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Aruba Airlines

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Aruba Airlines N.V.
IATA ICAO Call sign
AG ARU ARUBA
Founded2006
Commenced operationsMarch 31, 2013
HubsQueen Beatrix International Airport
Frequent-flyer programDiviMiles
Fleet size1
Destinations6
Parent companySeastar Holding N.V
HeadquartersOranjestad, Aruba
Key people
  • Esteban Valles (CEO)
  • Francisco Arendsz (CFO)
FounderOnno J. de Swart
Websitewww.arubaairlines.com

Aruba Airlines (legally Arubaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.) is the flag carrier and the sole airline of Aruba. The airline, founded in 2006, providing scheduled and charter air transport for passengers to 13 destinations. Aruba Airlines's corporate headquarters is in Oranjestad, Aruba. Aruba operates its primary maintenance base in Miami. They received an AOC from the United States in 2015.

History

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Aruba Airlines was established by Mr. Onno J. de Swart in 2006.[1] The airline began charter operations with a seven-seat Piper PA-31 Navajo in 2010.[2] The main headquarters is in the city of Oranjestad in Aruba, which is the main operation center, and the airline opened a new office at Queen Beatrix International Airport. It also has smaller offices in Miami, Curaçao, Bonaire and in Maracaibo, Valencia and Maracay.[3]

In early 2012 the company attracted new investors, leading to the upgrade of operations to jet aircraft.[2] The company received an economic air operator's certificate in August 2012.[4] The airline then arranged to lease two Airbus A320 twin-engined 150-seat jet airliners; the first one arrived in Aruba in November 2012.[2] The aircraft started to fly charter flights from Aruba at the end of 2012 and scheduled operations started on March 31, 2013, with Maracaibo, Venezuela as its initial destination. Flights to Panama City, Panama began on July 5 of that year.[5]

Aruba Airlines also started flying between Aruba to Curaçao and Santo Domingo in December 2015, operating with the Airbus A320.[6] In May 2016, it was announced that the Curaçao-Santo Domingo flight, as well as Panama, would be temporarily suspended and that operations would resume soon when able, although no reason was given for this.[7] In July 2016, the airline celebrated the signing of their fourth aircraft, with its first Airbus A319. The aircraft was delivered to Aruba Airlines in December 2016.[8]

Aruba Airlines announced on October 2, 2017, that it will be re-introducing service to Curaçao and introducing a new service to Bonaire. The flights would be operated with a Dash 8-300 that was signed for in September 2017 and that service to Curaçao would begin on October 23, 2017, with Bonaire's date to be announced.[9] Unfortunately the first flight was canceled due to the Dash 8 aircraft not being delivered on time and the airline officially commenced service to Curaçao on October 25, 2017, utilizing a Bombardier CRJ200, leased from Voyageur Airways, that was previously used to fly between Curaçao and Sint Maarten after the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.[10]

In a press conference held live in Curaçao on October 27, 2017, Francisco Arendsz, the airlines' accountable manager stated that the airline had planned to order an additional Dash 8-100, along with the original aircraft that was expected to be delivered as backup. This would be when they revealed the original aircraft was not ready. The current plan is temporarily using the leased CRJ200. The second CRJ200 will be delivered, wearing the company's official livery. Bonaire is planned to commence on 16 November 2017, if Aruba Airlines is permitted by Dutch Civil Aviation Authority.[11] Additional destinations planned for November include, Barquisimeto and Punto Fijo. The press conference also reflected on the future of the airline, including destinations planned for 2018, which included New York City, Argentina, and Bogotá. Flights to Argentina and New York were planned to be flown by an Airbus A330 that had supposedly been ordered recently.[12] On 14 November 2017, the inaugural flight to Curaçao, the CEO stated that next year there would be additional 4 aircraft excluding the already ordered CRJ200 for next year.[13]

Due to sanctions made by the Venezuelan government in the first half of 2018, the fleet renewal would be announced near the end of the year.[14]

Destinations

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A former Aruba Airlines Airbus A320-200 landing at Miami International Airport in 2016

As of December 2023, Aruba Airlines flies to the following destinations:[15]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
 Aruba Oranjestad Queen Beatrix International Airport Hub
 Bonaire Kralendijk Flamingo International Airport Suspended
 Colombia Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport Terminated
Medellín José María Córdova International Airport Terminated
Riohacha Almirante Padilla Airport Terminated
 Cuba Camagüey Ignacio Agramonte International Airport Terminated
Havana Jose Marti International Airport Terminated
Holguín Frank País Airport Terminated
Santa Clara Abel Santamaría Airport Terminated
 Curaçao Willemstad Curaçao International Airport Suspended
 Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Las Americas International Airport Terminated
 Guyana Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport Terminated
 Nicaragua Managua Augusto C. Sandino International Airport Terminated [16]
 Panama Panama City Tocumen International Airport Terminated
 Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain Piarco International Airport Terminated
 United States Miami Miami International Airport Operated by Global Crossing Airlines
Tampa Tampa International Airport Operated by Global Crossing Airlines
 Venezuela Maracaibo La Chinita International Airport Terminated
Las Piedras Josefa Camejo International Airport Terminated
Maracay Mariscal Sucre Airport Terminated
Valencia Arturo Michelena International Airport Terminated

Fleet

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Current fleet

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As of November 2023, the Aruba Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[17]

Aruba Airlines fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A320-200 1 180 180
Total 1

Former fleet

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Aruba Airlines previously operated the following aircraft:[17]

Aruba Airlines former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A319-100 1 2016 2018
Airbus A321-200 2 2021 2023
Bombardier CRJ200 2 2017 2020
Piper PA-31 Navajo 1 2006 Un­known

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Press release: Settlement between Aruba Airlines and de Swart". 16 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Aruba Airlines welcomes their first Airbus 320 Archived 27 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Aruba Airlines - Contact Us". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Minister Otmar Oduber signs economic AOC for Aruba Airlines". Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  5. ^ "Aruba Airlines Begins Operation to Maracaibo / Panama City from June 2013". Routesonline. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Aruba Airlines inaugurated its first flight to Curaçao". 16 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Aruba Airlines informs: "Temporary suspension of our operations on the Aruba-Curacao-Aruba route"". 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Aruba Airlines celebrates the incorporation of their fourth aircraft". 5 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Aruba Airlines confirms: Starts operating route Aruba – Curaçao on October 23". 3 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Aruba Airlines canceled first flight to Curaçao". 25 October 2017.
  11. ^ Eindredactie (28 October 2017). "Aruba Airlines nu wél naar Curaçao". Antilliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  12. ^ "ESO (Evento Show i Otro)". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  13. ^ straker (15 November 2017). "Bon recepcion pa Aruba Airlines cu a start sali cu su operacionnan pa Corsou - Vigilante". Vigilante. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  14. ^ Group, Headlines (19 April 2018). "Reanundacion di Aruba Airlines su vuelo nan pa y for di Venezuela - 24ora.com". 24ora.com. Retrieved 19 April 2018. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ "Destinations". arubaairlines.com. Aruba Airlines. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Aruba Airlines Cancels Its Flights Between Cuba and Nicaragua". Havanatimes.org. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Aruba Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
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Media related to Aruba Airlines at Wikimedia Commons