CAUSA (Compania Aeronautica Uruguaya SA)

  December 1936 to May 1967

  Uruguay

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TYPE: Airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Montevideo, Uruguay

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil

CAUSA (Compania Aeronautica Uruguaya SA) was a private Uruguayan airline founded on 29 December 1936 by banker & writer Jules Supervielle and Colonel Tydeo Larre Borges. Operations started on 12 March 1938 with two Junkers 52 seaplanes purchased for $150,000 from Brazil, with the Montevideo - Buenos Aires line as its core business. From January 1940, the popular resort of Punta del Este was added to the network. Later, in 1943, a new route was opened between Colonia del Sacramento and Buenos Aires. These three routes were in fact the only ones operated by CAUSA during its 30 years of operation.

At the end of World War II, CAUSA purchased two modified Short Sunderland seaplanes in order to better compete against Argentinian airlines. A third Sunderland joined the fleet in 1946, along with two Short Sandringham in 1950. However, by 1961, seaplanes began to lose favor with the public: the seaplane service was suspended in May 1962 and the Shorts were replaced by four Commandos. The Commandos did not stay long, and they were replaced from 1962 by three Lockheed Constellations purchased from KLM. Service to Sao Paulo and Miami, FL with the Constellations was planned but never opened in the end. The Constellations remained in service until CAUSA ceased operations in May 1967.

November 1961* to September 1965*

CAUSA operated four Commandos in passenger configuration. These were soon replaced by three Constellations, and sold to ARCO (Aerolineas Colonia SA) in 1964.

• Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: CX-AZS
• Curtiss C-46F Commando: CX-AYR, CX-BAH, CX-BAM