Sky Airline Explained

Sky Airline should not be confused with Sky Airlines.

Airline:Sky Airline
Fleet Size:29
Destinations:45[1]
Iata:H2
Icao:SKU
Callsign:AEROSKY
Founded:2001
Headquarters:Santiago, Chile
Subsidiaries:Sky Airline Ecuador
Sky Airline Peru
Key People:
  • Jürgen Paulmann (founder)
  • Holger Paulmann (CEO)
Hubs:Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
Frequent Flyer:Sky Plus
Website:skyairline.com

Sky Airline, styled as SꓘY, is an airline based at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile. It is the second largest airline in the country behind flag-carrier LATAM Airlines and the first airline to operate under a low-cost model in the country. It serves international routes to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. It also operates charter flights in Chile and South America and domestic flights within Peru.

History

Sky Airline was founded in 1981 as Sky Service, operating air taxi services with Piper Aztec within Chile. In 1999, it became controlled by a company made up of Jürgen Paulmann and Fernando Uauy, a businessman who had worked at National and Avant. The operation then changed its name to Sky Airline and began operating charters to Cuba in July 2001 with a Boeing 737/200 Adv.

Sky Airline was controlled by its founder, Jürgen Paulmann (1930–2014), a German-Chilean businessman, brother of retail billionaire Horst Paulmann.[2] It started Chilean domestic operations in December 2001 and made the first flights from Santiago to Northern Chile in June 2002. Since 2005 is a full member of IATA.

In April 2009, the company signed an agreement with Aerolíneas Argentinas, allowing the Argentinean flag carrier to offer in all its commercial offices and through its electronic ticket system most of the destinations covered by Sky Airline in Chile.[3]

In 2011, it signed a codeshare agreement with TACA for domestic flights in Chile, Peru and between both countries.[4] In 2012 it signed a codeshare agreement with TACA's parent company, Colombia's Avianca for operations between Chile and Colombia.[4]

The airline planned to transition to a low-cost carrier model during 2015 and 2016 to reduce costs.[5]

On June 28, 2023, it was announced that Avianca and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes plan to add Sky to their proposed Abra Group.

Awards

Sky Airline was named the Best Regional Airline in South America in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards.[6] [7]

In addition, OAG (Official Airline Guide) declared Sky Airline as the most punctual airline of 2016.[8]

Maintenance

Maintenance services are supplied by AIRMAN, a sister maintenance company based in Santiago Airport.

Destinations

CountryCityAirportNotesRefs
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil charter
BrasíliaBrasília International Airportalign=center [9]
Porto AlegreSalgado Filho Porto Alegre International Airportalign=center
align=center [10]
Chile
Colombia
Peru Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Operated by Sky Airline Perú
United States Operated by Sky Airline Perú
Uruguay align=center [11]

Fleet

Current fleet

As of November 2023 the Sky Airline fleet consists of the following aircraft:[12]

Aircraft! rowspan="2" style="width:60px;"
In ServiceOrdersPassengersNotes
MYTotal
Airbus A320neo25 - - 186186
Airbus A321neo43 - 238238
Airbus A321XLR - 10[13] TBADeliveries from 2025.
Total2913

Fleet development

In September 2018 Airbus delivered the airline's first A320neo.[14]

In June 2019 Sky Airline signed a lease contract for three A321neo from Air Lease Corporation with deliveries scheduled in 2020 and 2021.[15] The first A321neo was delivered in June 2021.[16]

In December 2019 the airline ordered 10 A321XLR.

Former fleet

Since its beginnings, Sky Airline operated a 100% Boeing 737 fleet, these began to be replaced by Airbus A320 family planes in 2010 and were fully withdrawn in 2013.[17]

Sky Airline historical fleet
AircraftIntroducedRetired
Boeing 737-20020012013
Boeing 737-30020082008
Airbus A31920132020
Airbus A32020102019

Incidents and accidents

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SKY Airline (Chile) on ch-aviation . 2023-11-09 . ch-aviation . en.
  2. Web site: Las palabras que Horst Paulmann dedicó a su hermano Jürgen. 3 October 2014.
  3. Web site: Transport of insect repellent in view of the Dengue / Zica epidemic. www.aerolineas.com.ar. 2016-05-20.
  4. Web site: Sky Airlines codeshare. https://archive.today/20121217123319/https://www.skyairline.cl/(S(isilfob2av4in2eolilkyovl))/pop/index.aspx?noticia=11. dead. 2012-12-17. www.skyairline.cl. 2016-05-20.
  5. Sky Goes Low Cost. Airliner World. November 2015. 17.
  6. Web site: The World's Best Regional Airlines 2014 . 2015-01-14 . 2016-05-20 . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20150114190219/http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards/worlds_best_regional_airlines.html . January 14, 2015 .
  7. Web site: The World's Best Regional Airlines in 2015. www.worldairlineawards.com. 2016-05-20.
  8. News: SKY Airline: la más puntual del mundo el 2016. 2017-01-06. ModoCharlie. 2017-08-22. es-LA.
  9. Web site: Sky Airline adds 2 new Brasilian routes from June 2024 . AeroRoutes . 9 January 2024 . 17 January 2024.
  10. Web site: Sky Airline resumes Sao Paulo service from Dec 2018. Routesonline. 1 November 2018.
  11. Web site: Sky Airline resumes Montevideo service from Dec 2019. AviacionNews. 23 August 2019.
  12. Web site: Sky Airline Fleet Details and History. planespotters.net. 9 July 2023. 25 July 2023.
  13. Web site: Chile's SKY orders 10 A321XLRs to expand its international footprint. airbus.com. 9 December 2019. 25 July 2023.
  14. Web site: Airbus delivers first A320neo to Sky Airline . 2023-11-25 . www.airbus.com.
  15. Web site: Chile's SKY Airline to add A321neo . 2023-11-25 . ch-aviation . en.
  16. Web site: Chile's SKY takes delivery of its first A321neo . 2023-11-25 . www.airbus.com.
  17. Web site: Sky Airline Fleet Details and History. Planespotters.net Just Aviation. 13 September 2013. 20 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121020050232/http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Sky-Airline. dead.
  18. Web site: Descripción del Accidente ASN 18 JUL 2012 Boeing 737-230 CC-CRQ - La Serena-La Florida Airport (LSC). Ranter. Harro. aviation-safety.net. 2016-05-20.
  19. Web site: Engine Breaks Apart In Passenger Video Onboard Sky Airline Flight 112. 2015-10-15. 2015-10-19. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk.