West Caribbean Airways

Former Colombian airline

West Caribbean Airways

| IATA | ICAO | Call sign

|
|

YH  | WCW  | WEST
Founded| December 29, 1998
Commenced operations| November 13, 1999
Ceased operations| September 2005
Hubs| José María Córdova International Airport
Secondary hubs| El Dorado International Airport
Subsidiaries|

* West Caribbean Aruba
* West Caribbean Costa Rica

Fleet size| 4
Destinations| 26
Headquarters| Olaya Herrera Airport, Medellín, Colombia
Founder| Hassan Tannir
Website| Wca.com.co

West Caribbean Airways S.A. (abbreviated as WCA) was a commercial airline founded in December 1998 with its headquarters at Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia[1] after moving there from San Andres Island in 2001. It began operating in November 1999 and ceased operations in September 2005.[2]

## History

[edit]

The company was founded on December 29, 1998, by Colombian businessman Hassan Tannir and began operations on November 13, 1999. Originally based in San Andrés, it began operations as a charter with four Let L-410 Turbolets that served San Andrés and Providencia Island as the first destinations.[3]

In 2000, West Caribbean Airways added flights to Cartagena, Monteria, and Barranquilla with leased ATR 42s 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 and Avianca.

The airline expanded very rapidly, and acquired three McDonnell Douglas MD-80s 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.[4] 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.[5][4]

A few months later, on March 25, 2005, Flight 9955 crashed on takeoff, killing 9 of 14 onboard. This accident 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.[4]

Just 3 months later, on August 16, 2005, Flight 708 crashed in Venezuela, killing all 160 onboard. By the time of this accident, WCA had only four aircraft left in its fleet: a Let L-410, two undergoing maintenance, and the aircraft destroyed in Flight 708. West Caribbean Airways was grounded by UAEAC late in the day on August 17.[5][6]

The end of operations occurred in September 2005, when the airline could no longer sustain operations. A month later, crew members indicated to passengers that the airline would remain on the ground due to the poor economic conditions and that it did not have the ability to meet its financial obligations.

## Destinations

[edit]

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

Aruba

* Oranjestad (Queen Beatrix International Airport)

Colombia

* Apartadó (Antonio Roldán Betancourt Airport)
* Armenia (El Edén International Airport)
* Barranquilla (Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport)
* Bogotá (El Dorado International Airport) Hub
* Cali (Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport)
* Cartagena (Rafael Núñez International Airport)
* Caucasia (Juan H. White Airport)
* Chigorodó (Jaime Ortiz Betancur Airport)
* Cúcuta (Camilo Daza International Airport)
* El Bagre (El Bagre Airport)
* Manizales (La Nubia Airport)
* Medellín (José María Córdova International Airport) Hub
* Medellín (Olaya Herrera Airport)
* Montería (Los Garzones Airport)
* Otú (Otú Airport)
* Providencia (El Embrujo Airport)
* Puerto Berrío (Morela Airport)
* Quibdó (El Caraño Airport)
* San Andrés (Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport)
* Tolú (Golfo de Morrosquillo Airport)
* Turbo (Gonzalo Mejía Airport)
* Urrao (Urrao Airport)

Costa Rica

* San José (Juan Santamaría International Airport)

Cuba

* Varadero (Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport)

Panama

* Panama City (Tocumen International Airport)

## Fleet

[edit]

A West Caribbean McDonnell Douglas MD-82 in its "West Aruba" subsidiary livery in 2005. This is the aircraft that crashed as Flight 708 a month later.

The West Caribbean Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[7]

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  | One crashed as Flight 9955
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | 1  | 2003  | 2005  |
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 2  | 2003  | 2005  | One crashed as Flight 708

## Accidents and incidents

[edit]

* On March 26, 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 9955, a Let L-410 Turbolet (registered HK-4146), on departure from El Embrujo, Isla de Providencia failed to climb and hit hills close to the runway,[8] killing the two crew and six of the twelve passengers. Initial reports suggested a technical fault.[9]
* On August 16, 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a chartered McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registered HK-4374X) heading from Panama to Martinique in the Caribbean, crashed in remote western Venezuela due to human errors, killing all 160 aboard, mostly French nationals from Martinique.

## See also

[edit]

* List of defunct airlines of Colombia

## References

[edit]

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. ^ "West Caribbean Airways (WCA) history from Americas, Colombia". Airline History. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
3. ^ "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."
4. ^ a b c 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.
5. ^ a b Staff; agencies (18 August 2005). "Airline's flights suspended after Venezuela crash". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
6. ^ "Venezuela Accident Probe Adds French Experts". The Daily Journal, at Newspapers.com. 19 August 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
7. ^ "West Caribbean Airways Fleet and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
8. ^ planecrashinfo.com
9. ^ Flight International, July 2005

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to West Caribbean Airways at Wikimedia Commons
* West Caribbean Airways (Archive) (in Spanish)
* West Caribbean Airways Fleet

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