Oil sector specialist Sundance Air Venezuela is pleased to have consolidated its position in the market in 2019, having been audited by Shell, Repsol, Eni, Equinor and Total Oil and satisfactorily exceeding all standards, as well as the standards of the International Oil & Gas Producers. “We were also audited by Chevron Global Technologies in order to manage its air operations and maintenance of its fleet of two Beechcraft 1900 aircraft through our MRO,” comments president Fabio Bavuso.

“We also obtained the SMS certificate (RAV 5) as the first airline in Venezuela to comply with this regulation. Also we are the first Venezuelan airline certified as an FBO, with certificate number 001.”

Sundance’s fleet also comprises three British Aerospace Jetstream 31s, each with 19 seats. “All our aircraft must be in perfect condition to be able to attend the flights of our clients. Besides that we always maintain an aircraft in backup in case of necessity,” Bavuso explains. “The most common national routes are those in the north of the country that make up the coastal axis from the east to the Venezuelan west. These cities are those with the largest oil and gas extraction, among which are Maiquetia (Caracas), Maracaibo (Zulia State) Barcelona and San Tome (Anzoátegui State), Las Piedras (Falcón State). The most common international routes are to Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad and

St Lucia.

“The Jetstream 31 works well for us because it is one of the aircraft that is designed to meet the standards of international oil companies operating in Venezuela. The aircraft that best suits our certification and the type of operation is the Beechcraft 1900, Let 410 or Twin Otter.”

Operations in Venezuela are not without their challenges: “Our region, specifically Venezuela, faces marked weaknesses motivated by geopolitical situations. For example, the territories with the Caribbean islands closest to our coasts (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) keep their borders closed for flights from Venezuela. Other islands, such as Trinidad and St Lucia, which we serve with private charter flights, now request a visa for Venezuelan citizens.

“We expect the reactivation of the Venezuelan economy once the geopolitical situation returns to normal.”