Infighting has intensified between Venezuela's three major airlines over links to the all-important US market. The intensity of these skirmishes stems from Venezuela's transition to multiple designation and a fear by each of these carriers that one of the other two may gain the upper hand.
The latest row was sparked by a routine request from Air Aruba, in which Venezuela's Aserca Airlines owns 70%, to renew exemption authority to operate between Aruba and the USA. Aeropostal objected, claiming this was a ruse by rival Aserca, which lacks US authority in its own right, to serve the USA under the guise of Air Aruba. Even if Aserca had US authority, Aeropostal argues, it could not operate to the USA because of the Federal Aviation Administration's freeze on Category 2 flights from Venezuela. Aruba is not subject to such a freeze.
Aeropostal's Cat 2 argument is ironic because its own flights to the USA have been the subject of complaint by rival Avensa, which claims that Aeropostal's use of wet-leased Irish aircraft contravene the Venezuela-USA bilateral.
The other dispute that remains unresolved is Aeropostal's comprehensive proposal to codeshare with American Airlines on flights between, behind, and beyond each others' gateways. Avensa has objected on the grounds that the bilateral does now allow American to operate domestic flights within Venezuela.
Henry Boulton, Avensa's chief executive, explained in a recent interview: "The bilateral only grants third, fourth and fifth freedoms, not sixth freedom rights."
So far the only proposed US alliance to escape criticism is Continental Airlines' marketing agreement and more recent codeshare proposal with Aserca. Continental has joined United Airlines and Polar Air in objecting to American's proposed codeshare with Aeropostal, arguing that Washington should withhold approval of that deal until it also okays Continental's pact with Aserca.
Source: Airline Business
