Air taxi TAL is established by Uwe Bohme in 1980. The company grows only slightly over the next sixteen years, also offering lightplane public and small group passenger charters.
Scheduled services from Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport are inaugurated in 1996 with 1 each Beech 1900D and Dornier 328-110. Two Fairchild Metro IIIs are added the following year.
Scheduled destinations visited by the 25-worker airline at the beginning of 1998 include Erfurt, Friedrichshafen, Munich, and Wester-land/Sylt. On November 1, the carrier is renamed Tempelhof Express Airlines, GmbH.
TALAIR (TOURIST AIRLINES OF NIUGINI (PTY.), LTD.): Papua New Guinea (1975-1993). In April 1975, Lae-based Territory Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. purchases Macair (Melanese Air Charters, Ltd.) and its Solair (Solomon Islands Airways, Ltd.) subsidiary. Solair and Macair continue in subsidiary commuter roles, reporting their finances and traffic as part of the figures for the enlarged company, which changes its name to the present title. Most of the previous aircraft and routes are maintained, along with the workforce of 240.
Enplanements for the inaugural year reach 150,191.
Panga Airways (Pty.), Ltd. is purchased and merged in October 1977 completing Talair’s immediate expansion. Within four years, Managing Director R. Dennis Buchanan’s 594-employee carrier is serving 146 domestic airports with a fleet comprising 5 Embraer EMB-110 Ban-deirantes, 8 de Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otters, 10 Cessna 402s, 19 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, 1 Pilatus Turbo-Porter, 3 Cessna 207s, 7 Cessna 208s, and 1 Cessna 185. Orders are outstanding for 4 DHC-8-100s.
A DHC-6-200 freighter crashes while on final approach to Garaina, Papua New Guinea, on February 28, 1978, killing its pilot.
Upon its independence, the sovereign new nation of the Solomon Islands acquires 49% interest in the Solair (Solomon Islands Airways, Ltd.) subsidiary and the right to purchase, within five years, the remainder for a set price plus a goodwill figure.
An EMB-110P2 freighter is lost at Port Moresby on November 4, 1982; the pilot escapes injury.
In 1984, the government duly serves notice of its desire to takeover Solair (Solomon Islands Airways, Ltd.); however, financial negotiations will require another three years.
Meanwhile, during the middle years of the 1980s, five more domestic points are added along with an EMB-110, three Beech Barons, and a Cessna Citation 550. Severe financial reversals force the closure of the Macair (Melanese Air Charters, Ltd.) subsidiary in November 1986. The former parent, meanwhile, takes delivery of its first DHC-8-100 in December.
Capt. H. O. Tschuchnigg is named general manager of the 827-employee carrier in 1987. In January, the company receives permission to operate scheduled services on nine domestic routes in competition with the state airline Air Niugini (Pty.), Ltd.
An EMB-110P2, with 2 crew and 15 passengers is forced by bad weather to ditch off the Papua New Guinea coast on February 6 while on a service from Rabaul (14 dead).
In October, orders are placed for two EMB-120 Brasilias. Over 136 regional destinations are now served with upwards of 300 flights scheduled per day. At year’s end, the Solair (Solomon Islands Airways, Ltd.) subsidiary is finally sold to the government of the Solomon Islands for S$1.4 million.
Overall enplanements for the 12 months rise 20.8% to 294,082 and cargo is up 3.8% to 1.52 million FTKs.
In 1988, Managing Director Buchanan’s fleet is increased and now includes 23 Islanders, 4 Beech Barons, 10 Cessna 402s, 11 Twin Otters, 8 Bandeirantes, and 1 DHC-8-100. A new EMB-120 Brasilia is also delivered.
The workforce is increased by 18.1% to 867 and passenger boardings leap upward by 12.9% to 330,650. Freight is also up, by 22.4%, to 1.8 million FTKs.
The number of employees is increased by 36.4% in 1989 to 1,200 as a second Dash 8 arrives.
While in its post-takeoff climb, a DHC-6-300 with 2 crew and 19 passengers veers left and crashes into trees near Porgera on July 21 (3 dead).
Enplanements are reported through September and are up by 17.4% to 220,288. Freight also moves along smartly, growing 10% to 914,000 FTKs.
The fleet in 1990 includes 52 aircraft. However, the world economic situation, particularly after Iraq’s August invasion of Kuwait, has a dramatic impact.
Passenger boardings decline to 185,815 and freight is down to 757,000 FTKs. Expenses exceed income and there are equal operating and net losses: $5.3 million.
Company employment declines by 11.2% in 1991 to 592 and the fleet now includes 7 DHC-6-200s, 9 DHC-6-300s, including 2 leased to Metro Manila Airlines, 4 EMB-120P1s, and 3 EMB-110P2s. The Dash 8s must be removed from major Papua New Guinea domestic routes as traffic continues to fall. Still, in the year’s highlight, Managing Director Buchanan is knighted by the Queen.
Customer bookings plunge 19.6% to 249,300 and cargo drops 20.7% to 6.15 million FTKs. Revenues slide 8.6% to $38.56 million, but profitability returns with profits of $2.68 million (operating) and $3.6 million (net).
The payroll is boosted 16.9% in 1992 to 498. One Islander is withdrawn and replaced by a Dash 8. The fleet now also includes 7 DHC-6-200s, 8 DHC-6-300s, 5 EMB-110P1s, and 3 EMB-110P2s. Scheduled services are maintained by the 510-employee company to over 700 airstrips and 130 destinations throughout the nation.
An EMB-110P1 with 3 crew and 13 passengers and en route from Mount Ragen to Lae crashes into the mountains at Goroka on April 14 (11 dead).
The landing gear of a DHC-6-300 collapses during touchdown at Esa Ala on October 29; although no one aboard is injured, the plane will have to be written off.
Passenger boardings for the year drop another 5.8% to 234,855 and freight slides 17.3% to 953,000 FTKs. Revenues decline 8.4% to $35.3 million and expenses fall 3.6% to $34.58 million. Small profits are posted: $720,000 (operating) and $340,000 (net).
The Sir Dennis Buchanan’s colorful airline, known on occasion to transport headhunters, goes into a nosedive during the late winter and spring of 1993. Losing $1 million per month from January on, New Guinea’s largest domestic airline is forced to cease operations on June 30.
World History
