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RUTACA Airlines

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RUTACA Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
5R RUC RUTACA
Founded26 March 1974; 50 years ago (1974-03-26)
HubsSimón Bolívar International Airport
Fleet size9
Destinations14
HeadquartersCiudad Bolívar, Venezuela
FounderEvard Mares Bianchi
Employees+500 (2023)
Websitewww.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

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RUTACA Airlines was founded by Evard Mares Bianchi on March 26, 1974, and began operating non-scheduled cargo and passenger flights with small aircraft. 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.[2]

Destinations

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

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

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Aruba Oranjestad Queen Beatrix International Airport Terminated
Curaçao Willemstad Curaçao International Airport [4]
Dominican Republic La Romana La Romana International Airport Terminated
Punta Cana Punta Cana International Airport Terminated
Santo Domingo Las Americas International Airport Suspended [5]
Guyana Kaieteur Kaieteur International Airport Terminated
Mexico Cancún Cancún International Airport Terminated
Panama Panama City Tocumen International Airport [6]
Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain Piarco International Airport [7]
United States Miami Miami International Airport Terminated [8]
Venezuela Barcelona General José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport [9]
Barquisimeto Jacinto Lara International Airport
Caracas Simón Bolívar International Airport Hub
Carúpano General José Francisco Bermúdez Airport Terminated
Ciudad Bolívar Tomás de Heres Airport [10]
Cumaná Antonio José de Sucre Airport
El Vigia Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport Terminated
Maracaibo La Chinita International Airport [11]
Maturín José Tadeo Monagas International Airport [12]
Porlamar Santiago Mariño Caribbean International Airport
Puerto Ordaz Manuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport
San Antonio del Táchira Juan Vicente Gómez International Airport
Santo Domingo Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Airport [13]

Fleet

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Current fleet

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A former RUTACA Boeing 737-200 in the old livery at Santiago Mariño Caribbean International Airport in 2014
A RUTACA Boeing 737-300 in the new livery at Arturo Michelena International Airport in 2022

The RUTACA Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of June 2024):[14]

RUTACA Airlines fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Boeing 737-300 3 12 112 124
148 148
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 2 164 164
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 2 166 166
McDonnell Douglas MD-88 2 166 166
Total 9

Former fleet

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RUTACA Airlines formerly operated the following aircraft:

Accidents and incidents

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  • 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 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.[17]
  • 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

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References

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  1. ^ "Rutaca Airlines information". Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  2. ^ Ivan Nadalet (June 25, 2017). "Venezuela's Rutaca Airlines partially resumes operations". Ch-aviation.com.
  3. ^ "Rutaca - Destinos".
  4. ^ "Puerto la Cruz y San Cristóbal: Nuevos destinos de Rutaca en Barquisimeto". Noticiasbarquisimeto.com (in Spanish). Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Venezuela Suspends Flights to Panama and Dominican Republic Amid Political Tensions". Aviacionline.com. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  6. ^ "Rutaca Airlines: nueva aerolínea que opera en Panamá". Ecotvpanama.com (in Spanish). Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  7. ^ Grevic Alvarado. "Over 100 Trinidad and Tobago tourists head to Margarita". Newsday.co.tt.
  8. ^ "Rutaca Airlines inicia sus vuelos entre Barcelona y Miami a partir del 22 de diciembre". Aviacionaldia.com (in Spanish). December 15, 2017.
  9. ^ "Venezuela: Rutaca resumes flights to Barcelona". Aviacionline.com. 25 August 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "Rutaca incorpora a Ciudad Bolívar entre sus destinos nacionales". Versionfinal.com.ve. 8 April 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  11. ^ "Rutaca Airlines abrirá vuelo entre Maracaibo, Venezuela y Punta Cana". Arecoa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  12. ^ "Flights to Venezuela: Rutaca Airlines schedules flights between Caracas and Maturín". Aviacionline.com. 23 April 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  13. ^ Daniel Martínez Curiel. "Rutaca Airlines inicia vuelos entre Caracas y Santo Domingo del Táchira". Torreeldorado.co (in Spanish). Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  14. ^ "Rutaca Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  15. ^ "RUTACA retired its last Boeing 737-200adv and eight remain in service in Latin America". Aviacionline.com. January 15, 2024.
  16. ^ Aviation Safety Net accessed 15 August 2009
  17. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2H4 YV162T Caracas-Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  18. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan YV1950 Guasdualito-Vare Maria Airport (GDO)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
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