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{{Short description|Defunct national airline of Peru (1973–1999)}}
{{Distinguish|Air Perú|Aerolíneas Peruanas|Peruvian Airlines|Peruvian International Airways}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Aeroperú
| logo = Aeroperu-3.svg
| logo_size = 200
| fleet_size = 22 <small>(at time of closure)</small>
| destinations = 34 <small>(at time of closure)</small>
| IATA = PL
| ICAO = PLI
| callsign = AEROPERÚ
| parent = [[Aeroméxico]]
| founded = {{start date|1973|05|22}}
| commenced = {{start date|1973|10|03}}
| ceased = {{end date|1999|08|18}}
| headquarters = [[Lima]], [[Peru]]
| key_people = 
| hubs = {{nowrap|[[Jorge Chávez International Airport]]}}
| secondary_hubs = 
| focus_cities = {{nowrap|[[El Dorado International Airport]] <br /><small>(late 1990s)</small>}}
| frequent_flyer = Club Premier
| alliance = 
| subsidiaries = 
| num_employees = 1,500
| website = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/*/https://www.aeroperu.com.pe}}
}}

'''Empresa de Transporte Aéreo del Perú S.A.''' branded as '''Aeroperú''', was a [[Peru]]vian airline, serving as [[flag carrier]] of Peru from 1973 to 1999. The company was headquartered in [[Lima]], with the city's [[Jorge Chávez International Airport]] serving as its primary hub. Besides an extensive domestic route network, Aeroperú offered international flights to destinations in Latin America and the United States of America. The company had around 1,500 employees. It ceased operations in 1999, with [[LATAM Airlines Perú|LAN Perú]] being its successor as flag carrier.

==History==
[[File:Boeing 727-193, AeroPeru AN0435485.jpg|thumb|An Aeroperú [[Boeing 727-100]] at [[Jorge Chavez International Airport]] in 1988]]
[[File:Aeroperú DC-8 OB-1210 MIA 1992-12-8.png|thumb|An Aeroperú [[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-62H]] landing at [[Miami International Airport]] in 1992]]

Aeroperú was formed on May 22, 1973, following the reorganization of SATCO,<ref>{{cite web|title=Servicio Aéreo de Transportes Comerciales (SATCO)|url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/database/operators/5411|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> an earlier airline founded on 1960 and controlled by the [[Peruvian Army]]. Initially, a wholly state-owned company with a fleet of three [[Fokker F28 Fellowship]]s taken over from SATCO, commercial flights were commenced in October on the Lima-[[Cusco]] route. Soon, a [[Boeing 727]] joined the fleet, and the airline placed an order for two new [[Fokker F27 Friendship]]s. In 1974, two [[Douglas DC-8]]s were acquired from [[Viasa]], which allowed the company to launch international flights. 

The inaugural international flight to [[Buenos Aires]] took place on 29 July 1974, soon followed by a scheduled service to Miami. By 1978, the Aeroperú network had grown to include many Latin American destinations, and also the US cities of New York and Los Angeles due to their large [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino populations]].<ref>{{cite thesis|last1=Bailly|first1=Augusto|title=Profiling and Predicting Post-Shopping Outcome Behavior of Passenger-Consumers of Airlines in Peru: An Empirical Study|date=1991|degree=PhD|publisher=Union Institute|page=25|id={{ProQuest|303955643}}|language=en|chapter=History of Aeroperu}}</ref>
In July 1981, Aeroperú was gradually privatized, with the Peruvian government keeping a 20% minority share.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shea|first1=W. Christopher|title=Aeroperu and Lapsa: Peru, Paraguay, and Privatization|journal=Administrative Law Review|date=1996|volume=48|pages=579|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/admin48&div=57&id=&page=}}</ref> In 1982, plans were made for a merger with [[Faucett Perú]], the other large Peruvian passenger airline at that time. As a preparatory measure, redundancies in the route networks of the two airlines were eliminated, to which end Aeroperú suspended flights to a number of destinations,<ref name=fiPeru82>{{cite news|title=Peru streamlines its airlines|work=Flight International|date=24 April 1982|page=1028|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1982/1982%20-%201084.html|accessdate=19 April 2013}}</ref> including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, New York City and Los Angeles.<ref name=fi82>{{cite news|title=World airline directory|work=Flight International|date=3 April 1982|page=801|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1982/1982%20-%200845.html|accessdate=19 April 2013}}</ref> No further steps were taken towards merging the two airlines, and so in 1983 flights to several destinations recommenced.<ref>{{cite news|title=Latin America-Caribbean|work=Air Transport World|date=1 May 1984|issn=0002-2543}}</ref> A bilateral air traffic agreement between Peru and the United States expired on 11 November 1983. Because of disagreements over the granting of [[Freedoms of the air#Fifth freedom|fifth freedom rights]], all flights between the two countries were suspended in May 1984<ref name=fiDispute85>{{cite news|title=US/Peru dispute upsets tourism|work=Flight International|date=26 January 1985|page=32|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1985/1985%20-%200222.html|accessdate=19 April 2013}}</ref> until mid-1985, which affected Aeroperú's Lima-Miami route.
In 1993, [[Aeroméxico]] acquired 70% of the shares worth $54 million, thus making Aeroperú its subsidiary.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nash|first1=Nathaniel C.|title=No Longer a Pariah, Peru Is Being Recast As Business Magnet|volume=143|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/02/business/no-longer-a-pariah-peru-is-being-recast-as-business-magnet.html|work=The New York Times|issue=49503|date=2 November 1993}}</ref> Subsequently, two [[Boeing 757-200]]s were transferred, allowing Aeroperú to replace their ageing DC-8s. In 1996, 47% of Aeroperú was transferred to Cintra, the parent company of Aeroméxico and [[Mexicana de Aviación (1921–2010)|Mexicana de Aviación]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Von Hagen|first1=Adriana|title=Aeromexico Heads South|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A13453471/AONE?u=fres85346&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=e72ae0af|work=Airline Business|date=14 February 1993}}</ref> In 1998, [[Delta Air Lines]] became a major shareholder of Aeroperú, when they acquired a 35% stake in the airline.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Knibb|first1=Dave|title=Latin America's Casualties|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A62987197/AONE?u=fres85346&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=e08780ad|work=Airline Business|date=July 2000}}</ref> The agreement saw Cintra reducing their share to an equal 35%.<ref name=fi_shutdown>{{cite news|title=AeroPerú suspends flights while debt renegotiations take place|work=Flight International|volume=17 March 1999|page=20|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1999/1999%20-%200472.html|accessdate=19 April 2013}}</ref>

Aeroperú was forced to suspend all flight operations on March 10, 1999.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Aeroperu Ceases Operations To Refinance Debt|journal=Airline Business Report|date=15 March 1999|volume=14|issue=11|page=1|id={{ProQuest|231522981}}}}</ref> According to general director Jaan Albrecht, Aeroperu's debt by 1999 had reached $174 million, while the airline's tangible assets were worth only $50 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Knibb|first1=David|last2=Homewood|first2=Brian|title=Aeroperu Suspends Flights|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A54754561/AONE?u=fres85346&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=e8935d7e|work=Airline Business|date=April 1999}}</ref> Several plans for a relaunch were made, which included a possible buy-in of [[Continental Airlines]] or a takeover by a group of foreign investors.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Romero|first1=Simon|title=Aeroperu Future|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/19/business/world-business-briefing-americas-aeroperu-future.html|work=The New York Times|issue=51558|volume=148|date=19 June 1999}}</ref> None of these materialized, and Aeroperú was liquidated on August 18, 1999.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rohter|first1=Larry|title=Investment in Peruvian Airline|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/03/business/world-business-briefing-americas-investment-in-peruvian-airline.html|work=The New York Times|issue=51542|volume=148|date=3 June 1999}}</ref> Most of its route network as well as the role of Peruvian flag carrier was taken over by newly founded [[LAN Perú]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=LanPeru Authorized To Fly Early, But Not Off The Ground Yet|journal=Airline Financial News|date=22 March 1999|volume=14|issue=12|issn=1040-5410}}</ref>

==Destinations==
{{Main|List of Aeroperú destinations}}

With [[Jorge Chavez International Airport]] being its most important hub, Aeroperú maintained an extensive domestic route network. International flights were offered to a number of cities in Latin America, as well as the United States.

==Fleet==
[[File:Aeroperú Boeing 757-200 N52AW MIA 1996-1-8.png|thumb|An Aeroperú [[Boeing 757-200]] landing at [[Miami International Airport]] in 1996. This aircraft seen here was destroyed in the crash of [[Aeroperú Flight 603|Flight 603]] into the Pacific Ocean 9 months later.]]

Over the years, Aeroperú operated the following aircraft types:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/Aero%20Peru.html|title=Aero Peru fleet|website=aerobernie.bplaced.net|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ Aeroperú fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 727-100]]
|8
|1974
|1998
|
|-
|[[Boeing 727-200]]
|9
|1993
|1999
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-200]]
|4
|1998
|1999
|
|-
|[[Boeing 757-200]]
|4
|1994
|1999
|One Destroyed In [[Aeroperú Flight 603|Flight 603]]
|-
|[[Boeing 767-200]]
|1
|1990
|1990
|Leased from [[Britannia Airways]]
|-
|[[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]]
|3
|1973
|{{unknown}}
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-43]]
|1
|1978
|1978
|rowspan=2|Leased from [[Air Jamaica]]
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-51]]
|3
|1976
|1981
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-53]]
|3
|1974
|1976
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-61]]
|1
|1992
|1994
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-62H]]
|5
|1988
|1994
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-63]]
|1
|1990
|1992
|
|-
|[[Fokker F-27 Friendship]]
|3
|1974
|1984
|
|-
|[[Fokker F-28 Fellowship]]
|4
|1973
|1998
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-15]]
|3
|1993
|1997
|Leased from [[Mexicana de Aviación (1921–2010)|Mexicana de Aviación]]
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]]
|1
|1994
|1995
|Leased from [[Canadian Airlines]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Lockheed L-1011 Tristar]]
|2
|1978
|1982
|Leased from [[Lockheed Corporation]]
|-
|1
|1991
|1992
|Jointly operated by [[Faucett Perú]]
|-
|}

==Accidents and incidents==
* On October 25, 1988, in [[Aeroperú Flight 772]], a [[Fokker F28 Fellowship]] (registered OB-R-1020) took off at [[Inca Manco Cápac International Airport]] for a domestic flight to [[Arequipa]], but failed to obtain any substantial height. Subsequently, the aircraft hit the ground and broke up. 11 of the 65 passengers on board were killed, as well as one crew member.<ref>{{cite news|title=A Plane Crash in Peru Kills 12 in the Andes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/26/world/a-plane-crash-in-peru-kills-12-in-the-andes.html|work=The New York Times|issue=47670|volume=138|date=26 October 1988}}</ref>
* On October 2, 1996, at 01:11 local time, [[Aeroperú Flight 603]], a [[Boeing 757-200]] (registered N52AW) was en route from Lima to Santiago de Chile crashed into the Pacific Ocean. All 70 people on board died in the crash. Investigators revealed that during earlier maintenance work, a protective tape covering the [[Pitot-static system|static ports]] of the airplane had not been removed, which resulted in critical readings blocked to the pilots during the accident flight.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wald|first1=Matthew L.|title=Peru Crash Is Attributed to Maintenance Error|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/16/us/peru-crash-is-attributed-to-maintenance-error.html|work=The New York Times|issue=50613|volume=143|date=16 November 1996}}</ref> It was the deadlliest accident of Aeroperu.

==See also==
* [[List of defunct airlines of Peru]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.aeroperu.com.pe|title=Aeroperú website}} {{in lang|es|en}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.rcp.net.pe/AEROPERU/ older Aeroperú domain] {{in lang|es}}
* [http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/BibVirtual/publicaciones/administracion/v05_n9/evaluacion_proceso.htm Evaluacion del Proceso de Privatizacion de las Empresa de Servicios Publicos 1991-2000] {{in lang|es}}

{{Airlines of Peru}}
{{Portal bar|Peru|Aviation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aeroperu}}
[[Category:Aeroperú| ]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of Peru]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1973]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of Peru]]
[[Category:1973 establishments in Peru]]
[[Category:1999 disestablishments in Peru]]