I read here on Airliners.net that Varig was planning on acquiring 4 Boeing 747-400s. But this made me wonder, why did they get rid of their original 747-300s and -400s? If they can use them now why couldn't they back then? Was it due to a lack of demand on the routes that they flew them on? Could they not pay the leases? Was it a combination of all of the above and some other factors?
EnoreFilho From Brazil, joined Jun 2004, 58 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (8 years 9 months 4 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 2357 times:
i'll try to help you a little bit: VR has been losing money for years, and they may thought that would be better to lease a cheaper aircraft for long-haul flights, like B767 and MD11 (if their lease is really cheaper!).
Nowadays, VR has been receiving some money from the brazilian government, and there has been some gossips about the government to take control of VR in the near future.
I hope that more folks confirm these informations with more accuracy.
SafetyDude From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 3795 posts, RR: 16 Reply 3, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 2190 times:
Which c/s looks better on the 744? new or old?
The old colors are very classic, however they were in much need of an update, but the new colors did not seem to bring justice.
OB1504 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 2967 posts, RR: 8 Reply 5, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2134 times:
I have to agree, the old colors were the best. But the new ones look sleek and modern though, they just need some more color on the fuselage:
ARGinMIA From Argentina, joined Nov 2001, 487 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 2083 times:
Maybe couse AR is the only Latin American Airline operating the 747-400... actually I think that there are just a handfull of passenger 747 operators in the whole american continent.. lets think.. Air Canada/ United / Northwest/Aerolineas Argentinas.. and i think thats it right?
LVZXV From Gabon, joined Mar 2004, 2041 posts, RR: 44 Reply 8, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 2049 times:
ARGinMIA:
Indeed, you can count the 747 operators in the Americas on one hand: Aerolíneas Argentinas, Air Canada, Northwest, Surinam Airways and United. I don't know the latest on Surinam's sole 743. But that would be yet another tangeant on this thread further deviating from that VARIG's 747s.
The history of RG's 747s is as follows:
PP-VNA B747-2L5B 1981-1993, 1994-1996 (lsd for one year to AR)
PP-VNB B747-2L5B 1981-1996
PP-VNC B747-2L5B 1981-1996
PP-VNW B747-244B 1987-1988 (lsd from SA)
Some of the -300s were combis, I don't remember which. It's true, the 747s gradually left the fleet as RG began slipping into the red. They had ordered a total of 6 B747-441s, only two of which arrived, and one of which was in service for barely a year. Remember that at the start of the '90s, RG had perhaps the largest and most modern wide-body fleet in Latin America (I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure), comprising B747-200/300s, B767-200ER/300ERs and a large fleet of DC-10s.
As soon as the '90s arrived, RG remained at the forefront of technological developments, acquiring B747-400s and MD-11s soon after their respective launch dates of 1989 and 1990.
But the bubble burst. RG, for all its pretences to be, was not a First World carrier. The thriftless expenditure during the "good times" drained much of RG's capital, and coupled with a slump in profits, prompted a massive but prudent donwsizing in the late '90s which saw off all the 747s and all the 767-200ERs, while post-9/11 several 767-300ERs and MD-11s have left the fleet too.
As any Brazilian can tell you, the carrier is performing badly, and has posted many consecutive years of losses.
And yes, for now, AR's 747-400 LV-ALJ is at this moment the only one in all of Latin America. God knows when AR's 2nd, 3rd and 4th will arrive!
LVZXV From Gabon, joined Mar 2004, 2041 posts, RR: 44 Reply 10, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2031 times:
My favourite AR colours are definitely the "Aerobósta" ones (the one with the "CABJ" badge). How often is it your country's flag carrier paints one of its precious 747s in the colours of your favourite football team? It's an honour!
Arcano From Chile, joined Mar 2004, 2397 posts, RR: 26 Reply 11, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2019 times:
How often is it your country's flag carrier paints one of its precious 747s in the colours of your favourite football team?
Thank God that murder only happens in Argentina!!!! AR Boca one are such a mess! (but much better than the "blanquito"). Did you watched already the AR 340 in the new colors? I liked it!
Actually, RG is the leader of the region in the special liveries. Both Brazil 500 and Tetracampeao are gorgeous. Too bad the only "special" that LAN has done in the las decade is to erase the "Chile" word from the fuselage
LVZXV From Gabon, joined Mar 2004, 2041 posts, RR: 44 Reply 12, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1998 times:
Arcano:
Thank God that murder only happens in Argentina!!!! AR Boca one are such a mess! (but much better than the "blanquito"). Did you watched already the AR 340 in the new colors? I liked it!
...which is why I think AR should work more with blue and gold and less with blue and white. In fact, the Boca colours were inspired by the Sewdish ship "VASA" which foundered in Stockholm harbour in the 17th century if I recall. With that particular blue and gold you could devise a very smart colour scheme (a bit more lively than Southern Winds).
I don't know what I think of LV-ZPO (nickname: "ZIPPO") in the new colours. I'm sure from inside it must be lovely to see those marine-blue engines and winglets with the white condors on them. Once again, it's just the fuselage I don't know about. It looks squatter, don't you think?
All a matter of opinion, I guess...
XV
P.S. Yes, LAN's management should hire some more artists!
Ba319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8264 posts, RR: 56 Reply 14, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1971 times:
Back to the topic and not AR...
Given RG's continued and seemingly endless difficult financial position,it would make little sense to add another fleet type,namely the 747,especially if they still plan to take a few 757's alter this year - let's see......
Anyway,back to the 747 topic,whilst they have operated them in the past,it makes no sense to continue to spread the widebody fleet and include another model. It would make far more sense to pick up some additional used MD-11's,763's or 772's.
JJMNGR From Brazil, joined May 2004, 1018 posts, RR: 17 Reply 16, posted (8 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1812 times:
A important correction about what written above:
1) Brazilian Government is not giving money to RG nor planning to take controle of them in near future.
XV,
The -300 Combis were PP-VNH and PP-VNI. This weekend I did my 2nd B747 simulator section (03 hours and the first section was 05 hours in the previous one) using RG simulator. It is the simulator of PP-VNH.
OB1504 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 2967 posts, RR: 8 Reply 19, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1551 times:
I believe that they served GIG-GRU-LAX-HKG and GIG-GRU-LAX-NRT flights if I'm not mistaken. I could be wrong, since I'm not exactly the expert on RG's 747s, hence why I started this topic.
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AR Boca one are such a mess! (but much better than the "blanquito"). Did you watched already the AR 340 in the new colors? I liked it!
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