Airline History Blog - Yesterday's Airlines

Lan Tens: DC-10s in Chile

3/7/2019

The 1980s were a time of crisis and transition at Chile's national airline Lan Chile. During that period the airline acquired its first widebodies and although the DC-10s were ultimately just a temporary addition five aircraft served at times across a six year period. Here's the story of Lan's long-haul ambitions.

The First Flying Dream: Gutelman’s TEA

19/6/2019

Prior to European Open Skies several airlines attempted to get around restrictive regulations by creating a Pan-European airline grouping, albeit with little success. These were usually charter airlines emboldened by their success operating inclusive tour (IT) charters. Trans European Airways, as its name suggests, was one of these airlines, whose ambition ultimately led to its demise.

TACA: El Centromericano One-Elevens

12/6/2019

TACA had a complicated series of owners throughout its history, however these rarely stopped it from achieving and it was something of a trendsetter during the 50s and 60s as it introduced both the first prop-jets and true-jets in Central America. Its BAC One-Elevens would have long careers with it and form the backbone of its survival and success into the 1980s.

Constant Crisis: AVENSA 1994-2004

7/5/2019

Nowadays Venezuela is in a sorry state, wracked by economic collapse, hyper-inflation and a dictatorial regime. The pathway to this has been long and complex and has gradually taken a toll of the airline’s once rich aviation scene, so that only a handful of airlines survive and connections with international destinations are sporadic. One of the highest profile failures was that of AVENSA who had started operations in 1943.

Eastern A300s: A Marriage Made In Heaven

23/4/2019

By the 1970s it had been years since the US majors had bought any foreign aircraft and the new Airbus consortium was struggling to sell its A300 to anybody, let alone the Americans. Eastern, cash-strapped and inefficient, needed a new aircraft and it was Frank Borman's airline that would give Airbus the opportunity that perhaps more than any allowed it to be taken seriously on the world stage.

Killed by Debt: Air Florida 1982-1984

9/4/2019

The loss of Ed Acker to Air Florida’s greatest rival Pan Am in September 1981 was undoubtedly a serious blow to Air Florida, however not necessarily because of the benefits he had brought to the airline. Indeed the mountains of Acker created debt the carrier was under may well have been enough to kill it alone without a series of other issues that saw the airline gradually contract until it collapsed.

Air Florida Across the Atlantic: Palm DC-10s

6/4/2019

Air Florida was, thanks to its President Ed Acker, one of the darlings of the first years of deregulation and exploded out of Florida with low fares and cheeky service in late 1978. Acker’s expansionist dreams would never be satisfied with just the USA and as well as trying to buy a selection of much larger airlines Air Florida also positioned itself for the long-haul. This is the story of their push across the Atlantic.

Escape from Dar: Kenya Airways Birth

23/3/2019

The main trio of East African nations, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have a long history of co-operation but also rivalry. This has seen various organisations oversee the joint relationship and historically the sharing of a national airline in East African Airways Corporation. Unfortunately, the failing partnership would lead to the collapse of EAAC and some drastic measures being taken to enable the birth of Kenya Airways from the ashes.

Con Job: Braniff Mk III

7/3/2019

The third incarnation of Braniff International is as good a reason as you are ever likely to find for letting classic airline names rest in peace rather than resurrecting them so they can be dragged through the mud and bankruptcy courts yet again. In fact, Braniff Mk3 is about as low as you can go in terms of the characters that ran it, both of whom ended up in prison partly for their involvement with the airline.

Early EU F28s: Fokker Fellowships 1969-1971

20/2/2019

Following its success with the F27 Friendship Fokker’s move into pure jets was a risk that took a long while to pay off. Interestingly far from being a ‘regional’ type aircraft the earliest F28 operators saw the Fellowship as a mainline aircraft and it was not unusual to see the type in operation on charter routes from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean that in later years would occupy an A300 or Tristar.

Empress Sydney: CP's Only 707

12/2/2019

Aside from its experiment with the Bristol Britannia Canadian Pacific had been a stalwart Douglas customer since the 1940s. Despite it being a hard-fought competition Douglas won out for the first CP jets with Canadian Pacific purchasing Douglas DC-8-43s over the rival Boeing 707-320. The only time that CP actually operated a 707 was from late 1967 to early 1968 and the experience didn’t end happily.

Eastern Cross the Atlantic: New Mark 10s

24/1/2019

Towards the end of the 1970s Eastern Airlines was in a period of cautious expansion and with deregulation upon the US market was free to try and expand its overseas network. One target was the route from Miami – London but initially it managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory and it was only in 1985 that it was finally able to go transatlantic.

Alia Pt1: Hashemite Jewel 1963-1975

31/12/2018

Despite being involved in three wars against Israel Jordan, ably led by King Hussein, successfully negotiated the murky waters of the Middle East political scene to achieve relative stability for the country and provide the basis from which a successful national airline could be forged. This airline Alia – Royal Jordanian successfully overcame adversity to find itself well placed as it entered the mid-1970s for growth and success.

National Goes International: MIA-LHR 1970

15/12/2018

During the regulated era of US aviation the realm of long-haul international flights was primarily the domain of Pan Am and TWA. Braniff had a strong South American operation and Northwest reached across into the Pacific but for flights to Europe and beyond to Asia and Africa it was PA or TW all the way, until that is out of nowhere National won the route award for Miami to London Heathrow.

Hainan Specials Pt1: Floral 300s

9/12/2018

Hainan Airlines is nowadays a well known and respected airline. Its beginnings were much less grand but by 2000 it had innovated its way to success achieving a number of firsts for Chinese airlines. For Westerners however it was probably the advent of China’s first special schemes that raised its profile the most.