Bolivia's transport regulatory body (Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes – ATT) has revoked Aerocon's Air Operators Certificate (AOC) on account of its inactivity.
The carrier announced it had suspended operations in late February citing the need to retool its business model which had suffered in the face of intense competition from the likes of BoA - Boliviana de Aviación (OB, La Paz El Alto).
However, the ATT later warned the airline that it could not legally suspend operations without first consulting both the ATT and the Bolivian civil aviation authority (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil - DGAC). The ATT subsequently gave Aerocon 15 days from February 27 to resume operations or risk losing its licence.
Thereafter, the carrier applied to the DGAC for intervention following which it was granted a stay of 60 calender days effective March 13. With the late May deadline having now passed, the Bolivian Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing, Milton Claros, announced last week that the ATT had revoked Aerocon's AOC.
"On the issue of Aerocon, we understand that deadlines have passed, its licence withdrawn, and it has formally ceased to operate and no longer has any operating authority," he told a news conference.
Aerocon had operated four Metroliners on flights throughout Bolivia and had planned to introduce larger aircraft as part of its revised business model.
