Sky Airline, styled as SꓘY, is an airline based at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile. It is the second largest airline in the country behind flag-carrier LATAM Airlines and the first airline to operate under a low-cost model in the country. It serves international routes to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. It also operates charter flights in Chile and South America and domestic flights within Peru.
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| Founded | 2001 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Sky Plus | ||||||
| Subsidiaries | Sky Airline Ecuador Sky Airline Peru | ||||||
| Fleet size | 29 | ||||||
| Destinations | 45[1] | ||||||
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | skyairline.com | ||||||
History
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Sky Airline was founded in 1981 as Flight Service - Servicios Aereos Ltda, operating air taxi services within Chile with 2 Piper PA-23-250F Aztec (CC-CGB and CC-CGC) and 1 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (CC-CFE) from Modelillo airport in Valparaiso, later moving to Los Cerrillos in Santiago. In 1999, it became controlled by a company made up of Jürgen Paulmann and Fernando Uauy, a businessman who had worked at National Airlines of Chile and Avant Airlines. The operation then changed its name to Sky Airline and began operating charters to Cuba in July 2001 with a Boeing 737/200 Adv.
Sky Airline was controlled by its founder, Jürgen Paulmann (1930–2014), a German-Chilean businessman, brother of retail billionaire Horst Paulmann.[2] It started Chilean domestic operations in December 2001 and made the first flights from Santiago to Northern Chile in June 2002. Since 2005 is a full member of IATA.
In April 2009, the company signed an agreement with Aerolíneas Argentinas, allowing the Argentinean flag carrier to offer in all its commercial offices and through its electronic ticket system most of the destinations covered by Sky Airline in Chile.[3]
In 2011, it signed a codeshare agreement with TACA for domestic flights in Chile, Peru and between both countries.[4] In 2012 it signed a codeshare agreement with TACA's parent company, Colombia's Avianca for operations between Chile and Colombia.[4]
The airline planned to transition to a low-cost carrier model during 2015 and 2016 to reduce costs.[5]
On June 28, 2023, it was announced that Avianca and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes plan to add Sky to their proposed Abra Group.[citation needed]
Awards
editSky Airline was named the Best Regional Airline in South America in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards.[6][7]
In addition, OAG (Official Airline Guide) declared Sky Airline as the most punctual airline of 2016.[8]
Maintenance
editMaintenance services are supplied by AIRMAN, a sister maintenance company based in Santiago Airport.
Destinations
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Fleet
editCurrent fleet
editAs of November 2023 the Sky Airline fleet consists of the following aircraft:[15]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A320neo | 25 | — | — | 186 | 186 | |
| Airbus A321neo | 4 | 3[citation needed] | — | 238 | 238 | |
| Airbus A321XLR | — | 10[16] | TBA | Deliveries from 2025. | ||
| Total | 29 | 13 | ||||
Fleet development
editIn September 2018 Airbus delivered the airline's first A320neo.[17]
In June 2019 Sky Airline signed a lease contract for three A321neo from Air Lease Corporation with deliveries scheduled in 2020 and 2021.[18] The first A321neo was delivered in June 2021.[19]
In December 2019 the airline ordered 10 A321XLR.[16]
Former fleet
editSince its beginnings, Sky Airline operated a 100% Boeing 737 fleet, these began to be replaced by Airbus A320 family planes in 2010 and were fully withdrawn in 2013.[20]
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Incidents and accidents
edit- On July 18, 2012, at 5:08 PM local time, a Sky Airline Flight SKU 101, operated by a Boeing 737-200 Advanced, registration CC-CRQ, with 115 passengers and 6 crew members on board, en route from Antofagasta Cerro Moreno Airport to La Serena-La Florida Airport, aborted landing at La Serena touching the runway with its right hand wing, suffering substantial damage to the wing tip and flap fairing. The plane safely landed at Copiapó-Chamonate Airport at 5:47 PM with no injuries. Visibility conditions at La Serena were rapidly deteriorating at the time of the approach, but still good enough for a safe landing (6000 m. visibility). The plane was subsequently repaired.[21]
- On October 14, 2015, a passenger on board SKU 112, an Airbus A319, filmed part of the plane's left engine cowling coming off as it took off from Santiago Airport en route to Chamonate Airport. The plane immediately returned to Santiago Airport and landed safely. No passengers were injured. A similar incident with the A319 had happened previously on a British Airways flight departing Heathrow Airport.[22]
References
edit- ^ "SKY Airline (Chile) on ch-aviation". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Las palabras que Horst Paulmann dedicó a su hermano Jürgen". 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Transport of insect repellent in view of the Dengue / Zica epidemic". www.aerolineas.com.ar. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ^ a b "Sky Airlines codeshare". www.skyairline.cl. Archived from the original on 2012-12-17. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ^ "Sky Goes Low Cost". Airliner World: 17. November 2015.
- ^ "The World's Best Regional Airlines | 2014". 2015-01-14. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "The World's Best Regional Airlines in 2015". www.worldairlineawards.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ^ "SKY Airline: la más puntual del mundo el 2016". ModoCharlie (in Spanish). 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
- ^ "Sky Airline Flight Booking". SKY Airline. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ "Route map Sky Airline (H2)". flightconnections.com. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ "Route map Sky Airline Peru (H8)". flightconnections.com. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ a b "Sky Airline adds 2 new Brasilian routes from June 2024". AeroRoutes. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Sky Airline resumes Sao Paulo service from Dec 2018". Routesonline. 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Sky Airline resumes Montevideo service from Dec 2019". AviacionNews. 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Sky Airline Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Chile's SKY orders 10 A321XLRs to expand its international footprint". airbus.com. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Airbus delivers first A320neo to Sky Airline". www.airbus.com. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Chile's SKY Airline to add A321neo". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Chile's SKY takes delivery of its first A321neo". www.airbus.com. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Sky Airline Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net Just Aviation. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Descripción del Accidente ASN 18 JUL 2012 Boeing 737-230 CC-CRQ - La Serena-La Florida Airport (LSC)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ^ "Engine Breaks Apart In Passenger Video Onboard Sky Airline Flight 112". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
External links
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