Is this the only operational plane from RAVSA? I dunno..
In recent days, passengers of flights by Venezuelan air carrier RAVSA, better known as La Venezolana faced long delays. Really, really long delays.
As other airlines started to help out and the government began getting involved, rumours over the fact that company is now operating with only one aircraft sound kinda feasible.
Over the years there have been multiple, constant reports about RAVSA’s delays. As a matter of fact, the Civil Aviation Authority (INAC) briefly grounded all its flights back in 2012 and INDEPABIS has imposed plenty of fines on the company. Given the recent statement by Air and Sea Transportation Minister (don’t ask) Hebert García Plaza about taking “definitive corrective measures” in the case, Venezolana’s days could be numbered.
Of course, let’s not forget that RAVSA’s specific woes aside, air travel in Venezuela is filled with constant delays, insufficient options to satisfy demand, and an aged fleet of planes.
Caracas Chronicles 
OT but not so OT: when is El Presidente Legítimo going to fly elsewhere? We wanted to see in what airplane he was going to do that, right? The very expensive Chávezplane was wrecked and they wanted something Cuban-conform, didn’t they?
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According to Garcia Plaza: “Nicolás Maduro donó el avión presidencial a la línea aéra Conviasa para ser utilizado por el pueblo venezolano. Aunado a eso, autorizó la compra de 2 airbus para ampliar las rutas internacionales, que permitirá conectar a los pueblos hermanos del continente hacia Ecuador, Bolivia, República Dominicana, Argentina y Chile, tal como lo planteaba el Comandante Chávez“.
http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/216806/hebert-garcia-plaza-12-millones-de-pasajeros-se-movilizaron-a-traves-del-aeropuerto-de-maiquetia/
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What’s next? Hocking the presidential china? Renting out space in Miraflores? Oh, wait! They can’t because Chavez’s daughters have claim it as theirs.
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on the topic of air travel: any truth to those rumors flying around (heh) about international airlines pulling out of Venezuela?
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Air Europa announced they would suspend ticket sales until further notice, but looks like they backtracked a little bit hours later by smply “reducing” it.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-08/air-europa-halts-venezuela-sales-as-dollar-drought-hits-airlines.html
http://www.el-nacional.com/economia/Air-Europa-reduce-oferta-boletos_0_334166802.html
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Again, I think the airlines are full of it and it is all a big bluff.
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Maybe, you’re right. Time will tell.
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thanks for the reply :)
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Fresh from Bloomberg News: “Trapped Airline Cash in Venezuela Rises to $3.3 billion”. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-09/trapped-airline-cash-in-venezuela-rises-to-3-3-billion.html
The money (what else?) quote:
“Carriers including American Airlines (AAL) Inc., Grupo Aeromexico SAB and Avianca Holdings SA have been reducing their sales in the country since late 2012, as tighter currency controls make it difficult for companies to expatriate earnings amid 56 percent annual inflation and gradual devaluation.”
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I read somewhere that the airlines have millions in Venezuela. The gov allowed them, finally, to take out their money at the preferential rate of 18 bs/$. It was a take it or leave it type of deal. So, the airlines are taking it and leaving the country.
This regime thinks ppl are knocking on their doors, ready to kiss their butts. Se la tiran de exquisitos!
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Ironically, Venezolana was a pretty good airline when it started on time and responsible. I really don’t know the reasons why it became so bad. but again, a lot of this is related to currency controls and the lack of protection of investment, what Company is willing to invest millions of dollars buying new planes to get earnings in Bs? That’s why you get in Venezuela airlines flying with 30 and 40 year old planes phased out everywhere else. (Boeing 737-200 or DC-9) that brake down a lot and there are not spare parts because of Cadivi. These company, pretty rational, try to invest the least providing a crappy service to get the most out of these old planes without having to invest one dollar.
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I recall that when it started up, they had the best service in Venezuela. That lasted about a year.
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My daughter had a flight booked on Venezolano for a return to Maracaibo where she lives.
The flight was at 4 PM but after reading numerous horrror stories on Twitter about this airline we arrived at 1 PM to be sure that she got checked in without problems.
When she got to the counter she was told that the 4 PM flight was re-schelduled for 10.30 PM.
They admitted that the airline had be intervened because of bad service.
We returned to our house and at 8 pm she returned to the airport which is a 45 minute drive.
At midnight a representative of Venezolano called my wife & informed her that the flight was leaving Maracaibo for Porlamar to pick up the passengers waiting there.
At 2 AM the flight finally took off & she arrived at her home at 5.30 AM.
I wouldn’t fly on that airline if you paid me. I suspect that the overall flight safety of these planes (plane?) is suspect. All week Twitter was alive with reports of people being left in Panama with expired CADIVI credit cards & no money.
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The airline issue in Venezuela seems concerning. Tried booking on American to Caracas on different dates for 2014 and no tickets were available. LAN doesn’t let you book if flight originates in Caracas. Aeromexico, Air Europa, etc are not selling anymore in Venezuela. Expedia and other travel sites still show various options but least expensive are through Bogota in Avianca. Santa Barbara seems the only direct flight option open for Venezuelans at this moment if flying to Miami and I know they too struggle to meet currency needs.
If debt rose to 3.3 billion, this shows the problem is worsening, not improving. Demonstrates that the government is really taking currency rationing seriously. At some point or other currency will flow to Airlines and they will reallow buying tickets in local currency. But the balance of payment issue is getting more and more complicated and I’m certain currency shortages will go from bad to worse this year. Even if they pay a billion bucks now, debts will surmount again and the problem will repeat itself over and over again. Some airlines will just pull out rather than have to accept Venezuealn credit. ….Cuban-style isolation without the need of any prohibitions to exit the country.
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