In April, the Australian government grants internal airmail subsidies for route connections with destination points in the U. K.-Australia experimental service; the company receives a five-year contract for flights out of Perth. Following the acquisition of two de Havilland DH 84 Dragons, weekly Perth-Daly Waters frequencies are begun on October 3 via eight stops. Three days later, a temporary, two-month operation is begun from Ord River to Wyndham.
Having acquired two DH-83 Fox Moths in the spring of 1935, a permanent Ord River-Wyndham route is opened on July 9, complementing the route started the previous year. Neither fleet nor service changes much during the next three years until the spring of 1938, when two DH-86s are placed in service, replacing the DH-83s.
In July, the Western Australia routes are extended to Darwin via Wyn-dham to connect with the Qantas Empire Airways, Ltd. flying boat service. On August 9, the northern mail terminus is transferred to Darwin from Daly Waters and a new Lockheed Model 10A Electra arrives from the United States on October 17.
In 1939, the routes out of Adelaide are transferred to the Guinea Airways, Ltd. Adelaide-Darwin network. Between 1940-1945, mail flights are maintained and contract charters flown on behalf of the Allied war effort.
In 1946, a Douglas C-47 is purchased from Allied war surplus, reconverted to DC-3 civil standard, and placed in service. Having survived the war, the Electra crashes at Broome Creek on June 17.
Another DC-3 is acquired in 1947, but it is lost in a crash at Guildford Airport on July 1 (15 dead). In cooperation with ANA (Australian National Airlines [Pty.], Ltd.), Air Beef (Pty.), Ltd. is formed in November 1948 for the transport of frozen carcasses from remote areas of Western Australia to Wyndham. A DC-3 crashes at Guildford, Western Australia, on July 2, 1949 (18 dead).
Over 5,000 carcasses are transported in 1952 as Air Beef (Pty.), Ltd. reaches its peak year. Competing Airlines (West Australia) (Pty.), Ltd., together with its routes inland of Perth and its fleet of DH-104s, is acquired in October 1955; MMA now stands for MacRobertson-Miller Airline Services (Pty.), Ltd. The carrier’s first turboprop is the Fokker F.27-200 Swan, purchased from Trans-Australian Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. (TAA); it is employed to launch Jetstream service on the Perth-Darwin route on December 28, 1959.
The fleet in 1961 comprises the Swan, 3 Doves, and 6 DC-3s. Controlling interest in the airline is purchased by Ansett Transport Industries, Ltd. in 1963; however, the carrier is left to operate under its own identity. A second F.27-200 and a Piaggio 166 are acquired in 1964. Several new stops are added to existing routes due to new iron ore mining developments in Western Australia.
Two more F.27-200s join the fleet in 1965. Enplanements reach 147,000 in 1966.
The fleet in 1967 includes 4 F.27-200s, 1 F.27-100, and 8 DC-3s. Orders are outstanding for another Fokker Friendship and a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. Bookings fall to 139,971.
In 1968, one more F.27-200 and a DHC-6 are placed in service. Airline employment is 800. In March, DC-3 services from Perth to Rottnest Island are suspended.
Due to the fatigue of its starboard inner main spar lower boom, Flight 1750, an F.27-200 with 5 crew and 21 passengers and en route from Perth to Port Heland on December 31, crashes 48 km. S of its Western Australia destination; there are no survivors.
The outstanding 32% shareholding is acquired by Ansett Transport Industries (Pty.), Ltd. in January 1969 and MacRobertson-Miller Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. becomes a wholly owned division with C. N. Kleinig as general manager.
Operations continue apace during the early 1970s and by 1973 enplanements total 286,965. They accelerate by 8.9% in 1974 to 315,000.
Airline employment stands at 518 in 1975. With a slowdown in the region’s mineral mining business, passenger boardings accelerate only a minor 0.8% to 325,971. Freight drops 3.1% to 7.3 million FTKs.
The Ansett subsidiary is reorganized in January 1976 in an effort to generate additional bookings by emphasizing tourism. New sales and marketing campaigns are undertaken. The workforce is cut 3.7% to 492. The company’s de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and the five Fokker F.27-100s are unable to prevent another downturn in traffic.
Passenger boardings decline 10% to 293,387 and cargo slows down 7.5%.
Enplanements begin to recover in 1977 and show a radical improvement in 1978, accelerating to 342,511.
The company employs 520 workers in 1979. Customer bookings grow a slight 1.2% to 346,671 and cargo climbs 1.7% to 7.41 million FTKs. The workforce is increased by 7.3% in 1980 to 558. Passenger enplanements jump 9.6% to 379,957 while freight declines a slight 1.9% to 7.3 million FTKs.
The division is reformed in July 1981 and is renamed Airlines of Western Australia (Pty.), Ltd.
MADAIR, S. A.: Malagasy Republic (1961-1962). Air Madagascar (Societe National Malagache de Transports Aeriens, S. A.) is reorganized on January 1, 1961 by the government of the Malagasy Republic, Madagascar, and TAI. Shareholding is divided between the Malagasy Republic (39%), TAI (20%), and Air France (44%).
The fleet now includes 4 DC-3s, 2 DC-4s, 6 DH 89As, and 1 Broussard. Four months later, the company is renamed Madair, S. A.
An Antananarivo-Paris route via Djibouti and Marseilles is opened on October 20 with a Douglas DC-7C leased from the French partner.
Service is taken over or started to 58 domestic points on January 1, 1962. These flights are operated with a variety of U. S.-made lightplanes, as well as five Nord 262s. Routes are also opened to neighboring islands and to Johannesburg. There are accidents.
The company is again reorganized on October 14, 1962, and the Madair name is dropped in favor of the original title.
World History
