Lan Peru ops suspended?
 

Caught this on the AA board. Can anyone translate? Looks scary. http://espanol.news.yahoo.com/041014/2/uzyu.html

Apparantly a judge shut them down acting on a complaint from a now-extinct small airline on the grounds that LanPeru did not meet the 30% domestic capital requirement.

I am sure the old enmity between Peru and Chile had nothing to do with it. *cough*

Possibly. In fact, a peruvian airline was grounded in Chile a few years ago. The chilean judge who signed the order was later found to be related to the owners of a rival airline... Coincidence?

Anyways, the grouding of LanPeru has caused a loud outcry in Peru. There's a very good chance that LanPeru will appeal and be on the air fairly soon. Also, LanPeru has announced that in the meantime it will place passengers with other airlines. If such accommodations cannot be made, fares will be refunded.

They finally put a release on their website:

http://www7.lan.com/compania/lanchil...004_10_14.html

This is nothing but DUMB and will only hurt the oh-so-marvelous economy of Peru. Peru should be THRILLED to have a successful, safe, and reliable airline bringing commerce in/out/through their country, even if the peruanos don't own very much of it.

Of course, maybe they know better, and the upstart Aerolineas Basural (maybe I should start it) will prove me wrong.

Oooh... bad news.. I'd just put an AA/LP award on hold to Peru/Ecuador over Xmas.. but hadn't booked it yet.. so now I'll be SOL? :( (MIA-LIM-CUZ on LP, no AA award availability).

Aero Continente had to stop also a few months ago (something to do with money laundering), but it has started operations again as Nuevo Continente. However LAN Peru was such a good option for domestic flight in Peru.

Hi,

Bad news for me to (possibly) as they are included in my DONE4 which has been dated and ticketed (15 Feb). Though on my route SCL-LIM-SCL I believe LAN Chile fly as well. So hopefully a plane change without the probable downgrade.

Should I ask for a carrier change already?

J

Lan chile flies this route many times a day. Just make the reservation on a Lan Chile flight and show up. Your ticket is endorsable to any of the OW carriers.

Press announcement
 

on the same page as the corporate statement they still have the link to the route network showing the map for LanPeru.

I am sure that it will be back to life before long.

Yeah.. LanPeru shut down once before, back in 2000..

I have no direct personal insight beyond what's been reported, but two close relatives of mine are, well, let's say high in the LAN ladder, and both have told me the same in the last few minutes: LAN's top management is fully confident LanPeru will be flying in 3-4 days from today, max.

Although I have no idea of the Peruano legal system, I would tend to believe that a judge in Arequipa ordering the airline to be shut wouldn't have maybe the top authority in the land, without some opportunity for quick appeal or stay of order pending appeal, etc.

According to peruvian news today, many in business, government, etc., continue to express their outrage at LanPeru's suspension. In the meantime, the transportation ministry has passed a decree that would authorize the issuing of temporary licenses to any airline, which would include LanPeru. I'm confident that they will be back in the air in no time. It's awful to see how much damage can be done by a single judge.

I am in Chile at present, and experiencing many plane changes with LanChile, whether this is a result of an attempt to create more space of the LanPeru passengers I do not know, but they're downsizing planes left, right and centre.

Flying again at 1400 peruvian time today (my recollection of la hora peruana is that it means about 2 hours after what your watch says ;) )