MACAIR (MELANESIAN AIRLINE CHARTER COMPANY [PTY.[, LtD.): Papua New Guinea (1960-1986). Formed by Bryan McCook to provide charter and contract service flights in Papua New Guinea, Macair enters the realm of scheduled airlines on May 1, 1968 when it acquires Honiara, Guadalcanal-based Megapode Airways, Ltd. from its founder Laurie Crowley. The new acquisition is turned into the subsidiary Solair (Solomon Islands Airways, Ltd.).
The de Havilland DH 104 Dove 1 that Crowley has been using is found to be hardly airworthy. McCook elects to cannibalize it for spare parts and dry-lease a replacement aircraft. Solair flight activities begin on June 1 with the second Dove provided by McCook.
Revenue activities continue apace in 1969-1974 and the fleet is increased to include 2 Doves and 2 Beech 55 Barons. At the end of the latter year, Macair wins operating routes from Honiara to Kieta, on the Papua New Guinea-owned island of Bougainville.
In April 1975, Macair and its subsidiary are purchased by Talair (Tourist Airlines of Niugini, Ltd.). Macair and Solair are allowed to continue as commuter subsidiaries of the new owner; however, their traffic and financial figures are presented with those of the parent.
To operate the new international service between the Solomons and Bougainville, Talair (Tourist Airlines of Niugini, Ltd.), in 1976-1977, replaces the Solair Doves with one each Beech B-80 Queen Air and a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander. Upon its independence in 1978, the new sovereign nation of the Solomon Islands acquires 49% shareholding and assumes the right to purchase Talair’s 51% within five years.
During the 1980s, Macair operates 20 aircraft, with 7 Dornier 228-212s the major units, but severe financial reversals finally force it to cease operations in November 1986. Solair (Solomon Islands Airways, Ltd.) is taken over by the government of the Solomon Islands a year later.
MACAIR JET, S. A.: Jorge Newbery Airport, Ave. R. Obligado, 1426 Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Phone 54 (11) 47777514; Fax 54 (11) 5777-7554; http: Www. macairjet. com. ar; Year Founded 1994. Macair Jet is established at Buenos Aires in 1994 to offer executive and small group passenger charters. By 2000, General Manager Diego M. Colunga oversees the work of 8 full-time pilots and operates a fleet that comprises 1 each Learjet 25, Learjet 60 and Gulf-stream G-1159C Gulfstream IV.
MACEDONIAN AIRLINES: Bulevar Partizanski, Opodredi 17A, Skopje, 91000, Macedonia; Phone 389 (91) 116 333; Fax 389 (91) 229 576; Code IN; Year Founded 1994.
MA is established at Skopje in the fall of 1994 to serve as flag carrier of the former Yugoslav province. Shareholding is divided between Yukan Trade International and Makedonska Banka. Zlatko Petrovski is appointed chairman/president and a Boeing 737-266 is leased from Egyptair, S. A.E. and is employed to launch revenue services linking its base with Frankfurt and various other European destinations.
Flights continue in 1995-1997, during which years the Boeing is supplemented by two Douglas DC-9-32s leased from JAT Yugoslav Airlines, plus two Yakovlev Yak-42s. Dusko Grueuski becomes chair-man/president, with Mirce Dimitrouski as his deputy.
Destinations visited include Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Halmstad, Hamburg, Hanover, Istanbul, Kerkyra, Milan, Orio al Serio, Munich, Reykjavik, Rome, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Zurich.
Traffic figures are released for the second quarter of the latter year and show a total of 15,203 passengers flown.
Flights continue with little notice in 1998. Passenger boardings increase to 77,000.
In anticipation of air strikes by NATO countries against Serbian military targets in a campaign for an independent Kosovo, Macedonian, on March 24, 1999, halts all scheduled service into Belgrade as Yugoslav airspace is closed. A spokesman, in making the announcement, indicates that the situation will be evaluated further; however, that evening, Operation Allied Force, the bombing attack on targets in Serbia and Kosovo, begins.
Service to Belgrade and other points remains halted on March 25 and for the duration of the NATO bombing campaign.
As aircraft from the NATO nations pound Yugoslav targets, hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees cross borders into Albania and Macedonia. Among the most notorious destinations is Blace, a no-man’s-land straddling Kosovo and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia where, by April 4, over 65,000 refugees are huddled. As aid workers struggle to provide relief, several governments step forward to provide sanctuary, agreeing to take various numbers of displaced persons.
Among the first nations to step forward is Turkey, which agrees to take in 20,000 people who will be assisted by the Turkish Red Crescent. After more than 500 years of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, Turkey shares a strong historical and religious bond with the Kosovar Albanians.
Late on April 5 and into April 6, a total of 9 refugee flights, carrying 1,398 displaced persons, are operated from a military airfield at Corlu, in western Macedonia, to Kirklareli, near the Bulgarian border. Seven of the services are provided by the airline’s two Yak-42s plus the Egyptian Boeing, while two are flown by Turkish military Lockheed C-130s. At least one elderly woman, carried off the B-737-266 in Turkey, later dies in hospital. Additional flights will be completed in the days ahead until Operation Allied Force is concluded on June 11.
Enplanements for the year soar to a remarkable total of 202,000 and 7.53 million FTKs are also operated. The workforce at the beginning of 2000 totals 115. The carrier continues to operate 2 each B-737-46Js, B-737-230As, and DC-9-32s plus 1 B-737-42J.
Prior to the beginning of the summer schedule at the end of March, the company debuts a new color scheme that features the yellow and red of the national flag on all aircraft tails.
MAC-AIRE AVIATION CORPORATION: United States (19621968). Mac-Aire is set up by James Keena at Ronkonkoma, New York, in February 1962 to provide daily roundtrip air taxi services to EHosted by JAT Yugoslav Airlines CEO Mihajlo Vujinovic, a “meeting of the scheduled airlines of Southeast Europe” is held at Belgrade in mid-December to consider possible joint cooperation. Those attending include representatives of MALEV Hungarian Airlines, Rt., Croatia Airlines, Air Bosna, S. A., Air Srpska, S. A., Monenegro Airlines, Macedonian, and Adria Airways (Adria Aviopromet) (2). Due to an unplanned management change, TAROM (Romanian Air Transport-Transporturile Aerienne Romane, S. A.) is unable to participate, but expresses interest in joint activities.
Of the eight airlines participating in the conclave, six express interest in joint commercial operations, four in joint technical and maintenance activities, and five in joint training exercises. To study and discuss matters further, three working committees are established: commercial, chaired by a representative from Adria Airways (Adria Aviopromet) (2); technical, chaired by a MALEV Hungarian Airlines, Rt. representative; and training, chaired by a representative from JAT Yugoslav Airlines.
During the year, one of the company’s two remaining B-727-230As is withdrawn and put up for sale.
MACEDONIAN AIRLINES, S. A.: 120 Syngou Ave., Athens, 11741, Greece; Phone 30 (1) 926 7296; Fax 30 (1) 926 7817; Code MCS; Year Founded 1992. A wholly owned subsidiary, MA is established by Olympic Airways, S. A. at Athens in 1992 to operate charter flights from the Greek province of Macedonia. Revenue operations begin and continue with 2 each Boeing 737-284As and B-737-484s leased from the parent.
During the summer of 1999, a B-737-46J is leased from Pembroke Capital. It is employed to operate not only charters, but also replacement flights on behalf of its parent to such European destinations as Geneva.
Macedonian repaints its fleet in a new color scheme during the summer and fall of 2000. A yellow sun logo appears on the navy blue tails of the aircraft.
MACEDONIAN AVIATION, LTD.: United Kingdom (19721974) . Formed as a charter operation at London (CTN) in the summer of 1972, MAL begins ad hoc operations in October with a single de Havilland DH 104 Dove 6 purchased the month before. A Douglas DC-3 acquired in October flies its first charter on November 5 from Southend to Amsterdam. Unscheduled trips to the Continent continue during the winter.
The Dove is sold in February 1973, leaving the Douglas transport to fly a full load of ad hoc charters during the remainder of the year. Destinations include Bergen, Brussels, Jersey, Cologne, Geneva, Glasgow, Lisbon, and both passengers and freight consignments are transported. In the fall, the DC-3 is grounded for repairs and a replacement is leased for a month from Intra Airways, Ltd.
The first two weeks of January 1974 are given over to flying oil industry support flights out of Aberdeen. The profitable charter persuades company officials to purchase three more DC-3s from British Island Airways. Two are received in March; converted to combi standard, they are posted to Aberdeen in April. Meanwhile, ad hoc charters are flown throughout the spring to such destinations as Rotterdam, Lisbon, Hurn, Le Havre, Amsterdam, Gibraltar, and Belfast.
The former Limberg Airways, B. V. Tuesday service from Rotterdam to Le Havre is undertaken for a short period beginning in April; however, by summer, the company’s DC-3s are fully committed at Aberdeen. The third DC-3 is received in September as the company vainly seeks financing to purchase turboprops for its Aberdeen operation. Unable to meet oil industry equipment standards, Macedonian ceases operations on November 6.
World History
