A classic Boeing 737-200 seen in Sky Airlines livery. Photo by alobos flickr.
You don’t see too many Boeing 737-200s flying around the world much anymore and especially one with such a cool looking livery. When I recently landed at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benàtez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago, Chile, this livery caught my eye.
Sky Airline (notice the lack of an “s”) is based at SCL and was founded in 2001. It is Chile’s second largest airline and is considered a low-cost carrier. The airline mostly operates domestically, but has international routes to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.
The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A319s, A320s and is in the processes of phasing out the classic Boeing 737-200.
I seem to be a sucker for a blue/green livery and with the swooping line and palm trees on the tail, it looks slick. Although I am sure the passenger experience will improve with the elimination of the 737-200 from the fleet, it is a bit sad from the AvGeek perspective.
Note the telltale staining of the aft fuselage from all the dirt the JT-8D’s reversers kicked up. A classic spotting feature of any -200 after a couple of flights from being repainted.
About 5 years ago I made the error of telling a Sky Airline flight attendant I met here in Sydney that I liked the airline’s “blue and green” livery.
She replied “Pardon? The Blue and what?”
So I repeated, “The blue and green livery”….
She abruptly replied “Melon ! Blue and MELON !!”
So anyway, melon, all the nicer as I like melons. I really like the blue and melon livery.
Patrick
Sydney, Australia
I actually flew on one of these birds in 2002 during a choral tour. The flight was from Havana to Santiago de Cuba. It was flying a wet-lease service for Aerocaribbean, a Cuban domestic carrier. To be honest, I was disappointed not to be flying on Cubana but in the end, I was glad to add this unusual bird to my list of “flown airlines/aircraft”.