Formed in the spring of 1977 at Salisbury, Rhodesia, to provide freight services to Europe. In order to avoid the United Nations sanctions that led to the suspension of Affretair, Ltd. (1) the previous year, this subsidiary of Air Trans Africa, Ltd. is registered in Libreville. Many former Affretair Caucasian staff members find work with this new entrant and the outlaw airline’s entire fleet is leased, including the Douglas DC-8-55Fs Situ-tunga and Captain Jack Malloch, a Canadair CL-44D, and two DC-7CFs. Flights continue even after 1979 when Affretair, Ltd. (1) is forced, by the creation of the new state of Zimbabwe, to shut its doors.
The company’s assets (minus much of its staff) are acquired by Air Zimbabwe, Ltd. in 1983 and reformed as Affretair, Ltd. (2). The company name reverts to Air Gabon, S. A.
AIR GAMBIA, LTD.: Gambia (1991-1995). Founded at Freetown in March 1991, privately owned Air Gambia, Ltd. is owned by Gambian businessmen (51%) and by Desmond and Ulick McEvaddy, coowners of Ireland’s Omega Air, Ltd. Based at London (LGW), John O’Rourke serves as managing director with General Manager-West Africa John Rouse stationed at the Banjul office. Scheduled weekly intercontinental cargo and passenger services by the new company’s single Boeing 707-323B Stratoliner begin to London in December from Freetown via Banjul.
In late 1992, a second weekly London frequency is started. Plans to inaugurate services to New York (JFK) are thwarted when the U. S. FAA, concerned over safety, rejects its rights application. The doubts are cleared up and, in June 1993, weekly flights begin from Freetown to New York with a second B-707, another Dash-323B once flown by American Airlines, via Banjul.
Determined to be unsafe, the original Stratoliner is withdrawn from the London route in July by order of the U. K.’s CAA. It is replaced, again briefly, by an Ilyushin Il-62 chartered from Uzbekistan Airways.
Fiscal and political difficulties occur in 1994, forcing the company to shut down in 1995.
AIR GASPEE, LTD.: Canada (1952-1982). Trans-Gaspian Airlines, Ltd. is formed in 1952 to offer charter and scheduled services in the Gaspe region as well as the Quebec North Shore area. Equipment over the next 30 years progresses from lightplanes and several DC-3s to a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 and a Beech 99.
Operations continue without incident for the next 21 years.
While on final approach to Rimouski on May 29, 1973, a DC-3 with three crew and a passenger hits a tree and crashes, catching fire; there are no survivors.
Services are maintained until 1982, when the company is merged into Regionair, Ltd.
AIR GEMINI: United States (1976-1978). Also known as Gemini Airlines, Air Gemini is established at Tacoma Airport in the summer of 1976 to provide scheduled intrastate services. Employing Cessna 207s, revenue flights commence in August linking the company’s base with Seattle, Olympia, and Hoquiam.
Operations continue apace until the company goes out of business in 1978.
AIR GEORGIA: Georgia (1994-1999). Following the breakup of Aeroflot Soviet Airlines, AG is set up at Tbilisi in 1994 to operate scheduled flights throughout the new republic. Demuri Leladze is general director and he begins operations with a single Tupolev Tu-154B-2. A second Tu-154B-2 is acquired in 1996.
Flights continue in 1997-1998. During the fall of the latter year, the company posts a homepage on the Internet’s World Wide Web.
On October 31, 1999, this carrier is merged with Georgian Airlines to create Airzena Georgian Airlines.
AIR GEORGIAN, LTD.: RR #2, Lake Simcoe Airport, Oro Station, Ontario L0L 2EQ, Canada; Phone (705) 487-2222; Fax (705) 4872220; Http://www. ontarioregional. com; Code GGN; Year Founded 1994. AGL is set up at Lake Simcoe Airport in 1994 as a division of the Georgian Aircraft Company. Paul Mulroney is president and he recruits a workforce of 55. Revenue flights commence with eight Cessna 208 Caravan Is.
All-cargo operations continue apace over the next five years. During these years, the company enters into a strategic alliance with Canadian Airlines International, Ltd. (later Canadian Airlines, Ltd.) to operate regional passenger services under the marketing name Ontario Regional Airlines, Ltd.
In addition to the Caravans, the fleet in 1999 includes 15 Beech 1900s and a 1900C. The workforce has grown to 175 since 1994.
Following the takeover of Canadian Airlines, Ltd. by Air Canada, Ltd. in January 2000 and the announcement by the latter at month’s end that it will consolidate its three regional airlines, Air Georgia enters into alliance discussions with Air Ontario. On February 9, Air Georgian enters into a pact with the large regional, under which it will continue its service in southern Ontario and expand flights into the northeastern U. S.
When this Air Alliance partnership begins on April 2, the company’s fleet has been rationalized to include 11 Beech 1900Ds, all of which wear white fuselages, blue tails, and red Air Alliance titles. This is the type employed the next day to operate four daily roundtrips from Toronto to Dayton and three from Toronto to Albany. Thrice-daily return service from Toronto to Grand Rapids starts on April 10.
Thrice-daily roundtrips are introduced between Toronto and Louisville on May 1, Toronto and South Bend, Indiana, on May 8, Toronto and Akron and Canton on May 15, and Toronto and Manchester, New Hampshire, on August 21.
AIR GERMANICA, GmbH.: Germany (1995-1996). Late in 1994, a Bavarian tour operator makes plans to acquire the airline division of Arcus Air Logistic, GmbH. and rename it. When the transaction is completed on January 1, 1995, the company withdraws from scheduled service and offers only charters.
Air Germanica, GmbH. does not survive a year and, in 1996, Arcus returns to scheduled service under the name Arcus Air Luftfahrtun-ternehmen, GmbH.
AIR GHANA, LTD.: Ghana (1994-1997). Air Ghana is established at Accra in the spring of 1994 to operate all-cargo charters to destinations within Africa and Europe. Revenue flights commence in April with three Douglas DC-8Fs.
Proving impossible to achieve economic viability, the company shuts its doors in early 1997.
AIR GLACIERS, S. A.: CP 34, Sion, CH-1951, Switzerland; Phone 41 (27) 322-6464; Fax 41 (27) 322-6426; Code GB; Year Founded 1965. This small charter carrier is formed at Sion’s Aeroport Civil in 1965 to provide passenger/cargo charter and contract flights, air ambulance service, and on-demand Sion-Geneva shuttles in the Pennine and Bernese Alps. With a workforce numbering less than 50, the operator flies three Pilatus PC-6 Turbo-Porters, two Cessna 206s, and a Piper PA-23 Aztec. All of these aircraft will be well maintained and remain in service for the next 30 years. Services continue apace with little change over the next 20 years.
In the middle 1980s, the company adds nine Aerospatiale Alouette helicopters. By the 1990s, Chairman M. Bruno Bagnoud oversees a workforce of 109 and a new base at Collombey. His fleet includes 11 Aerospatiale SA-315Bs, 6 SA-316Bs, 2 Beech King Air 90s, 2 Bell 206Bs JetRangers, 2 Cessna 206s, 3 Cessna 421s, 3 Pilatus PC-6/Bs, and a Piper Aztec.
Although the fixed-wing fleet remains unchanged, the rotary-wing fleet in 1994 includes just 8 SA-315Bs. There are, however, 16 SA-316Bs and 2 JetRangers.
It is understood that flights continue without change during the remainder of the decade; exact information is, however, unavailable.
AIR GLOBAL, S. A.: Av. Sucre, Torre Centro, Piso 20, Oficina 203, Los Dos Caminos, Caracas, Venezuela; Phone 58 (2) 283-8009; Fax 58 (2) 283-8866; Http://www. vdacon. com/iag/incontac. htm; Year Founded 1997. Air Global is established at Caracas in 1997 to undertake passenger and cargo charters on behalf of various companies and private individuals. Additionally, the on-demand carrier also offers mapping and aerial photography flights, as well as aircraft management and flight-seeing.
Revenue operations begin and continue with a fleet that includes 7 aircraft, featuring Swearingen Merlin 3s, Beech King Air 100s, and 1 Beech 58 Baron.
AIR GREAT LAKES: United States (1981-1982). Joseph Vallee, owner and president of Chicago-based Skytrain Airlines, changes the corporate identity of his commuter on September 15, 1981. Daily Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain frequencies are maintained, linking the company’s base with Milwaukee, Minneapolis, South Bend, and Fort Wayne.
Recession and the effects of the PATCO air traffic controllers’ strike combine to force the company out of business in May 1982.
AIR GREAT WALL: Jiangbei Airport, Chongqing, Sichuan, 618307, China; Phone 86 811 756138; Code G8; Year Founded 1992.
The Civil Aviation Flying Institute of China establishes this carrier at Jiangbei Airport, Chongjing, Sichuan, on July 21, 1992. Huang Ming-shun is appointed president and recruits a workforce of 150. Revenue flights commence later in the year to Gungzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wenzhou with a fleet of 1 Boeing 727-200, 3 each B-737-2T4As and Xian Y-7-100s, and 2 Tupolev Tu-154Ms.
Operations continue apace in 1993-1994 and, in 1995, enplane-ments total 62,800. Airline employment stands at 150 in 1996 and passenger boardings skyrocket 77.4% to 300,000. Service is maintained in 1997-1999.
During the latter year, the company enjoys enplanements of 230,000 and operates 647,000 FTKs.
The workforce stands at 150 at the beginning of the year 2000 and the 2 Tu-154Ms are retired during the spring.
In response to a fatal June 22, Xian Airlines Y-7-100C crash, CAAC delivers a major reorganization plan to the China State Council in late July. Among the proposals is a release of all airlines from the requirement that they purchase aircraft through CAAC. More important, however, is a recommendation that the 13 largest of China’s 34 carriers be consolidated into 3 groups built around China Eastern, Air China International Corporation, and China Southern Airlines Company, Ltd.
During the last week of August, China Eastern takes a controlling 55% stake in Air Great Wall. Plans are announced to initially operate the company as a subsidiary, supplying it with funds to purchase 3 Next Generation B-737s.
AIR GREECE-AERODROMISIS, S. A.: Greece (1994-1999). Air
Greece is organized under the leadership of its managing director, Manolis Tzakarakis, at Athens in early September 1994 to offer regional services. Revenue passenger flights commence on September 16 with a pair of Avions de Transport Regional ATR72-202s.
Operations continue apace in 1995, with bookings for the first full year reaching 121,000. Destinations visited in 1996 include domestic points, as well as Belgrade. In 1997, the carrier is in financial difficulty and is placed under government supervision.
Service is maintained in 1998 and into 1999; a homepage is opened on the Internet’s World Wide Web. Flights to Belgrade cease on March 24 as NATO launches air attacks on Yugoslavia because of the situation in the province of Kosovo.
The carrier is taken over by Aegean Airlines, S. A. in December and merged into what has now become the largest privately owned airline in Greece.
AIR GREGORY (MID-FLY), LTD. See EXECUTIVE AIR TRANSPORT, LTD.
AIR GRISCHA HELIKOPTER, A. G. See HELISWISS, LTD.
AIR GUADELOUPE, S. A. See SATA (SOCIETE ANTILLAISE DE TRANSPORTS AERIENS, S. A.)
AIR GUINEE (COMPAGNIE NATIONALE AIR GUINEE, S. A.): BP 12, Cote Police Judiciare, Route du Niger, Conakry, Guinea; Phone 224 442907; Fax 224 412907; Code GI; Year Founded 1960.
Following the March 1960 signing of an air assistance pact with the Soviet government, this carrier is formed at Conakry in October as a state corporation in October with Czech technical support and an Ilyushin
I1-18 turboprop wet-leased from CSA (Czechoslovak Airlines). The Soviet Union will eventually sell the African carrier 2 Ilyushin Il-18s, 4 Antonov An-24s, and 2 An-12s. Scheduled services commence at year’s end over two domestic routes from Conakry to Boke and Kankan.
Air Guinee is nationalized in April 1961. In cooperation with Air France, a service is inaugurated to Bamako, Mali. The Russian-made fleet is increased by the addition of 2 Il-18s, 5 Yakovlev Yak-18s, and 1 Mil Mi-24 helicopter. A concession to western success is made on December 7, when the carrier contracts with a Canadian school for the training of 20 young females as stewardesses and clerks.
During the first half of 1962, the carrier purchases 4 Antonov An-24Vs, 2 An-12s, and 1 Yakovlev Yak-40 jetliner from the Soviet Union. Il-18 service is launched northward on August 24 from Conakry to Dakar, Senegal. In December, AG signs a seven-year support and management contract with Alaska Airlines.
A small Alaskan contingent arrives at the beginning of 1963, along with a pair of Douglas DC-4s that have been purchased from the American carrier. An Il-18 service begins to Lagos on May 10, operated via Robertsfield, Abidjan, and Accra.
An arrangement with Alaska Airlines is cancelled on June 30; the entire $700,000-debt owed to the American carrier is paid by the U. S. AID. The Czechs by this time have also withdrawn.
With expatriate French assistance, the company is able to limp along for the next 18 months on its own. DC-4s replace the Il-18s on the Lagos service. In 1965, a management and support contract is signed with Pan American World Airways (1), also under AID auspices. Pan Am operatives, expert in assistance to foreign airlines, arrive in Conakry, along with a DC-4.
When Kwame Nkrumah is overthrown as president of Ghana in February 1966, he receives sanctuary in Guinea. At this point, Pan Am is forced out of the picture as the government, with Nkrumah’s help, turns to the Soviets to once again assist their airline.
Diverted by bad weather to Casablanca while on a July 9, 1967, flight from Praha, an Il-18B with 102 passengers strikes a building with its wing while landing and crashes off the runway onto rough ground; although the aircraft must be written off, there are no fatalities.
Over the next ten years, scheduled passenger and cargo services are developed linking the capital of Conakry to Kankan, Boke, Faranah, Labe, Siguiri, Macenta, N’Zerekore, and Kissidougou. The Il-18s and DC-4s undertake international flights to Freetown, Monrovia, Bamako, and Dakar.
In 1978, Managing Director Elhadj Nfa Mousa Diane’s company employs 361 workers. An Il-18D is purchased from the Yugoslav government early in the year. An Il-18D with 8 crew and 9 passengers crashes into the swamps near Conakry on September 3 while on approach to the airport (15 dead).
An An-24V is destroyed at Conakry on March 31, 1980; there are no other details concerning the accident.
Following the second Soviet departure, the U. S. AID once again contracts with Pan American World Airways (1) to supply Guinea’s request for technical assistance. The fleet grows to include, by the early 1980s, 1 B-707-138B and 1 B-727-100, in addition to the Russian equipment. Domestic services are maintained and new routes are initiated to the regional destinations of Abidjan, Bissau, and Lagos.
In December 1984, an Airbus Industrie A300C4 is delivered, allowing the inauguration of passenger/cargo flights to Paris and Brussels in early 1985. The company is the seventh African airbus operator. During the summer of 1986, company officials negotiate with Air Afrique, S. A. for a contract under which the multinational will take over the company’s long-haul services. The Airbus is withdrawn during 1987 as a de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102 is acquired.
The fleet in 1988 comprises 1 Yak 40, 4 Antonov An-24s and 2 An-12s from the Soviet Union, and the DHC-7-102. A Boeing 737-2R6C is acquired in 1990. One An-24 and both An-12s are withdrawn in 1992.
In 1993-1994, Managing Director Diane oversees a workforce of 400. Routes link Conakry with Lagos, Abidjan, Dakar, Bamako, Monrovia, Freetown, Kankan, Boke, Faranah, Labe, Macenta, Siguiri, Kiss-dougou, and N’Zerkore. Services continue in 1995-1996, with the An-12s returned to service.
Mamadou Aliou Sanoh is managing director in 1997-2000 and he oversees a workforce of 400. The fleet now includes 2 An-24Rs, 4 An-12s, 1 An-26, 1 B-737-2R6C, and 1 DHC-7-102.
AIR GULF FALCON: United Arab Emirates (1999-2000). Sheikh Hamad Ali Jabour Al-Thani, a member of the royal family, a former pilot, and managing director of Qatar Airways, establishes this airline in 1999 as a subsidiary of the Doha-based Falcon Group. Headquartered at Sharjah International Airport Free Zone, the new concern provides aircraft on aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) charters to other airlines for charters, VIP flights, and cargo services. It also flies direct VIP contracts and undertakes lift on behalf of the United Nations.
The fleet includes 6 Boeing 747-100/200/SP and 2 B-707-320CFs and a workforce of 300 is employed.
With permission from the UN, the company signs an ACMI contract with Ariana Afghan Airlines Company, Ltd. on February 4, 2000. Under its terms, the company’s Jumbojets will transport 12,000 Afghan pilgrims to and from Mecca in two phases between February 9 and April 23. Wearing Ariana colors, the first Air Gulf Falcon transport delivers 127 Muslim pilgrims from Kandahar to Saudi Arabia on the morning of February 22.
The Boeings also fly 200,000 other Middle East and northwest Asia Hadj passengers during this period.
The fleet is significantly increased as the year wears on and, by the third quarter, 16 B-727-200As and B-737-200As have been acquired. An additional 12 aircraft, valued at $400 million, are scheduled for delivery in 2001.
World History
