Línea Aérea Conviasa – this is how Venezuela's state-owned airline is commonly known, although its full legal name sounds far more impressive: Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos (Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautical Industries and Air Services). The company's headquarters is located at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, near the country's capital – Caracas.
Conviasa's history begins with the collapse of another Venezuelan airline. In January 1997, Viasa ceased operations – a carrier that had served the country for 37 years but could not cope with prolonged financial problems. Venezuela was left without a national flagship. The idea of creating a new carrier emerged in May 2001, but its implementation took several more years.
On March 31, 2004, then-President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez signed a decree establishing the airline, which was published in the official gazette the following day. Thus began Conviasa's story.
The new company's first flight took place on November 28, 2004. A De Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft operated a service from the airport in Charallave to Santiago Mariño International Airport on Margarita Island. This was a symbolic beginning for an airline whose headquarters was actually located on that island. The company officially began its operations at national and international levels on December 10, 2004.
An interesting episode in Conviasa's history involves Iran Air. In March 2007, the Iranian carrier began operating flights from Caracas to Tehran via Damascus under a code-sharing agreement with Conviasa. The Venezuelan side joined in operating these flights seven months later.
An important milestone came in September 2012, when Conviasa received its first Embraer 190 aircraft. The company ordered twenty such aircraft, although only fifteen were ultimately delivered.
In recent years, Conviasa has been actively expanding its long-haul fleet. In July 2020, an Airbus A340-300 joined the fleet in addition to the existing A340-200 – this allowed for an increase in both cargo capacity and operational range. Then, in March and June 2022, two Airbus A340-600s entered the fleet. In 2022, the company announced the acquisition of an A340-500, but for some reasons the deal did not materialize. Yet this would have made Conviasa the only airline in the world operating all variants of the A340.
Today it is Venezuela's flagship and largest carrier, operating flights both domestically and to countries in the Caribbean, South America, and even to Moscow. To operate these flights, the airline manages a fleet of 24 aircraft, ranging from regional ATR 42s and Embraer 190s to long-haul Airbus A340s, as well as one presidential Airbus A319 ACJ.
Conviasa represents a typical example of a state carrier that assumed the role of national flagship after its predecessor's disappearance. Over two decades of existence, the company has evolved from its first modest flight on a turboprop Dash 7 to operating a family of long-haul Airbus A340s – an impressive evolution from a purely aviation perspective.
Conviasa's history begins with the collapse of another Venezuelan airline. In January 1997, Viasa ceased operations – a carrier that had served the country for 37 years but could not cope with prolonged financial problems. Venezuela was left without a national flagship. The idea of creating a new carrier emerged in May 2001, but its implementation took several more years.
On March 31, 2004, then-President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez signed a decree establishing the airline, which was published in the official gazette the following day. Thus began Conviasa's story.
The new company's first flight took place on November 28, 2004. A De Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft operated a service from the airport in Charallave to Santiago Mariño International Airport on Margarita Island. This was a symbolic beginning for an airline whose headquarters was actually located on that island. The company officially began its operations at national and international levels on December 10, 2004.
An interesting episode in Conviasa's history involves Iran Air. In March 2007, the Iranian carrier began operating flights from Caracas to Tehran via Damascus under a code-sharing agreement with Conviasa. The Venezuelan side joined in operating these flights seven months later.
An important milestone came in September 2012, when Conviasa received its first Embraer 190 aircraft. The company ordered twenty such aircraft, although only fifteen were ultimately delivered.
In recent years, Conviasa has been actively expanding its long-haul fleet. In July 2020, an Airbus A340-300 joined the fleet in addition to the existing A340-200 – this allowed for an increase in both cargo capacity and operational range. Then, in March and June 2022, two Airbus A340-600s entered the fleet. In 2022, the company announced the acquisition of an A340-500, but for some reasons the deal did not materialize. Yet this would have made Conviasa the only airline in the world operating all variants of the A340.
Today it is Venezuela's flagship and largest carrier, operating flights both domestically and to countries in the Caribbean, South America, and even to Moscow. To operate these flights, the airline manages a fleet of 24 aircraft, ranging from regional ATR 42s and Embraer 190s to long-haul Airbus A340s, as well as one presidential Airbus A319 ACJ.
Conviasa represents a typical example of a state carrier that assumed the role of national flagship after its predecessor's disappearance. Over two decades of existence, the company has evolved from its first modest flight on a turboprop Dash 7 to operating a family of long-haul Airbus A340s – an impressive evolution from a purely aviation perspective.