Aeroperu (shorter for Empresa Nacional de Aeronavegación del Perú, SA) was the national flag air carrier of Peru.

History

Started in 1973, Aeroperu was formed to take over the international routes operated by APSA (owned then by Pan American Airways). At first, the airline was largely controlled by the Peruvian Air Force.

Aeroperu McDonnell Douglas DC-10 at Miami in August 1994, with Varig DC-10 next to it

Aeroperu was based at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, and grew into an international airline while also developing a large jet airplane route system domestically. In its early years Peru's flag carrier used Fokker F-28, Boeing 727, McDonnell Douglas DC-8 (which were leased from Viasa) and A Lockheed L-1011. Aeroperu's main concern was with South American routes, although it did serve Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City as well as Miami.

In the 1990s, economic trouble led to the sale of 47 percent of the airline to AeroMéxico. Aeroperu then re-introduced a new livery, similar to that of AeroMéxico. 3 727-200's and 3 DC10-15's were brought from Mexicana another subsidiary from AeroMexico at that time. 3 Boeing 757s were also introduced property of AeroMexico and another one Leased. Service to KLAX was introduced.

AeroPeru had suffered two fatal events (including Flight 603) on October 4 1996. The last one ultimately led to the airline's demise. Before the take-off of flight 603, the maintance crew erroneously left masking tape over the sensitive static ports of the plane, leading to serious and ultimately fatal contradictory and false emergency messages the crew kept receiving after take-off. All this prevented even ground radar from successfully assisting the flight crew during the emergengy, and which ultimately led to the plane's crash in the waters of the Pacific Ocean on October 2, 1996. This was a severe blow to the airline and one which it could never recover from.

On March 10, 1999, financial difficulties forced AeroPeru to cease operations. AeroPeru's major creditors decided, on August 18, to liquidate its assets.

Livery

Aeroperu's final livery featured a white upper fuselage and a grey lower fuselage, with dark blue and red cheatlines, the Peruvian flag over the front passenger windows, the tail covered in dark blue, with the name aeroperu inscribed in white and an Inca symbol in white.

Copyright note

Photo copyrighted by, and courtesy of, Mr. Omar Zekria.