The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), an entity under the European Union, has just updated its European Union Air Safety List, once again excluding the Venezuelan airline Avior from flying over Schengen airspace. Avior, alongside Surinamese Blue Wings Airlines, is the only South American airline listed.
The reason cited by the European authority for this exclusion is again the outdated Boeing 737 fleet operated by the airline, with over 40 years of manufacturing. Recently, it was revealed that Avior Airlines has been constantly painting the fuselage of its main aircraft, identified with the registration numbers YV2794 and YV3151, to make them appear new. Additionally, they often block their signal on flight tracking websites where the aircraft’s data can be clearly seen while using the airspace.
Since 2019, the airline owned by brothers Jorge Añez Dager and Roberto Añez Sánchez has appeared on this list alongside 130 other airlines. At that time, the agency explained that “the airline continues to provide low safety for flying and persists in its recommendation not to board its units for travel.” This list was updated in 2022 and again in 2023, with Avior consistently remaining on it.
Despite this prohibition and other scandals, such as the ties of the Añez family in the PDVSA Crypto case or their children Jorge Añez, Aleczander Añez, and Roberto Añez’s wife, Rebeca García Teppa, in companies that organize luxury vacations for chavista leaders, the airline continues to operate within Venezuelan territory and flights to Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Curacao.
From this moment, @aviorairlines is expanding its wings to a unique and charming destination: Curacao! This beautiful Caribbean island joins our list of destinations, operating on Wednesdays and Sundays.
— Juan Bracamonte (@bracamonteavior) October 4, 2023