"One Of" The Last Commercially Operated B732's

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

A recent flight report in regard to what's "POSSIBLY" one of the last remaining B737-200's in "commercial PAX service" (certainly within the Latin American region at least) at the moment .... this particular aircraft being operated by Maracaibo, Venezuela, based VENEZOLANA DE AVIACION (YV3471) ....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po7enUeReuY

There are apparently a couple of other B737-200's owned by Barcelona, Venezuela, based AVIOR AIRLINES which are apparently out of service but at least one of which is/was apparently being overhauled with the intention of it being returned to commercial PAX service.

B737-200 YV3471 HISTORY

C/N # 21598
L/N # 512

This particular aircraft was first delivered to FRONTIER AIRLINES (N7341F) during April 1978. It was sold to UNITED AIR LINES (N976UA) during November 1975. Then sold to AIR ONE LLC during July 2011. It was then sold to VENEZOLANA DE AVIACION (YV502T) during August 2011 .... and re-registered "YV3471" during January 2020. In VENEZOLANA service this particular was involved in ground incident at Las American International Airport, Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana on June 9th 2023 .... the standing aircraft apparently rolled into ground equipment resulting in damage to its nose and one of its engine nacelles and cancellation of its return service to Venezuela that same day ....



.... but was repaired and returned to VENEZOLANA service on June 24th 2023 and with whom it continues to operate today.

AVIATION SAFETY NETWORK REPORT: VENEZOLANA DE AVIACION B737-291 ADV YV3471, JUNE 9TH 2023
aviation-safety.net/wikibase/315015

INDEPENDENT NEWS ITEM
airlive.net/emergency/2023/06/10/ground-incident-occurred-at-santo-domingo-airport-involving-aerolineas-venezolana-de-aviacion-boeing-737/

There are apparently couple of other B737-200's owned by Barcelona, Venezuela, based AVIOR AIRLINES which are currently out of service .... but ..... at least one of which is/was being overhauled recently with the intention of it being returned to commercial service with AVIOR.

Got an HJG painter whom may already be working up B732 textures for both of these operators.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Herman]

I suppose that noise and environmental regulations in some South American countries would still allow the operation of the 737-200's.

Herman

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

I suppose that noise and environmental regulations in some South American countries would still allow the operation of the 737-200's

To some extent (and such applies to the remaining B727's within the region too) although I think civil aviation regulators within throughout SA region are starting to tighten things up a bit .... certainly in Colombia.

I know most of, if not all of, the Colombian operated B727's (and I think AEROSUCRE still operate the B732C) have been Hush-Kitted, but, I suspect the primary driving force behind that motivation is more in regard to being able to (legally) operated these aircraft into the USA and other US territories within the Caribbean region.

Mark C
AKL/NZ