West Caribbean Airways

The company was founded on 29 December 1998, by Colombian businessman Hassan Tannir and began operations on 13 November 1999. Originally based in San Andrés, it began operations as a charter with four Let L-410 Turbolets that served San Andrés and Providencia Island as the first destinations.

In 2000, West Caribbean Airways added flights to Cartagena, Monteria, and Barranquilla with leased ATR 42s and also expanded to international routes to Varadero, Cuba; Panama City, Panama; and San Jose, Costa Rica. The next year, a group of investors acquired the airline and relocated its headquarters to Medellín. This put it in competition with ACES and Avianca.

The airline expanded very rapidly and acquired two McDonnell Douglas MD-80s, which operated various international and regional routes.

By 2005, serious financial and procedural problems were evident at West Caribbean Airways. It posted $6 million in losses in 2004. In January, the airline was fined $45,000 by Colombia's civil aeronautics government agency, UAEAC, for 14 safety violations, including lack of training for pilots, pilots flying too many flight hours, and flight data not being properly logged in.

A few months later, on 25 March 2005, Flight 9955 crashed on takeoff, killing 9 of the 14 passengers on board. This accident brought further scrutiny by UAEAC. Due to its 2004 losses, the civil aviation authority began close monitoring of West Caribbean Airways's finances in May, though it was stated that the airline was fulfilling its commitments.

Just 3 months later, on 16 August 2005, Flight 708 crashed in Venezuela, killing all 160 on board. By the time of this accident, WCA had only four aircraft left in its fleet: a Let L-410, two undergoing maintenance, and the aircraft destroyed in Flight 708. West Caribbean Airways was grounded by the UAEAC late in the day on 17 August.

Operations ended in September 2005, when the airline could no longer sustain them. A month later, the airline staff indicated to passengers that the airline would remain on the ground due to the poor economic conditions and that it could not meet its financial obligations. The airline's operating licence was formally revoked by the UAEAC on 17 October 2006.

Subsidiaries

West Caribbean Aruba

West Caribbean Airways Aruba N.V. (ICAO: WAU, call sign: WEST ARUBA) was a planned low-cost carrier based in Aruba. It was founded on 23 August 2004. The parent company was negotiating to utilize Aruba as its main hub for growth across the Americas, including the United States, with recruitment of local pilots and cabin crew for MD‑80 operations to position itself ahead of regional competitors by quickly entering countries with open-skies agreements. The airline was planned to commenced operation on 18 March – 29 April 2005. However, it became several delayed and abandoned until it dissolved on 1 June 2006.

West Caribbean Costa Rica

West Caribbean Costa Rica S.A. (IATA: 0W, ICAO: WCR, call sign: WEST CARIBBEAN) was a regional airline based in Costa Rica It was founded on 4 October 2002 and commenced flight operations on 15 December 2003 with 20% stake equity by its parent company, which had accumulated approximately US$6 million in debt—equivalent to owing 97 cents for every dollar earned.

Destinations

West Caribbean Airways operated the following services:

Brazil

Accidents and incidents

On 26 March 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 9955, a Let L-410 Turbolet (registered HK-4146), on departure from El Embrujo, Isla de Providencia failed to climb and hit hills close to the runway, killing the two crew and six of the twelve passengers. Initial reports suggested a technical fault.

On 16 August 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a chartered McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registered HK-4374X) heading from Panama to Martinique in the Caribbean, crashed in remote western Venezuela due to human errors, killing all 160 aboard, mostly French nationals from Martinique.