaca Airlines inicia vuelos entre Caracas y Santo Domingo del Táchira". Torreeldorado.co (in Spanish). Retrieved November 16, 2021.
11. ^ "Rutaca Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
12. ^ Aviation Safety Net accessed 15 August 2009
13. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2H4 YV162T Caracas-Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
14. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan YV1950 Guasdualito-Vare Maria Airport (GDO)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.

## External links[edit]

Media related to Rutaca Airlines at Wikimedia Commons

* Official website

Portals:

* Venezuela
* Companies
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Airlines of Venezuela

Scheduled|

* Aerolíneas Estelar
* Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela
* Avior Airlines
* Conviasa
* LASER Airlines
* RUTACA Airlines
* Turpial Airlines

Charter|

* Albatros Airlines
* Venezolana

Cargo|

* Vensecar Internacional

Defunct|

* Aero Ejecutivos
* Aserca Airlines
* Avensa
* Avior Regional
* LAI – Línea Aérea IAACA
* LaMia
* Latin Carga
* Línea Turística Aereotuy
* SBA Airlines
* Servivensa
* Sol América
* Viasa
* Zuliana de Aviación

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