Category: MDD DC-10

Pineapple: The Hawaii Express

3/12/2020

Finding profitability on the long routes between the American mainland and Hawaii has proved elusive for many. In fact, on several occasions what have been seen to be cash cow routes have turned out to be quite the opposite. The Hawaii Express was one of several colourful entrepreneurial companies that used the freedom given by deregulation to take on the big boys. As with many startups its initial success led to its eventual failure.

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Neverland Bound: JAS Peter Pan DC-10

15/11/2020

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Special airline colours are nowadays ten a penny and there are few major airlines without some form of promotional livery or retro-scheme. This wasn’t the case during the 1990s, although Japanese airlines have always been at the vanguard of the trend. One of the first of the special schemes from Japan was typically cartoonish but unusually was worn by a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and one in the colours of Japan’s 3rd airline – Japan Air System.

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Tens & Trouble: Spantax in the 80s

10/3/2020

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By 1978 Spantax had grown to become one of the largest charter airlines in Europe, despite not necessarily having the best reputation. This was as much due to the personality of its founder Capt Rudolfo ‘Rudi’ Bay as to the solid and reliable Convair 990s that he loved so much. Unfortunately, the 1980s would prove a difficult time for the airline but would see it enter the widebody era.

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Lan Tens: DC-10s in Chile

2/7/2019

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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.

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Air Florida Across the Atlantic: Palm DC-10s

5/4/2019

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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.

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Acker’s Gamble: Air Florida 1979-1982

30/3/2019

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With deregulation of the airlines in the USA the expectation was that an intrastate airline like Air Florida would be a force in the new post-regulation world and for a while that was true enough. The story of Air Florida is forever intertwined with the fortunes and wheeler dealing of one man, Ed Acker who took it from obscurity to the big leagues and then abandoned it for its greatest rival.

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Eastern Cross the Atlantic: New Mark 10s

23/1/2019

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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.

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National Goes International: MIA-LHR 1970

14/12/2018

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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.

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Mexicana's Unique Liveries Pt1: 1989-1993

12/9/2018

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The deregulation of the Mexican domestic market in late 1988 was to provide both opportunities and pitfalls for Mexicana, which, as with its competitors, lurched from famine to feast as the Mexican economy likewise lurched from boom to bust. Nonetheless the period also provided huge amounts of interest for the aviation enthusiast as new competitors arose and Mexicana itself underwent a startling albeit short-lived metamorphosis.

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TZ Tens: American Trans Air 1973-1986

7/8/2017

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Deregulation of the US airline industry gave a lot of companies, both new and existing, their opportunity to take on the big Trunk airlines and carve a niche for themselves. One that made a success of its opportunity was American Trans Air, which grew from a one plane travel club in the 70s to the USA's largest charter airline by the mid 1980s.

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El Grandioso: VIASA 1970-1986

6/7/2017

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By 1971 VIASA had been in operation for eleven years and had built up an excellent regional and long haul network that connected Venezuela to the world and made it one of the premier airlines of South America. It was also strongly profitable and ready to take the leap into the widebody era that its agreement with KLM offered it. The 1970s would prove to be the heyday of the airline as Venezuela boomed so did its national airline. Unfortunately the 1980s would bring some painful times for both country and flag carrier.

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Skypower Pt3: Air Nigeria to the Rescue?

8/4/2017

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Few countries have been so poorly administered as Nigeria, and Nigerian aviation history is chock full of failed airlines and failed attempts to rehabilitate failing airlines. By 1992 Nigeria Airways was a right mess, racked by corruption and owing more than US$100 million. There was hope though that it could be turned around and a radical proposal to split the airline and create Air Nigeria for a brief time looked like it might be the answer.

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Skypower Pt2: DC-10s to A310s

6/4/2017

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During the 1970s Nigeria Airways used the relative stability within the country to expand into one of Africa's best airlines. This was bolstered by assistance from KLM, but the 1980s would see all of these gains wasted and worse rampant corruption strip the airline bare, leaving behind a shell of its former self. Service levels and reliability collapsed and debts spiralled out of control, whilst almost everyone it seemed stole from poor old Skypower.

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TAESA Pt2: Old is New

9/2/2017

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After 5 years of operations Transportes Aéreos Ejecutivos (TAESA) had appeared to carve itself a strong and profitable position in both the Mexican domestic scheduled and international charter markets. It was a well run airline with a large modern fleet that was going places. Unfortunately events outside of its control would lead to drastic retrenchment and a fight for survival, but not before it attempted a crazy transpacific gamble.

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Ecuatoriana Pt3: VASP to the Rescue?

10/6/2016

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Ecuatoriana's cessation of operations in 1993 had been something of a shock as the airline's financial condition was unknown even though its service levels had been decreasing. Despite a lengthy period out of operation Ecuatoriana wasn't finished however, and a white knight appeared in the form of the Brasilian airline VASP. VASP was keen to form a pan-South American VASP Air System including Ecuador's colourful national carrier.

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<<Previous

Pineapple: The Hawaii Express

Neverland Bound: JAS Peter Pan DC-10

Tens & Trouble: Spantax in the 80s

Lan Tens: DC-10s in Chile

Air Florida Across the Atlantic: Palm DC-10s

Acker’s Gamble: Air Florida 1979-1982

Eastern Cross the Atlantic: New Mark 10s

National Goes International: MIA-LHR 1970

Mexicana's Unique Liveries Pt1: 1989-1993

TZ Tens: American Trans Air 1973-1986

El Grandioso: VIASA 1970-1986

Skypower Pt3: Air Nigeria to the Rescue?

Skypower Pt2: DC-10s to A310s

TAESA Pt2: Old is New

Ecuatoriana Pt3: VASP to the Rescue?

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