Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela
Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela is a Venezuelan scheduled passenger airline with roots in the country’s first commercial airmail network.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela is a Venezuelan airline whose history began with the arrival of the French Aéropostale network in 1929. Established initially to connect Venezuela with the Caribbean and to carry mail, the operation developed into Línea Aeropostal Venezolana, commonly known as LAV, after the Venezuelan government acquired it in 1933 and transferred it progressively into national management. The carrier became one of Venezuela’s principal civil aviation operators, combining domestic passenger and cargo services with international routes across the Caribbean, South America, North America and, for a period, Europe. The airline’s development followed the broader evolution of commercial aviation. Its early fleet included Latécoère aircraft, Fairchild 71s and Lockheed Electras; Douglas aircraft later expanded passenger and cargo capacity. In the postwar era Aeropostal introduced Douglas DC-3s and DC-4s, Martin 2-0-2s and Lockheed Constellations. It inaugurated a direct Caracas–New York service in 1947 and subsequently added routes such as Lima, Bogotá, Panama and Aruba. During the 1950s and 1960s the carrier adopted Super Constellations, Vickers Viscounts, Douglas DC-8s and Avro 748s. The international network was partly separated from the domestic business in the early 1960s with the creation of Viasa, while Aeropostal retained a domestic and regional role. Aeropostal operated through several ownership and organizational phases. The Venezuelan state remained central to its history until commercial operations were suspended in 1994 during a government cost-reduction program. Assets were later sold at auction to a private group associated with Corporación Alas de Venezuela and Nelson Ramiz. The restarted airline flew from 1998, adding United States services and, later, a Madrid route. Its private period was marked by disputes over ownership of aircraft and the Aeropostal trade name, currency controls, fare restrictions, fleet reductions and regulatory intervention. The Venezuelan government announced an intention to nationalize the carrier in 2009. The airline retired its last DC-9-30 in 2011 while continuing to operate DC-9-50 aircraft for a time. It announced a suspension of operations on 24 September 2017, attributing the decision to financial and economic problems. In August 2018 it announced plans to resume scheduled flying, initially with Caracas–Havana service three times weekly. Public accounts of its later operating status and fleet are inconsistent, but Aeropostal remains identified with Venezuelan domestic and Caribbean passenger transport and with one of the longest-running airline brands in the country.
History
Aeropostal’s Venezuelan story began on 3 July 1929, when the French Aéropostale enterprise launched flights linking Venezuela with the Caribbean. The company viewed Venezuela as a strategic bridge between mainland South America and Guadeloupe and Martinique. Early services used Latécoère aircraft and concentrated on airmail and communications, but passenger transport quickly became part of the network. On 31 December 1933 the Venezuelan government acquired the airline after French state support ended. French personnel initially continued operating the service, but on 1 January 1935 the company was renamed Línea Aeropostal Venezolana and management was transferred to Venezuelan hands under Commander Francisco Leonardi. Full state ownership was secured in 1937 through additional capital and fleet renewal. Fairchild 71s and Lockheed 10 Electras supported expansion, while the headquarters moved from Maracay to Maiquetía in 1939 to improve access to Caracas. Douglas DC-3s were introduced the same year for larger passenger and cargo loads. International development accelerated after the Second World War. A Boa Vista service began in 1945, followed by Aruba in 1946. In 1947 Aeropostal opened direct Caracas–New York service using Lockheed Constellations. Routes to Lima and Bogotá followed in 1951, with the Bogotá operation connected to the acquisition of a majority interest in TACA de Venezuela. By 1958 TACA had been absorbed. During the 1950s the airline also added Panama and transatlantic operations and modernized with Super Constellations and Vickers Viscounts. A proposed order for de Havilland Comet aircraft was not completed after the type’s early accidents. In the early 1960s the state separated much of the international business into Viasa, leaving Aeropostal with a stronger domestic and regional identity. The brand adopted a simplified AEROPOSTAL wordmark and a bird emblem. Douglas DC-8 jets, Avro 748 turboprops, Caravelles, McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and later MD-80s successively shaped the fleet. In the late 1980s Aeropostal operated a Caracas–San Juan service and sponsored the Venezuelan television program Control Remoto. Commercial operations stopped in August 1994 during a public-sector cost-cutting effort. Assets were sold at auction in the late 1990s to Corporación Alas de Venezuela, associated with Nelson Ramiz and Haydhelm Emilia Velasquez Morales. The airline restarted on 7 January 1998. Its post-restart network included United States routes from July 1998 and Madrid from November 2001, although the Madrid service later ended. The ownership structure became the subject of litigation involving Alas International, which had financed the asset purchase. A New York judgment and later settlement addressed title to aircraft and the Aeropostal name, but subsequent alleged defaults generated further proceedings. The airline experienced increasing operational pressure in the 2000s. Currency controls and regulated fares were cited as obstacles to fleet maintenance and profitability. By late 2007 the fleet had reportedly been reduced from 22 aircraft to three, and the civil aviation authority temporarily grounded operations, stranding passengers. Reports in 2008 linked the airline to a group associated with the Makled family, although the validity of that transaction was disputed in light of the earlier asset arrangements. The government announced a nationalization plan in 2009. Aeropostal retired its last DC-9-30 in February 2011, with the final commercial flight of that subfleet taking place on 10 March. It later continued using DC-9-50 aircraft for a period. On 24 September 2017 the board announced a wider operational suspension because of financial and economic problems. On 8 August 2018 the company announced an intended resumption, initially with three weekly Caracas–Havana flights. Later operational data remains difficult to reconcile across public sources, so the airline’s current scale and fleet should be treated cautiously.
- 2018
Planned Caracas–Havana restart announced
[1]Aeropostal announces a proposed return to scheduled service with three weekly Havana flights.
- 2017
Operations cease again
[1]The board suspends airline operations because of financial and economic problems.
- 2011
DC-9-30 fleet retired
[1]The last DC-9-30 leaves commercial service, while DC-9-50 aircraft remain for a time.
- 1998
Operations restart under private ownership
[1]Corporación Alas de Venezuela resumes service using assets acquired through liquidation proceedings.
- 1994
Commercial operations suspended
[1]The airline stops flying during a government cost-reduction program.
- 1947
Caracas–New York service begins
[1]Aeropostal opens a direct international route using Lockheed Constellation aircraft.
- 1935
Renamed Línea Aeropostal Venezolana
[1]The business adopts its Venezuelan national airline identity and shifts to Venezuelan management.
- 1933
Venezuelan government acquires the airline
[1]The state purchases the operation after French government support ends.
- 1929
Aéropostale launches Venezuelan operations
[1]The French Aéropostale network begins flights in Venezuela, establishing the historical foundation of the Aeropostal brand.
Products and positioning
Venezuelan national airline brand serving domestic and regional passenger markets
Passenger aviation · 1929
Scheduled passenger services
Aeropostal’s core offering has been scheduled air transport for domestic Venezuelan travelers and, at various times, passengers traveling to Caribbean, South American, North American and European destinations. The route network and operating frequency have changed substantially across ownership and financial periods.
Air freight · 1929
Air cargo and mail services
The airline originated as an airmail operator and historically carried cargo alongside passengers. Mail and freight operations supported the early network and remained part of the carrier’s broader transportation role, although current scale and availability are not clearly documented.
Controversies
2008
Contested transaction linked to the Makled family
Reports connected a proposed sale to a group associated with the Makled family, later arrested by Venezuelan authorities on money-laundering and drug-trafficking charges. The effectiveness of the share transfer was disputed because of prior pledges and ownership litigation.
1998
Dispute over ownership of aircraft and the Aeropostal name
Alas International brought litigation against the private entities involved in the post-liquidation restart, arguing that funded assets and the trade name had not been transferred as agreed. A New York court ruled in favor of Alas, and a later settlement addressed title and permitted continued use under payment obligations. Further litigation followed after alleged defaults.
Brand decisions
2017
Suspend operationsStrategyBackground
The board cited financial and economic problems affecting the airline.
Action taken
Aeropostal ceased operations on 24 September 2017.
Aftermath
The company announced a proposed restart in 2018, beginning with Caracas–Havana service.
2009
Government announces intended nationalizationM&ABackground
The airline faced ownership disputes, financial pressure, currency controls and fleet-maintenance difficulties.
Action taken
The Venezuelan government announced its intention to nationalize Aeropostal.
Aftermath
Public sources do not provide a fully consistent account of the resulting ownership structure.
1960
Separate international operations into ViasaStrategyBackground
The Venezuelan government sought to distinguish international flying from Aeropostal’s domestic role.
Action taken
A new airline, Viasa, was created for international services while Aeropostal continued operating domestic and regional routes.
Aftermath
Aeropostal developed a more concentrated national and Caribbean identity, although it later resumed selected long-haul services.
Recent events
- 2018
Aeropostal announces return to scheduled flying[1]
Product launch
The company announced plans to restart scheduled services, initially linking Caracas with Havana three times each week.
- 2017
Aeropostal ceases operations amid financial problems[1]
Bankruptcy
Operations were suspended on 24 September after the board cited financial and economic difficulties.
- 2011
Aeropostal retires its last DC-9-30[1]
Product generation · Other
The airline’s special managing board announced the retirement of aircraft YV141T; DC-9-50 aircraft continued operating for a period.
- 2009
Aeropostal announces planned nationalization[1]
M&A
The Venezuelan government announced its intention to bring the airline back under state control.
- 1998
Private owners restart Aeropostal services[1]
M&A
Following an asset sale, Corporación Alas de Venezuela resumed airline operations and later expanded to the United States.
- 1994
Aeropostal suspends commercial operations[1]
Bankruptcy
Commercial flying stopped as part of a government effort to reduce public-sector expenses.
- 1933
Government acquires Aéropostale operation in Venezuela[1]
M&A · Other
The Venezuelan government purchased the French-backed airline operation, beginning its long state-owned phase.
Sources1 sources
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