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LADE

From Alfawiki
Líneas Aéreas del Estado (LADE)
Company typeGovernment-owned
IndustryAirline
PredecessorLíneas Aéreas Suroeste, Líneas Aéreas Noreste
Founded1945
FounderArgentine Air Force
Headquarters
Comodoro Rivadavia
,
Argentina
Area served
Domestic Argentina, mainly Patagonia region
ProductsScheduled domestic airline services
OwnerArgentine government (managed by Argentine Air Force)
Number of employees
150 (as of 1970)

Líneas Aéreas del Estado (LADE, ) is an airline headquartered in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. It is government-owned and managed by the Argentine Air Force, focusing on scheduled domestic routes mainly within the Patagonia region.

History

Founded in as an extension of the Argentine Air Force to operate routes that were economically unviable to private carriers, LADE began under the name Líneas Aéreas Suroeste. It adopted its present designation in 1945 after merging with Líneas Aéreas Noreste. By , its aircraft inventory included DC-3s, DC-4s, and Vikings.

In March 1970, the airline had a workforce of 150 and operated a fleet consisting of 14 DC-3s, two DC-4s, three DC-6 aircraft, and six de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter planes. Regular flights between Comodoro Rivadavia and the Falkland Islands commenced in 1972 using F27 aircraft. Due to the short runway at Port Stanley Airport, passenger loads were limited to 22 per trip. This route was discontinued in 1982 following the Falklands War.

By July 1980, the fleet had evolved to include 11 F27s (five F27-600s and six F27-400Ms), five F28-1000C jets, and seven Twin Otters. In March 1990, the fleet expanded further, comprising five F28-1000Cs, 13 various-model F27s, a single Lockheed L-100-30, and seven Twin Otters.

As of March 2004, LADE maintained an extensive domestic route network covering destinations such as Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, El Calafate, El Palomar, Neuquén, Puerto Madryn, Río Gallegos, San Carlos de Bariloche, and Ushuaia. The fleet at that time included Twin Otters, Fokker F27s, Fokker F28s, alongside one Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules. Starting December 2008, four Saab 340 aircraft replaced an equal number of Fokker F27s with an investment of US$34 million.

Destinations

As of June 2019, LADE's scheduled domestic destinations include:

Fleet

By April 2021, LADE's active fleet for scheduled services consisted of:

The cargo fleet leased from the Argentine Air Force includes:

Two Lockheed Martin C-130B Hercules aircraft were retired in 2011; meanwhile, the only remaining Lockheed Martin L-100-30 Hercules has been out of service since early 2010.

The Presidential Fleet operates separately from LADE's routine flights and comprises:

Several planes are currently non-operational:

By June 2012, most of LADE’s flights were conducted using Saab 340 aircraft with the Fokker F28 fleet reserved for Air Force duties. The Fokker F27 was withdrawn from commercial schedules in April 2009 but continued to operate sporadically on LADE services thereafter.

Accidents and incidents

Date Location Aircraft Tail number Damage Fatalities Description Refs
16 June 1995 Template:Country data HAITemplate:Namespace detect showallJeremie F27-400M TC-73 Total loss 0 Upon landing at Jeremie Airport, the left main landing gear failed, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway and collide with a building.
8 November 1995 Template:Country data ARGTemplate:Namespace detect showallVilla Dolores F27-400M TC-72 Total loss 53/53 While operating a domestic non-scheduled flight from Comodoro Rivadavia to Córdoba, the plane crashed into mountainous terrain amid adverse weather conditions.

See also

External links

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