Sky Airline
{{Short description|Chilean airline}}
{{distinguish|Sky Airlines}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Sky Airline
| logo = Sky Airline Logo.svg
| logo_size = 150
| image = File:CC-AZE SCEL Feb. 23rd 2019 (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 300
| caption = Sky Airline A320neo taxiing at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport.
| fleet_size = 29
| destinations = 45{{Cite web |title=SKY Airline (Chile) on ch-aviation |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/H2 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=ch-aviation |language=en}}
| IATA = H2
| ICAO = SKU
| callsign = AEROSKY
| parent = Abra Group (minority investment)
| 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
| alliance =
| website = [http://www.skyairline.com/ 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
File:Sky Airline CC-CTK at Maquehue Airport.jpg formerly operated by Sky Airline between 2001 and 2013]]
Sky Airline was founded in 1981 as Flight Service - Servicios Aereos Ltda, operating air taxi services within Chile with 2 Piper PA-23-250F Aztec (CC-CGB and CC-CGC) and 1 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (CC-CFE) from Modelillo airport in Valparaiso{{cn|date=March 2025}} , later moving to Los Cerrillos in Santiago. In 1999, it became controlled by a company made up of Jürgen Paulmann and Fernando Uauy, a businessman who had worked at National Airlines of Chile and Avant Airlines.{{cn|date=March 2025}} The operation then changed its name to Sky Airline and began operating charters to Cuba in July 2001 with a Boeing 737/200 Adv.{{cn|date=March 2025}}
Sky Airline was controlled by its founder, Jürgen Paulmann (1930–2014), a German-Chilean businessman, brother of retail billionaire Horst Paulmann.{{Cite web|url=https://www.capital.cl/las-palabras-que-horst-paulmann-dedico-a-su-hermano-jurgen/|title = Las palabras que Horst Paulmann dedicó a su hermano Jürgen|date = 3 October 2014}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aerolineas.com.ar/en-AR/Prensa/Comunicado/2389_agreement-between-aerolineas-argentinas-and-the-chilean-sky-airline|title=Transport of insect repellent in view of the Dengue / Zica epidemic|website=www.aerolineas.com.ar|access-date=2016-05-20}}
In 2011, it signed a codeshare agreement with TACA for domestic flights in Chile, Peru and between both countries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyairline.cl/(S(isilfob2av4in2eolilkyovl))/pop/index.aspx?noticia=11|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121217123319/https://www.skyairline.cl/(S(isilfob2av4in2eolilkyovl))/pop/index.aspx?noticia=11|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-12-17|title=Sky Airlines codeshare|website=www.skyairline.cl|access-date=2016-05-20}} In 2012 it signed a codeshare agreement with TACA's parent company, Colombia's Avianca for operations between Chile and Colombia.
The airline planned to transition to a low-cost carrier model during 2015 and 2016 to reduce costs.{{cite journal|title=Sky Goes Low Cost|journal=Airliner World|date=November 2015|page=17}}
On June 28, 2023, it was announced that Avianca and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes plan to add Sky to their proposed Abra Group.{{cn|date=June 2024}}
Awards
Sky Airline was named the Best Regional Airline in South America in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards/worlds_best_regional_airlines.html |title=The World's Best Regional Airlines {{!}} 2014 |date=2015-01-14 |access-date=2016-05-20 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114190219/http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards/worlds_best_regional_airlines.html |archive-date=January 14, 2015 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards/worlds_best_regional_airlines.html|title=The World's Best Regional Airlines in 2015|website=www.worldairlineawards.com|access-date=2016-05-20}}
In addition, OAG (Official Airline Guide) declared Sky Airline as the most punctual airline of 2016.{{Cite news|url=http://modocharlie.com/2017/01/sky-airline-la-mas-puntual-del-mundo-el-2016/|title=SKY Airline: la más puntual del mundo el 2016|date=2017-01-06|work=ModoCharlie|access-date=2017-08-22|language=es-LA}}
Maintenance
Maintenance services are supplied by AIRMAN, a sister maintenance company based in Santiago Airport.
Destinations
File:Countries served by SKY Airline.svg
File:Sky Airlines, A320, Santiago, 27th. Dec. 2010 - Flickr - PhillipC.jpg at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (2010)]]
= Interline agreements =
Sky Airline has Interline agreements with the following airlines:
- Aerolineas Argentinas{{cite web | url=https://aviacionaldia.com/en/2024/05/aerolineas-argentinas-sky-airline-announce-interline-agreement.html | title=Aerolineas Argentinas, SKY Airline announce interline agreement | date=29 May 2024 }}
- Air Europa{{cite web | url=https://www.panrotas.com.br/aviacao/empresas/2024/12/sky-e-air-europa-fecham-acordo-de-interline-envolvendo-mais-de-30-destinos_212788.html | title=Sky e Air Europa fecham acordo de interline envolvendo mais de 30 destinos | date=17 December 2024 }}
- Air Francehttps://www.aviacionline.com/sky-airline-and-air-france-klm-sign-interline-agreement-covering-over-30-destinations-in-latin-america
- KLMhttps://www.aviacionline.com/sky-airline-and-air-france-klm-sign-interline-agreement-covering-over-30-destinations-in-latin-america
- TAP Air Portugalhttps://www.aviacionline.com/sky-airline-and-tap-air-portugal-sign-interline-agreement-to-enhance-connectivity-between-europe-and-south-america
Fleet
=Current fleet=
As of January 2025, the Sky Airline fleet consists of the following aircraft:{{Cn|date=December 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin:auto;"
|+SKY Airline Fleet ! rowspan="2" style=":width:120px" " |Aircraft ! rowspan="2" style="width:60px;" |In Service ! rowspan="2" style="width:25px;" |Orders ! colspan="3" class="unsortable" |Passengers ! rowspan="2" style="width:350px;" |Notes |
| M
!Y !Total |
|---|
| Airbus A320neo
|29 |— |— |186 |186 | |
| Airbus A321neo
|7 |—{{cn|date=June 2024}} |— |238 |238 | |
| Airbus A321XLR
|— |colspan="3"|TBA |Deliveries from 2025. |
| Total
!36 !10 ! colspan="4" | |
= Fleet development =
In September 2018, Airbus delivered the airline's first A320neo.{{Cite web |title=Airbus delivers first A320neo to Sky Airline |url=https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-09-airbus-delivers-first-a320neo-to-sky-airline |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=www.airbus.com|date=28 October 2021 }}
In June 2019, Sky Airline signed a lease contract for three A321neo from Air Lease Corporation with deliveries scheduled in 2020 and 2021.{{Cite web |title=Chile's SKY Airline to add A321neo |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/79019-chiles-sky-airline-to-add-a321neo |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=ch-aviation |language=en}} The first A321neo was delivered in June 2021.{{Cite web |title=Chile's SKY takes delivery of its first A321neo |url=https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-07-chiles-sky-takes-delivery-of-its-first-a321neo |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=www.airbus.com|date=28 October 2021 }}
In December 2019, the airline ordered 10 A321XLR.File:A320neo SKY.png on final approach to Presidente Carlos Ibanez International Airport]]
=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.{{Cn|date=December 2024}}
| STYLE="vertical-align: top"|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;text-align:center;" |+ Sky Airline historical fleet |
| Aircraft
!Introduced !Retired |
|---|
| style="text-align:left;"|Boeing 737-200
|2001 |2013 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Boeing 737-300
|2008 |2008 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Airbus A319
|2013 |2020 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Airbus A320
|2010 |2019 |
|}
Incidents and accidents
- On July 18, 2012, at 5:08 PM local time, a Sky Airline Flight SKU 101, operated by a Boeing 737-200 Advanced, registration CC-CRQ, with 115 passengers and 6 crew members on board, en route from Antofagasta Cerro Moreno Airport to La Serena-La Florida Airport, aborted landing at La Serena touching the runway with its right hand wing, suffering substantial damage to the wing tip and flap fairing. The plane safely landed at Copiapó-Chamonate Airport at 5:47 PM with no injuries. Visibility conditions at La Serena were rapidly deteriorating at the time of the approach, but still good enough for a safe landing (6000 m. visibility). The plane was subsequently repaired.{{Cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20120718-0&lang=es|title=Descripción del Accidente ASN 18 JUL 2012 Boeing 737-230 CC-CRQ - La Serena-La Florida Airport (LSC)|last=Ranter|first=Harro|website=aviation-safety.net|access-date=2016-05-20}}
- On October 14, 2015, a passenger on board SKU 112, an Airbus A319, filmed part of the plane's left engine cowling coming off as it took off from Santiago Airport en route to Chamonate Airport. The plane immediately returned to Santiago Airport and landed safely. No passengers were injured. A similar incident with the A319 had happened previously on a British Airways flight departing Heathrow Airport.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/10/15/engine-breaks-apart-in-passenger-video_n_8300862.html|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2015-10-19|title=Engine Breaks Apart In Passenger Video Onboard Sky Airline Flight 112|publisher=www.huffingtonpost.co.uk}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.skyairline.com Official Web Site]
{{commons category|Sky Airline}}
{{Portalbar|Chile|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of Chile}}
{{IATA members|latinam}}
Category:Airlines established in 2001
Category:Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association