Dienstag, 25. September 2007

Buenos Aires - "Summer" 2003/2004

Buenos Aires' s downtown airport, called Aeroparque, has always been very nice to take pictures. Low fences and an attractive background helped to get some unique pictures. In winter 2003/4 there were still some more airlines around - although it seems the Argentina airline scene gets back onto their feet.


Established in 1999, Aerovip operated a fleet of 6 Jetstream 32EP on local flights in the greater Buenos Aires area, but also to neighboring Uruguay. In 2004 the airlines suspended operations and was bought by LAN Airlines (Chile) together with also bankrupt Southern Winds to use their personnel to establish LAN Argentina. LV-ZOW is in use with newly founded Macair Jet which uses another ex Aerovip example as well.


Aerolineas Argentinas operated two planes in this special livery promoting the soccer club Boca Juniors who won the South America championship in 2003, a Boeing 747 and this Boeing 737-236 LV-ZSW bought from British Airways in 1999.


Another ex BA example, in this case LV-ZRE of Aerolineas Argentinas, is banking to the left to avoid overflying downtown B.A. - This B737 soldiers on today with Aloha Airlines of Hawaii as N828AL.

The BN 2A Islander LV-WFR belongs to Puerto Carmelo and is often seen at AEP. It's used for charter flights across the Rio de la Plata to Carmelo (Uruguay), only 60km away.

Biz Jets are not a rare sight at AEP, but this was my first and only BBJ I saw during several visits. XA-AEX looks pretty and was operating for Mexican Omniflys, which operates an Gulfstream IV today using the same registration after the BBJ was sold. It was registered as P4-KAZ but sports a rather bland color scheme nowadays.

Sabreliner 75A T-11 is the plane of the Commander of the Aerial Operations of the Fuerza Aerea Argentina and as been in service since 1975.