The Origin of VAP AIR
​
VAP AIR (VirtualAirlinePilot) is my private airline atttached to my VirtualAirlinePilot identity (see my website at virtualairlinepilot.org and my YouTube channel VIRTUALAIRLINEPILOT. Founded in August 2020, along with my Website and YouTube channel, VAP AIR now operates online with VATSIM using the the callsign VIPERJET and the flight codes VP and VAP. My airline is mainly a LEASE airline that operates flights for other virtual travel companies, airlines and organisations. We have our own livery and our aircraft have their own registrations. Currently, in MSFS2020, we have seven aircraft operating, including two helicopters, which are currently liveried and enabled in MSFS2020.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
A long and considerable period of research was undertaken to find an airline FLIGHT and IATA/ICAO code that was no longer in use, such that we could use it here at VAP AIR. In 1933, the Brazilian airline VASP (Viação Aérea São Paulo S/A or known in English as São Paulo Airways) was formed with it's headquarters in the VASP Building, on the grounds of São Paulo–Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. The Airline had main bases at both of São Paulo's two main airports, Congonhas Airport (SBSP/CGH) and Guarulhos International Airport (SBGR/GRU).
​
​
​
​
The Airline had an IATA code of VP and an ICAO code of VSP. In January 2009, the Airline ceased operations and closed it's doors. You can see here below just two of the thirty four aircraft that the Airline had available for it's operations.
For the FULL history of this now defunct Airline, see this article on Wikipedia -
​
And for further reading -
​
List_of_defunct_airlines_of_Brazil
Airlines-from-the-past/vasp-airlines
​
*******************************
After working hard to ensure that this Brazilian airline VASP was indeed defunct, and that we could therefore "use" it's codes, myself and my co-founder, Neil Warman, decided that we would use it in the form you see below, when flying for our Airline online with VATSIM. Whilst the old VASP Brazilian Airline had the IATA code of VSP, we also decided that we would adopt the code VAP, as so far, we could not see it in use anywhere else. And after some discussion, we decided to adopt the callsign VIPERJET for our flights:-
​
Airline-VAP AIR; IATA Code-VP; ICAO Code-VAP Callsign-ViperJet
*******************************
Recently, it has come to light that PHUKET AIR, operating out of Bangkok and Phuket with just two aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 (see picture) and a Boeing 757, was formed in 2001 with the IATA code VAP.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
For now, we have decided to leave our IATA code as is (VAP) since we do not often fly to Thailand. This may change if we do and it is possible that we will use the old VASP flight code of VSP for flights in the Far East only.
