Before leaving Orlando, we told a few people about a specific concern: making the connection between our Bolivia-to-Chile flight and the Chile-to-Guatemala leg. Sure there were 8 hours between arrival and departure, but the airline we were flying on from Bolivia, Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB), is notoriously unreliable. But as we mentioned a few days ago, that concern is no longer an issue since LAB cancelled our flight.
Today I googled the airline and found out why they were considered the 2nd worst airline in the world (after Afghan Airlines). Here is a compilation of recent news items that tells the fascinating backstory:
The slow death of private Lloyd Aereo Boliviano airline was accelerated July 27th by the flight from justice of LAB president Ernesto Asbun to Argentina and then to Spain, and a ban on ticket sales to key destinations. Prosecutors [are] arranging Asbun´s extradition with Interpol after he failed to make weekly appearances and missed a court hearing following a controversial bail release. [He] is wanted for embezzlement and corruption. LAB faces bankruptcy for, among other reasons, Asbun's embezzlement of over 150 million dollars. (Prensa Latina)
The carrier is currently operating with just three airplanes, down from 14 in December, and runs about 50 percent fewer flights than it did last year. So far, the airline has survived the fleet reduction by often combining two or three routes into single flights with multiple stops. A LAB flight scheduled for Sunday from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Miami was delayed for two days for lack of fuel, stranding 152 passengers before it finally departed Tuesday night. (The Star - Malaysia)
