Aero Geral Ltda.

  1941 to July 1953

  Brazil

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TYPE: Airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: -- / ---

HEADQUARTERS: Natal, Brazil

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: VARIG (purchased July 1953)

Aero Geral was founded in 1941 and purchased a single Monocoupe 90A in 1942. However, that single-engine aircraft was unable to carry out the intended service and the company was shut down in 1944 before operations even started.

In 1946, Aero Geral was taken over by E. J. McLaren, a former Panair do Brasil pilot, and Custodio Netto Junior. They initially opened a route between Natal and Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont with four Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina purchased in March 1947 from the USAAF suplus in Natal. The service included enroute stops in Vitoria, Salvador, Aracaju, Penedo, Maceio, Recife and Joao Pessoa.

As the route proved successful, a Commando was purchased in 1948 and two Douglas DC3s in 1950. After the loss of see of one of the Catalinas on 2 June 1951, the entire PBY fleet was grounded. In May 1952, VARIG made a purchase offer of the company, which was approved in July 1953 by the Ministry of Aeronautics.

August 1948 to July 1953

Aero Geral operated a single Commando. That aircraft was transferred to VARIG in July 1953 as part of its purchase of Aero Geral.

• Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando: PP-AGE