Primeras Líneas Uruguayas de Navegación Aérea, also known as PLUNA, was Uruguay’s main airline operating continuously between November 20th, 1936 and July 3rd, 2012.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay were PLUNA’s main markets. Spain was the only market outside South America.
See also: #TBT: Aeroflot flights to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay in 1992.
The Spanish capital entered the company’s regular schedule in 1981. At the time, flights began with Boeing 707 and McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft rented with a stopover in Rio de Janeiro. In mid-1990 they started with Boeing 767s and DC-10s.
PLUNA operated the Montevideo – Rio de Janeiro – Madrid route and vice versa throughout the year. Depending on the passenger traffic, the company had between three and four weekly flights.
In 2002, PLUNA’s first Boeing 767 with Uruguayan registration (CX-PUB) landed in Montevideo and the second, registered CX-PUG, arrived in 2007. Both left the company in 2008.
Schedule between Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid in 2007 – PLUNA
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| Flight | From | ETD | To | ETA |
| PU 802 | Montevideo | 19:45 | Rio de Janeiro | 22:30 |
| PU 802 | Rio de Janeiro | 23:55 | Madrid | 12:40 +1 |
| Flight | From | ETD | To | ETA |
| PU 803 | Madrid | 22:55 | Río de Janeiro | 06:35 +1 |
| PU 803 | Río de Janeiro | 08:00 +1 | Montevideo | 11:00 +1 |
Frequency
- Departures from Montevideo: Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
- Departures from Madrid: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
In Montevideo, operations to and from Madrid were able to connect to Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.
Between November 2007 and September 2008, services were non-stop to and from the Spanish city.
PLUNA stopped flying to Madrid on September 9th, 2008 after 27 years. Until its closure in July 2012 as a result of its severe economic and financial crisis, the airline focused its operations in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.
Uruguay still does not have a national airline. The last carrier was Amaszonas Uruguay, which ceased services at year-end 2020 due to the pandemic.
Source
- Cirium.
- Memorias de Pluna.
