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On September 2, 1962 landed in Brazil VARIG's first Electra II VARIG, PP-VJM. More four units arrived in 1962 also and were used in domestic lines as Sao Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Recife - Fortaleza and Sao Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Manaus. Electra II also were used in Rio - New York route, complementing Boeing 707 and Caravelle, doing Sao Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Belem - Port of Spain - Santo Domingo - New York route weekly. For some time these aircraft also performed the "Flight of Friendship" linking Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon with a stop in Recife and Sal. The first flight to Lisbon was inaugurated by PP-VJO, on November 22, 1965.
Due it success among passengers, VARIG acquired more units. One in 1967, two in 1968 and three in 1970, totaling eleven Electra II in the fleet. The PP-VLA and PP-VLB were convertible (could be configured to cargo or passengers). Those two units operated cargo flights for a short time, especially to Manaus, but were soon converted to passenger. However, PP-VJP had an accident in Porto Alegre in February 1970, during a training flight, and was definitively removed from operation, leaving 10 units in the fleet.
Electra II flew on Rio-São Paulo air shuttle "Ponte Aérea" from September 1962 to January 6, 1992, rendering almost thirty years of services in this line. From 1975 to 1987 those aircraft were the only ones to operate Rio-São Paulo air shuttle, the second busiest route in the world (the first is New York-Washington, in the United States). This route was a pool offered by other airlines, thus some Electras II (PP-VJN, PP-VJU, PP-VJE and PP-VLC) adopted a basic painting, without the airline name and logo. The Electra II were also famous for its "Lounge" at the end of passengers cabin, with 7 seats. In 1975 the Electra II started to operate exclusively on the air shuttle between Rio and São Paulo, being replaced by Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 jets on other domestic routes.
In November 1976, VARIG acquired more two units and, in 1986, the last two units (PP-VNJ and PP-VNK), reaching a total of 14 Electra II operating in "Ponte Aérea". Flights between Rio and São Paulo lasted about 50 minutes, with a flight every 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends and holidays.
The Electra II reign came to an end in November 1991, when the Boeing 737-300 began operating in "Ponte Aérea". The PP-VJM, first turboprop acquired in 1962, made the last flight of Electra in Brazil on January 6, 1992. The aircraft is exposed in Campos dos Afonsos Aerospace Museum in Rio de Janeiro.
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