Super Advanced: Cruzeiro & VARIG 737-200s

From the mid-1970s the Boeing 737-200 Advanced model became the backbone of the fleets of the three major Brasilian airlines - VARIG, Cruzeiro do Sul and VASP. Only Transbrasil resisted the temptations of the baby Boeing - opting for BAC One-Elevens and then 727s instead. VARIG and Cruzeiro had become inextricably linked in 1975 and together they used the marketing name 'Super Advanced 737' to promote their Fat Alberts.

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By the mid-70s Cruzeiro was in financial trouble and this resulted on May 22, 1975 in the sale of the airline to the Ruben Berta Foundation, which was already the majority owner of VARIG. From that day forward Cruzeiro was operated as a subsidiary of VARIG though it kept its own identity. Unsurprisingly, the route structures and fleets of the two airlines were rationalised. The Brazilian market was regulated and the combined Cruzeiro / VARIG was alotted a 45% share with the remaining 55% split between VASP and Transbrasil. Despite this Cruzeiro / VARIG had a monopoly on international services.

VARIG Boeing 737-200 Adv PP-VMH Aeroclassics 1:400 Scale Model Airliner

VARIG began to take delivery of 737-241 ‘Super Advanced’ aircraft from October 21, 1974 when PP-VME was delivered. She was followed by nine other aircraft until June 1975 (PP-VME-VMN). All the 737-241s arrived with natural metal bellys.

Christian Volpati (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

Already prior to the buyout Cruzeiro had begun taking delivery of new 737-2C3s itself - with their first, PP-CJN, arriving on January 31, 1975. Another 5 737s arrived that year, registered PP-CJO, CJP, CJR, CJS and CJT. They replaced the surviving 5 Caravelle VI-Rs. Like the VARIGs the earliest deliveries wore a natural metal belly with both fleets also wearing the SUPER ADVANCED titling on the rear fuselage. Later Cruzeiro 737 arrivals, like PP-CJR, were delivered with a grey painted belly.

Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

By then the Cruzeiro fleet had also been expanded with the addition of 5 second-hand 727-100s bringing the fleet of the type to 8. The turboprop NAMC YS-11s were gradually retired from 1975 to 1978 leaving Cruzeiro with an all Boeing jet fleet, until 1980 when a pair of Airbus A300s arrived. Interestingly Cruzeiro did trial the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 in 1982 on regular passenger services. Though apparently a success no order was forthcoming, presumably due to financial considerations.

Cruzeiro do Sul Boeing 737-200 Adv PP-CJN Aeroclassics 1:400 Scale Model Airliner

VARIG added a pair of 737-2K9s fresh from the factory on lease from BIAL in 1982 (PP-VNF/G). They also acquired a fairly large fleet of new Boeing 737-300s from 1987, however none of these aircraft were purchased outright and all came on lease. Additionally one of the original 737-241s was lost in September 1989. That aircraft was PP-VMK and its fate was actually covered in a blogpost in 2016 by the guest writer Andy Payne. Check out his post here, which utilises a zinc-rotted 737 model to good effect:

Decimal Point Disaster: Varig 254

Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In comparison to VARIG, Cruzeiro's fleet actually contracted in the late 1980s as the A300s and a 727 left. Cruzeiro's debts had never been repaid and the airline remained unprofitable throughout the 80s. It wasn't helped by the implementation of the Barsilian government's 'Cruzado' plan in 1986. As part of a wider plan for macroeconomic stability air ticket prices sold in Brasil were frozen. Unfortunately, operational costs could not be frozen so losses began to mount. 

Cruzeiro do Sul Boeing 737-200 Adv PP-CJP Aeroclassics 1:400 Scale Model Airliner

Issues didn't come to a head until February 1993 when Cruzeiro was finally merged into its parent and ceased to exist. Despite this the last 737 didn't gain VARIG colours until 1997! Indeed VARIG itself was hardly immune to the 'Cruzado' plan and suffered accordingly. Things only had gotten worse in 1990 when the domestic competitors VASP and Transbrasil were allowed to begin to compete on international services.

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Below: The former Cruzeiro 737 PP-CJS in VARIG colours still with her grey belly in November 1996.

Kambui, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

All of Cruzeiro's 737s joined VARIG, which led to the image of VARIG 737-200s with the grey belly rather than natural metal. VARIG's increasingly perilous financial position actually led to the 737-200 fleet increasing at the expense of the newer (and no doubt more expensive) series 300s. Another pair of 737-200s were leased as late as 1997 and the rundown of the fleet did not begin until 2001, by which time VARIG's collapse was almost inevitable. 

Cruzeiro's first 737, PP-CJN, survived until September 2001 when she was written off in an accident upon landing at Goiania (the gear collapsed). VARIG's original 737-241s soldiered on at least into mid-2003. They had provided solid, reliable service for nearly 30 years.