Aerocondor Colombia CV-880???

[parkave231]

Hello everyone!  Before I get into my question, I want to thank each and every HJG group member for all of your efforts!  I sincerely appreciate the great detail and time you put into your projects!

This evening I'm flying into San Andres Island, Colombia, and in line with my usual habit, am already trying to figure out where I'm going next.  A valuable resource I have is a copy of the international OAG from 4/1/1977 (the BIG book), from which I find most of my HJG flights.

Tonight I found a few entries from San Andres to other cities via a connection in Miami.  The equipment was listed as "CV8," and all connections were "subject to government approval."  Aerocondor using the Convair 880 was news to me, but I've noticed what appear to be typos in the OAG before.

So then I went to the non-stop Miami - San Andres page to see if it showed anything different.  Nope -- three flights listed:

OD 414 -- Op 2 -- 13:00 - 15:10 CV8
OD 414 -- Op 7 -- 14:00 - 16:10 CV8
OD 414 PENDING GOVT APPROVAL

OD 202 -- Op 1, 5 -- 17:45 - 19:45 707

Mark, I know you're the expert on Colombian aviation   Was this a planned route that never happened, or a short-term lease of the 880?  Or just a whole mess of typos?

Thanks for any info!

Matt
KCLT

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

So far as I'm aware .... AEROCONDOR COLOMBIA "never" operated the CV-880 and nor did they ever code share or have any commercial alliance with any other airline that did.

From around 1972 .... when AEROCONDOR acquired it's first pure jet equipment .... it flew the B707-120B, -120BF, and B720-B only (in so far as it's jet fleet is concerned) on routes from Colombia to the USA, and some of which did operate via Isla de San Andres.

Prior to this period it flew the L-188 ELECTRA, DC-6, C-46 COMMANDO, and DC-3 .... which also operated to and/or passed through Isla de San Andres.

I'll check with Camilo though .... his father was a captain at AEROCONDOR from the early 1960's until the end/1980 .... but .... I'm sure he'll concur with me, as most other Colombians probably will too and whom a members of the HJG community, to the effect that AEROCONDOR "never" operated or were ever associated with the CV-880.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[parkave231]

Thank you for the insight, Mark! I agree that the answers will all come back that there never was a connection with the 880.

Matt
KCLT

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Since replying to this thread last evening .... I've been in contact with Camilo, and his dad, and they've responded accordingly too.

I can now confirm what I believed/suspected and did indeed communicate last evening .... that AEROVIAS AEROCONDOR DE COLOMBIA "did not" ever operate the CV-880.

By the 1970's (certainly by the mid 70's) the CV-880 had been withdrawn from the fleets of the 2 major airlines which operated it .... both DELTA and TWA. It was the CV-880's notorious economic disadvantage (in comparison with the B707/720, and DC-8 .... and even the B727) combined with impact of the first oil price shock of the 1970's that hastened, if not forced, their earlier than originally planned retirement from service.

The CV-880 continued to be operated by other airlines of lesser standing though .... and by travel clubs too .... each of whom seized upon the cheap availability of retired CV-880's as an opportunity to commence jet operations (and in some cases with CV-990's too .... as was certainly the case with both APSA and AEREA ECUADOR).

If that CV-880 data entry isn't just "a blatant error" .... THEN .... what could have, and sometimes did, transpire during that period (the 1970's) might have been something along the following lines ....

It wasn't uncommon for some operators to go so far as to "negotiate" equipment acquisitions, and for this to even go on public record too, simply to add weight to new route authorizations and/or approvals for increased schedules over exiting routes which they may have been seeking. In order to obtain such route authorizations, or approvals for such increased schedules over a particular route, upon application they'd first have to demonstrate they had the equipment to fly such routes/schedules (without actually even intending to operated a stated type at all) .... or that such equipment was on order or being negotiated for. This's could well be what happened in AEROCONDOR's case .... and why those data entries might have ended up coming to be .... with the rest now being forgotten/lost to history simply because it never actually eventuated. As things came to pass AEROCONDOR remained a B707-120B/BF and B720-B operator (in so far as it's international/trans-caribbean routes to the USA/MIA were concerned) until 1979 when it acquired an A300B on lease from AIRBBUS .... and ultimately became "the very first" Latin American operator of the A300B.

During the very late 1950's and very early 1960's .... REAL AEROVIAS (of Brasil) and TRANSCONTINAL AEROLINEAS (of Argentina) both seriously negotiated for CV-880's .... and would have become the first civil operators of the type within the Latin American region .... had REAL not been forced to merge with VARIG .... and had not TRANCONTINENTAL failed .... both before negotiated CV-880 (and CV-990) fleet acquisitions could be confirmed.

During the early 1960's VIASA VENEZEULA became "the only Latin American airline" to ever actually operate the CV-880 on scheduled PAX services .... and which came to fruition only through the airlines technical co-operation agreement with KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES .... servicing Curacao, Maracaibo, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Paramaibo, and Surinam .... all from Caracas .... and most of which were also operated as code share services for KLM.

During the 1970's INAIR PANAMA (of Panama), LATIN CARGA (of Venezuela), and SERCA (of Costa Rica) each operated freighter converted CV-880F's within the Caribbean and Latin American regions .... and to the USA (MIA primarily) .... but .... "NONE" of the carriers mentioned above had any connection to, or commercial/strategic alliances with, AEROVIAS AEROCONDOR DE COLOMBIA.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[parkave231]

Many thanks again, Mark, and to Camilo and his father! I tried searching for some old CAB applications and decisions based on what you mentioned, but not all of those have been scanned and posted to the Internet yet. Maybe one day I'll make a trip to the Library of Congress to find out more!

Matt
KCLT