Manaus Aerotáxi
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| Founded | April 1998 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC # | 7,878 - April 27, 2022[1] | ||||||
| Hubs | Eduardo Gomes International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 4 (as of April 2024) | ||||||
| Parent company | MAP Aviação | ||||||
| Headquarters | Manaus, Brazil | ||||||
| Key people | |||||||
| Founder | Marcos José Pacheco | ||||||
| Website | www.manausaerotaxi.com.br | ||||||
Manaus Aerotáxi is a non-scheduled airline headquartered in Manaus, Brazil, specializing in charter flights, air taxi and air medical services certified by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) under the Brazilian Civil Aviation Regulations (RBAC) n. 135.[2]
Founded in 1998, the company has contracts with the Brazilian Ministry of Defense to transport passengers, cargo and medevac to serve riverside communities in the Legal Amazon region.[3]
History
Establishment
Manaus Aerotáxi was founded in April 1998 by pilot Marcos José Pacheco, focused on transporting passengers and cargo through the interior of Amazonas, where several cities and communities are inaccessible by land, being possible only through the waterway or air, the latter considered an essential service.[4]
In 2009, the airline was certified by ANAC to provide air medical services.[5]
MAP Linhas Aéreas
On May 18, 2011, Manaus Aerotáxi founded MAP Linhas Aéreas, a regional airline focused on regular air transport of passengers and cargo in the Brazilian Amazon region. MAP's name is the acronym for Manaus Aerotáxi Participações, the corporate name of its parent company. Subsequently, the two companies became part of the economic group MAP Aviação, also integrated by Southeast Aviation Brasil, a company that offers aircraft ground handling at Eduardo Gomes International Airport, in Manaus, the airline's headquarters.[6]
On October 1, 2014, Manaus Aerotáxi became a contractor for the Brazilian Ministry of Defense, leasing four turboprops aircraft to transport cargo of interest to the Regional Works Commission of the 12th Military Region, linked to the Brazilian Army, based in Manaus.[7]
On August 21, 2019, the economic group MAP Aviação, which controls Manaus Aerotáxi, the handling company Southeast Aviation Brasil and MAP Linhas Aéreas, announced the sale of 100% of its shareholding in the regional airline MAP to Passaredo Linhas Aéreas, which on the same day announced its rebranding to VOEPASS Linhas Aéreas.[8][9][10]
Controversies
Sale of MAP Linhas Aéreas
In April 2020, the former owners of MAP Linhas Aéreas, Marcos José Pacheco and Sônia Maria Fernandes Pacheco, owners of Manaus Aerotáxi, filed a lawsuit in the Amazonas Court against VOEPASS Linhas Aéreas over the non-payment of debts worth R$6.8 million related to the provision of services and the acquisition of the airline in mid-2019. In the same court case, the former owners also asked the judge to seize the ATR 42-300 registration PT-MFE, which according to them, belonged to Manaus Aerotáxi and was loaned to VOEPASS for a determined period, however, after the end before the deadline, the airline did not return it.[11][12]
The request to seize the French-Italian-made turboprop was accepted by the court, which forced VOEPASS to return the plane to the owner (Manaus Aerotáxi) in Manaus. After more than two years without flying, on August 26, 2023, the plane was dismantled at Eduardo Gomes International Airport, from where it was transferred by land to Tefé to be preserved as a hotel.[13] In addition to the purchase and sale contract for the regional airline, according to the indictment, the new owners of MAP Linhas Aéreas had committed to assuming all of the airline's liabilities, at the time around R$72 million. However, the company's former owners were surprised with charges relating to financing that VOEPASS should have assumed.[14]
Fleet
Current fleet
As of April 2024 the fleet of Manaus Aerotáxi included the following aircraft:[15]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian | 1 | — | 8 | — | |
| Cessna 208B Grand Caravan | 1 | — | 9 | — | |
| Cessna 650 Citation III | 1 | — | 9 | — | |
| Embraer EMB 110C Bandeirante | 1 | — | 15 | — | |
| TOTAL | 4 | — | |||
Former fleet
Manaus Aerotáxi formerly operated the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Learjet 45 | 1 | 2010 | 2022 | — |
| Embraer EMB 110P1 Bandeirante | 3 | 2001 | 2023 | — |
| Embraer EMB 121 Xingú | 1 | 2006 | 2011 | — |
| Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander | 3 | 2007 | 2011 | — |
Accidents and incidents
On February 7, 2009, an Embraer Bandeirante air taxi chartered by Manaus Aerotáxi crashed.[16]
On September 16, 2023, Manaus Aerotáxi Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante crash carrying 12 passengers and 2 crew from Eduardo Gomes International Airport veered off of the runway at Barcelos Airport. All 14 occupants were killed.[17]
References
- ^ "Empresas Aéreas - Consulta". ANAC (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "ESPECIFICAÇÕES OPERATIVAS 135 - MANAUS AEROTAXI PARTICIPACOES LTDA" (in Brazilian Portuguese). ANAC. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Consulta de Contratos Públicos" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Portal da Transparência do Governo Federal. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Sobre nós" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Manaus Aerotáxi. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Asas do Bem" (in Portuguese). Revista Flap International. March 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Amazonas ganha nova empresa aérea: Map" (in Portuguese). Panrotas. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Contrato 33/2014" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Portal da Transparência do Governo Federal. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Passaredo anuncia aquisição da MAP Linhas Aéreas e cresce em Congonhas" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Exame. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Passaredo compra MAP Linhas Aéreas e passa a ter 26 operações diárias em Congonhas" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Folha de S.Paulo. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Passaredo anuncia compra da MAP e leva horários de voo em Congonhas" (in Brazilian Portuguese). G1. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Martins, Celso (2020-08-20). "Ação na Justiça dos ex-donos da MAP não afetará operações da VoePass". TudoViagem (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ Martins, Carlos (2020-08-20). "Ex-donos da MAP acusam VOEPASS de falta de pagamento e avião pode ser apreendido". AeroIN (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ Vinholes, Thiago (2023-08-30). "Primeiro turboélice ATR que chegou ao Brasil é desativado". Airway (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ Martins, Carlos (2020-08-30). "GOL é acusada de ter dado dinheiro à Passaredo para comprar a MAP". AeroIN (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ Manaus Aerotáxi Aeronaves manausaerotaxi.com.br
- ^ "At least 16 Feared Dead in Amazon Plane Crash". Fox News Channel. 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
- ^ "Se estrelló una avioneta en la Amazonía brasileña: murieron las 14 personas a bordo". Infobae (in Spanish). 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
External links
- Manaus Aerotáxi (in Portuguese)
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