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| Founded | June 1945 (1945-06) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 1946 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 1981 | ||||||
| Hubs | Augusto C. Sandino International Airport | ||||||
| Headquarters | Managua, Nicaragua | ||||||
Líneas Aéreas de Nicaragua, operating as LANICA, was an airline from Nicaragua. Headquartered in the capital Managua, it operated scheduled passenger flights within South and Central America, as well as to the United States.
The carrier was founded in June 1945 (1945-06) as a subsidiary of Pan American Airways, with this airline initially holding 40% of the company. Domestic services began in 1946 with Boeing 247 equipment.[3] The company bought the assets of a local airline called Flota Aérea Nicaragüense (FANSA) in 1950, acquiring the control of the lucrative routes to the mining towns of Bonanza and Siuna in the north.[citation needed]
By March 1953 (1953-03), the carrier's route network was 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long.[4] At March 1955 (1955-03), the fleet comprised seven DC-3s and one Navion that operated local routes;[5] that year, the airline carried 21,852 passengers.[6]
LANICA's fleet in April 1965 (1965-04) was composed of one DC-3, one DC-4, one DC-6, and four C-46s, with the DC-6 flying to Miami and San Salvador.[7]
In early 1966, the carrier ordered a BAC One-Eleven 400.[8] Pending delivery of this new aircraft, another BAC One-Eleven, leased from Aer Lingus, was deployed on the Managua–Salvador–Miami sector in November 1966 (1966-11).[9] Starting 19 October 1967 (1967-10-19),[10] LANICA's own BAC One-Eleven was operated on a joint-ownership basis with TAN Airlines.[11] The last BAC 1-11 was disposed of in October 1972.[12]
Starting in May 1972, LANICA operated four examples of the larger four-engined Convair 880 jet airliner on their scheduled passenger services to Miami. The last was disposed of in 1977.[13]
Pan Am's participation in the airline had decreased to 10% by 1975; private investors held 85% of the company until July 1972 (1972-07), when Howard Hughes took control of 25% of it, through Hughes Tool Company, in exchange for the lease of two Convair 880s. By March 1975 (1975-03), LANICA's fleet consisted of two Convair 880s, three C-46s, and four DC-6s that served a route network including domestic services, as well as international passenger and cargo services to Mexico City, Miami, and San Salvador.[14] Two more Convair 880s were acquired in 1977.[15]
The government of Somoza was overthrown following the rise to power of the Sandinistas in 1979.[16][17] The shares held by the Somoza family —the major stockholders at the time— were seized by the Junta of National Reconstruction,[17] but the airline's debts were not absorbed by the new government.[18] LANICA was declared bankrupt by a Nicaraguan court in March 1981 (1981-03),[18][19] ceasing all operations on 31 August 1981.[20][unreliable source?] In May of that year, the airline had a fleet of two Boeing 727-100s, three C-46s, one DC-6, and employed a 450-strong staff.[21] LANICA was succeeded by Aeronica as Nicaragua's flag carrier.[22]
LANICA offered scheduled international passenger flights to the following destinations:[23]
Over the years of its existence, LANICA operated the following aircraft types:[24]
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|
| Convair 880 | ||
| Boeing 727 | ||
| BAC One-Eleven | ||
| Vickers Viscount 742-D | ||
| Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando | ||
| Douglas DC-3 |
| Date | Location | Aircraft | Tail number | Aircraft damage | Fatalities | Description | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 August 1948 | Unknown | Douglas C-47-DL | AN-ACZ | W/O | Unknown | Unknown | [25] |
| 23 January 1957 |  Ometepe Island
|
Douglas R4D-5 | AN-AEC | W/O | 16/16 | Control of the aircraft was lost while flying the last leg of a domestic scheduled Managua–Bluefields–San Carlos–Managua passenger service. Crashed into Concepción after banking sharply to the left. A fire erupted following the crash, destroying the airframe completely. | [26] |
| February 1960 | Unknown | Douglas C-47A | AN-ADQ | W/O | Unknown | Unknown | [27] |
| 5 April 1960 | Siuna
|
C-46A | AN-AIN | W/O | 2/18 | Crashed on a hillside while operating a domestic Siuna–Bonanza scheduled passenger service. | [28] |
| 4 November 1969 | Unknown | BAC One-Eleven | unknown | none | none | Two hijackers commandeered the aircraft during a flight from Managua, Nicaragua, to San Salvador, El Salvador, demanding to be flown to Cuba. Instead, the airliner diverted to Grand Cayman Island in the Cayman Islands. | [29] |
| 25 February 1976 | Managua
|
C-46D | AN-AOC | W/O | 0 | Landing gear collapse during touchdownatManagua Airport. | [30][31] |
| 17 March 1976 | Puerto Cabezas
|
C-46A | AN-BGA | W/O | 0 | Unknown | [32] |
| 16 May 1980 | Bonanza
|
C-46A | YN-BVL | W/O | 0 | Crashed at Bonanza-San Pedro Airport after striking a ditch on landing. | [33] |
| 13 November 1980 |  Panama City
|
Douglas DC-6BF | YN-BVI | W/O | 0 | Nosegear collapse. | [34] |
Taxying in at San Salvador's Ilopango Airport is the BAC One-Eleven 400 which was originally bought by Lanica of Nicaragua and which now operates services with TAN Airlines of Honduras on a joint-ownership basis.
Lanica of Nicaragua has acquired two more Convair CV-880s.
Aeronica is the new Nicaraguan state carrier, having been formed when Lanica was declared bankrupt.
A Lineas Aereas de Nicaragua Curtiss CW-20,AN-AOC, was damaged on landing at Managua on February 25 when the starboard undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft was badly damaged but there were no passenger injures.
