Even as the debate over the vote in Florida continues, the “Bush-Ch-eney” plane comes off its Republican Party lease on November 17. Although the red-and-blue striped livery remains on the B-727-225A, the names of the GOP standard bearers are now replaced with Miami Air titles. After minor modification by Boeing, the first Sabre Airways, Ltd. Next Generation B-737-81Q is received on November 21. Wearing the basic red-tail Sabre color scheme with Miami Air titles, the new aircraft begins required FAA proving flights on November 27.
When Planet Airways is unable to receive its second B-727-225A as scheduled on December 1, it leases the former “Bush-Cheney” B-727-200A. Three days later, the premier Sabre Next Generation B-737-81Q enters revenue services on the carrier’s aggressive winter charter schedule.
The second Sabre Airways, Ltd. Next Generation B-737-81Q arrives on December 18.
MIAMI AIRLINES: United States (1946-1961) . This irregular carrier is established at its Florida namesake city in 1946 to operate Douglas DC-3 passenger charters northward and to the Caribbean. Late in 1948, three passenger-configured Curtiss C-46 Commandos are leased from the USAF.
A Curtiss C-46F with 4 crew and 52 passengers is lost at Elizabeth, New Jersey, on December 16, 1951; there are no survivors.
With little fanfare, MA continues flying during the remainder of the decade. There is one more fatal accident when a DC-3 with 3 crew and 22 passengers is lost 7 mi. E of Selleck, Washington, on April 14, 1953 (7 dead).
Two more Commandos and two Lockheed L-749 Constellations are purchased between 1959-1960; however, the company encounters severe financial difficulties and shuts down in 1961.
MIAMI-KEY WEST AIRWAYS: United States (1937-1938). Organized at Miami in early 1937 to employ Consolidated Commodore flying boats to Key West, this over-water operator begins revenue services in March. Operations continue for 18 months until the company, without a mail contract or sufficient traffic, ceases operations in July 1938.
MIAMI VALLEY AVIATION: 1707 Run Way, Middletown, Ohio 45042, United States; Phone (513) 422-5050; Fax (513) 422-1494; Year Founded 1990. MVA is set up by Terry Hogan at Middletown, Ohio, in 1990 to provide domestic cargo charters under FAR Part 135 certification rules. By 2000, the company is operating 5 Douglas DC-3s, 3 Beech 18s, 3 Learjets, and 5 Piper Aztecs.
MIAT-AIR MONGOL: Buyant-Ukhaa 43, Ulaanbaatar, 210734, Mongolia; Phone 976 (1) 21804; Fax 976 (1) 79226; Http://www. miat. com. mn; Code OM; Year Founded 1956. With assistance from and modeled upon Aeroflot Soviet Airlines, MIAT (Mongolyn Irgeniy Agaaryn Teever), also known as Mongolflot, or Mongolian Civil Air Transport, is formed at Ulan Bator in early 1956. Equipped with such Russian aircraft as the Lisunov Li-2s—Soviet-made Douglas DC-3s— and Antonov An-24s flown by Aeroflot crews under contract, the new entrant begins domestic operations on July 7, initially linking its base with Ikurk. Additionally, agricultural and air ambulance operations are also undertaken with Antonov An-2s, which will remain in service over the next four decades.
A year or so later, international flights are launched to Irkutsk and Peking. At the time of the Soviet-Chinese border incidents in 1967-1970, service to and from the Chinese capital is withdrawn.
Services as outlined continue to 17-plus cities in the nation’s 18 provinces and Irkutsk throughout the 1970s. In 1978, Chairman Lt. Gen.
B. Tsog’s fleet comprises 6 Antonov An-24s, 3 Ilyushin Il-14s, and various smaller aircraft (An-2, Yak-12s) and Mil Mi-4 helicopters. During the early 1980s, the fleet is increased by the addition of 11 more An-24s.
A decade after its suspension, service is restored to Peking in July 1986 and started to Moscow and Sofia. Enplanements are reported in the West during 1987 and total 726,000; in addition, 14,000 tons of cargo are flown. In 1988, Managing Director Lhagvasurenglyn Lihagvaa has 20 An-24s on the line, together with An-2 multipurpose transports. A Boeing 727-181 is obtained in 1989 from Korean Airlines/Korean Air (KAL).
Two An-26s and a Tupolev Tu-154B jetliner is acquired in 1990. The company now begins a series of charter flights between Ulan Bator and Japan.
Darjaglyn Surenhorloo is named managing director in 1992 and eight An-24s are withdrawn. Lack of fuel forces a suspension of internal flights as of July 1.
In 1993, the fleet includes 9 An-24s, 4 An-26s, 1 An-30, 1 Boeing 727-181, 1 Tu-154B and a number of smaller aircraft and helicopters.
While en route from Ulan Bator on April 23, an An-26 with 6 crew and 16 passengers crashes in bad weather near Zavnah; there are no survivors.
Also during the spring, a donated B-727-281 is received from Korean Airlines/Korean Air (KAL). Rights over the nation for the South Korean flag carrier are provided in return. Service during the year and into 1994 is provided over an extensive domestic network and to Beijing, Moscow, Irkutsk, and Sofia.
President Surenhorloo withdraws the B-727-181, which has completed a total of 201 charter flights between Mongolia and Japan.
The B-727s are placed into service in 1995 over the company’s routes to Irkutsk and Beijing.
While on approach to Moron after a September 21 service from Ulan Bator, an An-24RV with 6 crew and 37 passengers, descends too soon and collides with a mountain at Choho Geologloh Uul (42 dead). During the year, the carrier continues to compile an impressive list of interline agreements with foreign carriers; the total will reach 40 within 5 years.
Having won authority from the Japanese Ministry of Transport, MIAT, on April 27, 1996, begins scheduled weekly roundtrips between Ulan Bator and Osaka (KIX). Nyamdavaa G. is now managing director.
While coming in for a landing at Mandalgobi from Ulan Bator on June 10, 1997, a Harbin Y-12 II with 2 crew and 10 passengers is caught in windshear at a height of 30 meters. The force slams the plane into the ground (7 dead). Enplanements for the year total 272,000.
Destinations visited in 1998 include Beijing, Berlin, Hohhot, Irkutsk, Istanbul, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Osaka, Seoul, Sofia, and Ulan Bator.
Just after takeoff from Erdenet on May 26, a Harbin Y-12 II with 2 crew and 26 passengers, crashes and there are no survivors. The Harbin had been designed as a 19-passenger turboprop.
As part of the government’s plan to sell off a number of state-owned industries, plans are announced in 1999 for the privatization of the carrier a year hence. Although the route network is not enhanced, the fleet is significantly upgraded by the addition of a B-727-281A. The B-737-181 is withdrawn and used for spare parts, while an order is placed for an Airbus Industrie A310-300.
Even though international passenger traffic has risen to 98,000, overall customer bookings for the year are just 224,000. Revenues reach $40 million and, despite a $2-million loss on the domestic network, there is still a $1.5-million net gain.
In addition to a code-shared service to Seoul with Korean Air (Korean Airlines-KAL), at the beginning of 2000 MIAT operates twice-weekly B-737-281 roundtrips from Ulan Bator to Berlin and Moscow and four-times-a-week return service to Beijing and Osaka (summer only), plus twice-weekly An-24 roundtrips to Irkutsk, Russia, and Ho-hhot, China. Domestic service is provided to 22 local airports, only 3 of which have paved runways.
On June 1 of the latter year, employing a chartered B-727-281A until an Airbus A310-300 can be made available, the carrier adds a second weekly return service from Ulan Bator to Berlin (Tegel), making a technical stop at Novosibirsk. An air service agreement is signed between
Mongolia and Vietnam on July 1. At this point, as the leased A310-304 arrives, the company’s fleet includes the 2 trijets, plus 9 An-24s, 3 An-26s, 6 An-2s, and 3 Mil Mi-9 helicopters. MIAT is the largest An-24 operator outside of Russia.
Plans to complete privatization are shelved following the parliamentary election victory of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party. The new government indicates early on that it will delay the sell-offs proposed by its predecessor.
Chartered to the UN, an Mi-8 with 23 souls aboard will crash into the mountains of Machin County, Uvs Province, about 600 mi. NW of Ulan Bator, on January14, 2001; 14 people will survive.
World History
