July 31, 2013

Bolivia’s ghost airline – in pictures

Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB) is one of the world's oldest surviving airlines. But it only has two planes left, and its licence to fly them has been revoked. Still, its employees insist on coming to work

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — LAB has two operational aircrafts left – though their flying licenses have now been revoked. Ezekiel 36:36 is the name of this one; the biblical reference sums up the unwavering faith of LAB’s workforce in the airline and its future Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — LAB's flight school opened in 1927, and counts Bolivia’s first civil pilot among its students. Today, the school technically remains in operation, though the classrooms and simulators are unused as tutors await news of the airline’s future Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — Captain Zabalaga, the pilot of the last operational LAB plane, went on strike in late 2012. He and his crew demanded salaries owed to them but which couldn’t be paid because of the airline’s growing financial troubles. Captain Zabalaga handed in his resignation days later Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 by Nick Ballon — LAB’s headquarters take up 21 hectares of land by Cochabamba’s Jorge Wilstermann Airport. The airline has an imposing hangar, built with the help of Lufthansa, which is all but abandoned now Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — Waiting is an important part of the struggle for LAB’s remaining employees. Workers man the fort as a symbol of companionship – and their presence fends off closure or occupation by government and tax officials Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — A flight simulator at LAB’s training centre has been out of operation for two years, ever since its motherboard fused in an electrical storm. But the training centre's employees continue to come to work Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — LAB once had 2,000 workers. Today, less than 10% remain – and the airline faces more than 600 open legal cases due to unpaid wages, redundancy payments and benefits Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — Security guards at the front gate decide who to let in. Their role has become ever more vital since tax officials have started visiting LAB with the aim of closing it down Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — This man still works in LAB’s sewing shop, repairing old seat covers with a pedal-powered Singer sewing machine. His colleague tests the resistance of safety belts in compliance with international standards and regulations Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — Orlando Nogales took over as the head of LAB in 2012. He faces endless issues from debt and unpaid taxes to flight licences and political pressure. But he insists: 'We won’t give up. We can’t give up' Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — LAB's ticketing offices are now locked, but manned by a lone manager who handles occasional paperwork requests. The atmosphere here is dreary and lost in its own time Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — LAB has a long history of corrupt administrations stripping the airline of valuable assets. Even now, private interests from inside and out mean people are circling around what is left Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — 'There used to be 20 of us in this department. Now there are only two of us left,' says Freddy Vargas, who has been working at LAB for 37 years. 'Lloyd has many enemies. This poor airline, they keep strangling us from every direction.' Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — LAB’s fate is emblematic of the situation in Bolivia more broadly. They have the dual burden of looking back at a past of grandeur, and looking forward to a future that never seems to arrive Photograph: Nick Ballon

Ezekiel 36 36: Ezekiel 36:36 — Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano continues to wait, with resolve, having endured a long struggle for LAB’s survival. Like the phoenix, its faithful employees believe LAB can rise from the ashes and have new life
Discover more at the LABproject Photograph: Nick Ballon

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