4021961 VIASAs First Commercial Flight

DALLAS – Today in Aviation, Venezuelan flag carrier VIASA (VA) completed its first commercial flight hand in hand with KLM in 1961. The flight to Amsterdam left Caracas with stops in Santa María (Azores), Lisbon, Madrid, and Rome. As with the rest of the world, the golden age of travel had just begun for Venezuelan commercial aviation. On the carrier’s return trip, flights would continue beyond Caracas to Curacao (CUR), Bogotá (BOG), and Lima (LIM). This international operation enabled Caracas-Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) to become the prime gateway to the Americas, a status that remained unchallenged until the demise…