Sao Paulo’s VASP Is Founded – Airways | Airlines

DALLAS — Today in Aviation, Viação Aérea São Paulo, better known as VASP, was founded in 1933 by the state government of Sao Paulo, Brazil. VASP’s head office was located in the VASP Building on the grounds of São Paulo-Congonhas Airport (CGH) in São Paulo.

VASP had its bases at São Paulo’s two major airports, CGH and Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). The airline started operations on November 12, 1933. CGH was popularly known as Campo da VASP (VASP’s airfield) during its early years.

The airline was the first to serve the interior of the state of São Paulo with two Monospar ST-4s. At the start of the 1930s, it was the only carrier to operate aircraft in its service area.

VASP BAC 1-11 at Rio Galeao in 1972. Photo: Tämä tiedosto on lisensoitu Creative Commons Nimeä 3.0 Ei sovitettu -lisenssillä,via Wikimedia Commons.

The Beginning: 1930s–1950s

In the 1930s, the VASP service was a real undertaking due to the lack of suitable non-coastal airports. Many landing strips were improvised in flat pastures. In 1936, this emphasis on using only ground aircraft led to the construction of one of the most important airports in the world, CGH, located in the city of São Paulo, far from the coast.

VASP acquired Aerolloyd Iguassu in 1939, which also included a license to operate flights to Paraná and Santa Catarina states. When it acquired Lóide Aéreo Nacional and with it its license to operate nationally, VASP became a national airline in 1962.

VASP, Cruzeiro do Sul and Varig launched an air shuttle service between CGHf and Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont on July 6, 1959, the first of its kind worldwide. The three firms synchronized their timetables, events, and mutual income in direct competition with Real Transportes Aéreos.

The idea, inspired by the Berlin Airlift and dubbed Air Bridge (Ponte Aérea in Portuguese), was so popular that it was abandoned as late as 1999. The flights were initially operated…

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