Conviasa Woes Worsen as Venezuela Crisis Deepens

During an interview with Cesar Martinez Ruiz, president of Conviasa in 2012, he stated at that time that “Profits are irrelevant to us as we are a Socialist Airline”, consistent with the guidelines of the leftist government led by President Chavez. At that time, V0 had a mixed fleet of Boeing, Airbus, ATR, Bombardier and de Havilland aircraft. Soon after, the Embraers E190 came to the mix. As oil prices were above $100 and a burgeoning demand stimulated air traffic, everything seemed to be bright for the Venezuelan airline. However, three years later, the reality knocked at the door. Today, most of the Conviasa fleet is grounded due to several maintenance issues. The service has become irregular with severe delays and most of its destinations have been suspended or cancelled. More…