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| Founded | 1981 | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 1981 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 1992 | ||||||
| Hubs | Augusto C. Sandino International Airport | ||||||
| Headquarters | Managua, Nicaragua | ||||||
Aerolíneas Nicaragüenses S.A., operating as Aeronica, was an airline based in Nicaragua. Headquartered in the capital Managua, it operated scheduled passenger flights within Central America, as well as to Mexico City and the United States from its hub at the city's Augusto C. Sandino International Airport.[1]
Aeronica was founded in 1981,[1] as a consequence of the demise of LANICA in earlier that year.[2] Between 1985 and 1990, when the United States embargo against Nicaragua was in effect, the airline was banned from serving the important United States market. Further, Soviet-built Tupolev TU-154M were introduced into the Aeronica fleet as spare parts for US-made aircraft such as the Boeing 707, Boeing 720B, and Boeing 727 could not be acquired.[3] In the early 1990s, Aeronica came under economic, laboral, and political pressure.[4] Many of the airline's workers organized a strike in February 1992, over the privatization of their national airline.[5] On February 28, 1992, TACA acquired a 49 percent stake in the company, resulting in the loss of many jobs in Nicaragua.[6] In the same year, the airline license of Aeronica was revoked and in 1993 the airline shut down. Existing Aeronica airport infrastructure was then repurposed by Grupo TACA for use in their associated animal-transportation firm.[1]
In 1994, Grupo TACA reestablished the airline as NICA Airlines, with new colors and fleet. Ten years afterwards, TACA shut down the airline, due to marketing strategies in order to consolidate under the TACA Airlines branding in the region.
During the 1980s, Aeronica offered scheduled international passenger flights to the following destinations:[7]
Over the years of its existence, Aeronica operated the following aircraft types:[1]
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