Aviatsa's Boeing 737-200 Returns to Service After Three-Year Hiatus
/https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2025/02/boeing_737_200_aviatsa.jpg)
The Boeing 737-200, registered as HR-AVR and operated by Honduran carrier Aviatsa, took off from Cochabamba Airport, Bolivia, on a test flight after being grounded for three years. The aircraft, featuring an all-white fuselage, completed the flight on an unconfirmed date, though estimates suggest it occurred on February 1 or 5, 2025.
This aircraft has a long operational history. It was originally manufactured with the registration N332DL and delivered to Delta Air Lines on December 4, 1984, where it remained in service until being returned to its lessor in March 2006. It later joined Sky King in November 2006 before being transferred to Rollins Air in October 2008, where it was placed in storage in July 2009.
In August 2009, the aircraft was re-registered as HR-AVR and continued operating with Rollins Air until January 2011, when it was transferred to EasySky Airlines. In February 2016, it was moved to Aviatsa, where it remained in storage from January 2018 until its recent reactivation in February 2025. The aircraft was named Lempira in its last operational phase.
According to reports from Feit of Fake, the aircraft's last recorded activity dates back to December 2021. However, evidence suggests that it ceased commercial operations in 2018, as the last available images on aviation-related websites date from that year. The 2021 flights were likely conducted for maintenance purposes to preserve engine condition.
After undergoing a D-check inspection—a thorough review designed to extend an aircraft's service life—it is highly likely that the Boeing 737-200 will return to commercial service. However, its future operations have yet to be officially confirmed.
The HNSpotters account captured visual evidence of the aircraft in operation following its extended hiatus.
About Aviatsa
Aviatsa, short for Aviación Tecnológica S.A. de C.V., is a Honduran charter airline founded on October 9, 2015, by Félix Francisco Pacheco Reyes. Headquartered at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa, the company operates domestic flights connecting Roatán and Tegucigalpa.
In February 2024, Aviatsa announced plans to launch a commercial route connecting San Pedro Sula and Havana, Cuba, with twice-weekly flights on Mondays and Thursdays. This route was intended to meet the demand from students and medical tourism travelers. However, as of March 2024, no updates on the route’s launch have been reported.
Para comentar, debés estar registradoPor favor, iniciá sesión