FAR EASTERN AVIATION. See DAK FAR EASTERN AVIATION (KHABAROVSK UNITED AIR DETACHMENT)

FAR WEST AIRLINES (1): United States (1979-1982). The initial FWA is established at Portland, Oregon, in late spring 1979 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services. Employing a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, the little commuter inaugurates flights on July 1, linking its base with Seattle and North Bend. Operations continue until 1982.

FAR WEST AIRLINES (2): United States (1984). Privately owned FWA is established at Fresno, California, in the spring of 1984. Minority ownership is held by the City of Fresno, in exchange for construction improvements at the city airport. CAB approval for scheduled service is obtained in June and a staff of 130 is hired.

Two Japanese-made Nihon YS-11As are leased from Mid-Pacific Airlines and these are employed to inaugurate flights on September 24 linking the company base with Oakland and San Jose. Burbank, Ontario, and Orange County are added to the initial network in October.

The cost of start-up and expansion proves too much for the new entrant and it suspends operations on December 13 stating simply that it “had run out of money.” The turboprops return to Honolulu.

FARNAIR HUNGARY, KFT.: P. O. Box 173, Budapest, H-1701, Hungary; Phone 361 282 92 86; Fax 361 377 21 83; Http://www. farnair. com; Year Founded 1990. NAWA Air Transport, Kft. is originally established at Ferihegy International Airport at Budapest in 1990 as the first privately owned airline in Hungary since before World War II. Employing a single Let L-410UVP, revenue flights are started under contract to United Parcel Service (UPS) . Two more Lets soon join the fleet.

NAWA Air Transport is acquired by the Swiss carrier Farner Air Transport, A. G. in 1993. The company is renamed and a leased Fokker F.27-400s and two more Let L-410UVPs are provided.

By 1996, the company is operating not only on behalf of UPS, but also on humanitarian missions for the Swiss government and in support of the Paris-Dakar automobile rally.

The Farnair Europe Aviation Group is created in 1997, with Farner Air Transport, A. G., FAH, Tulip Air, B. V., and Air Service Basel, A. G. all becoming subsidiaries. The company now trades under the marketing name Farner Europe.

In 1998, FAT (Hungary) becomes the approved CAA-145 maintenance organization for the nation’s L-410 fleet.

Airline employment at Managing Director Mihaly Fabian’s company stands at 49 at the beginning of 1999 and the fleet includes 5 Let L-410UVPs and the chartered Fokker.

FAH is renamed again, becoming Farnair Hungary, Kft. A new contract is accepted from the Italian post office and the fleet is boosted through the addition of two more L-410UVPs and a Cessna 402.

The workforce grows to 87 in 2000 and an F.27-500F replaces the Dash-400.

FARNAIR NETHERLANDS, B. V.: Sheffieldstraat 21, Rotterdam, 3047, The Netherlands; Phone 31 (10) 238-0909; Fax 31 (10) 2380900; Http://www. farnair. com; Code FRN; Year Founded 2000. Tulip Air Charter, B. V., a subsidiary of the Basel, Switzerland-based Farnair Europe Aviation Group, is renamed in early August 2000. Managing Director Urs Zurcher’s three Fokker F.27-500Fs continue to fly overnight express services on behalf of United Parcel Service (UPS), TNT Worldwide Express, and Federal Express.

The company’s three Airbus Industrie A300B4-103Fs remain dedicated to dHl Worldwide Express. On August 24, a fourth A300B4-103F is wet-leased for a four-month period.