Privately owned Bloodstock is established at Perth on October 6, 1981 as an all-cargo airline specializing in the transport of livestock, mainly race horses. The company does not immediately launch services; however, a Boeing 727-77, leased from Ansett Airlines of Australia (Pty.), Ltd. is acquired in spring 1983 and flights begin to Melbourne on June 8. Airline employment is 13.
Unable to retain viability, the operation is shut down in 1985.
BLUE AIRLINES, S. A.: BP 1115, Kinshasa 1, Zaire/Democratic Republic of the Congo; Phone 243 (1) 220-455; Fax 243 (1) 220-455; Code BUL; Year Founded 1992. Blue Airlines is founded by Dr. T. Mayani at Kinshasa, Zaire, in 1992 to offer nonscheduled passenger and cargo flights to regional African destinations. The new entrant is actually a replacement for an earlier enterprise, BCF Aviation, S. A., which had been grounded.
Revenue operations commence with one each Boeing 707-441 and B-727-81. Four Lockheed L-188As are acquired in 1993 and allow an expansion of service in 1994.
On March 13, 1995, one of the L-188As is damaged in a landing accident at Kinshasa; no injuries are reported. Dr. Mayani’s fleet is enhanced by the addition of 3 Polish-made PZL-Mielec (Antonov) An-28s, which replace the B-707-441.
Operations continue apace in 1996-1998. In the wake of civil war, the country’s name is changed from Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or simply, Congo, in 1997.
Just after takeoff from Kinshasa on a February 8, 1999 service to Mbandaka, an L-188A with seven crew crashes onto the premises of the Congolese Electric Company. The aircraft, which had been chartered by the Congolese armed forces, was on a mission to deliver fuel. Later in the year, the destroyed Electra is replaced with an Antonov An-26.
Domestic flights continue in 2000.
BLUE DART AVIATION, LTD.: Lumbini Palace, 4 Tejpal Road, Vile Parie (East), Bombay 400057, India; Phone 92 (22) 832-8030; Fax 92 (22) 837-7439; Http://www. bluedart. com; Code DXP1; Year Founded 1983. With initial capitalization of Rs 30,000, Tushar Jani, Clyde Cooper, and Khushroo Dubash found Blue Dart Courier Services in the summer of 1983. Jani becomes chairman, with Cooper as managing director and Dubash as the director charged with strategic planning. Suresh G. Sheth becomes chief financial officer. To gain access to a larger market, the company becomes affiliated with London-based Gelco Express International, Ltd. in October. When Federal Express (FedEx) purchases Gelco in 1984 , it also assumes the Blue Dart relationship.
In 1985, Blue Dart pioneers the “hub and spoke” concept in India, while also introducing “10 a. m. delivery” throughout India. The company is restructured in 1986 to meet the challenges ahead.
Blue Dart Courier Services becomes Blue Dart Express on October 1, 1990. The company is incorporated as a private limited company on April 5, 1991. Later in the year, it introduces a door-to-door surface product called Dart Surfaceline.
A domestic tracking service is started in 1992. A decade of service is celebrated in 1993. The company also becomes the FedEx general sales agent in India.
On June 17, 1994, Blue Dart is converted into a public limited company and goes public in September with an equity offer of 2.55 million shares valued at $12.24 million.
On December 15, one each B-737-2A8 and B-737-2A8A are purchased from Indian Airlines, Ltd. and are sent to Stambourgh Aviation in the U. S. for a $2-million conversion into freighters.
Upon their return from the U. S. in November 1995, the premier Boeing cargo planes are christened Vision I. The global service contract with Federal Express (FedEx) is renewed for another two years.
Company employment stands at 2,900 in 1996. With the launching in April of the Blue Dart Aviation, Ltd. flying subsidiary under the personal direction of Managing Director Cooper, Blue Dart claims to be the first carrier to deploy an all-jet fleet on scheduled domestic routes in India. It is also achieves several other firsts in India: the first express company, the first to own and operate an all-jet express freighter system, and the first to open a homepage on the World Wide Web.
Nightly all-cargo services, flown in opposite directions, link Calcutta with Madras via Delhi, Bombay, and Bangalore beginning on June 17. Plans are made to establish a feeder network that will serve the company’s 462 destinations, including 90 commercially important locations, linked to the airports by a fleet of over 1,500 ground vehicles.
In addition, the company negotiates two other interesting arrangements. One is with the Tatas to transport their Mercedes automobiles by air from the factory to the door of purchasers. The other is with the Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association to move race horses from Bangalore to cities like Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay during the racing season.
At the end of the year, the second B-737-2A8AF, Vision II, enters service. Blue Dart also becomes the first express company in India to receive ISO 9001 certification.
Revenues for the year total Rs14,865 lakhs and there is an Rs1,088 lakhs operating profit.
The marketing agreement with Federal Express is renewed in July 1997 for another five years. A Smart Box product is inaugurated and the number of domestic delivery locations reaches 1,000. The new FedEx contract takes effect on October 1.
On December 2, service is expanded to Sangli, Satara, and Karad in the western Maharashtra region of India. Fifteen days later, interline agreements are signed with Air India, Ltd., Air France, Air Canada, Ltd., British Airways, Ltd. (2), Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Ltd., and Swissair, A. G.
Revenues accelerate 8% to Rs 16,085 lakhs, but operating gain falls to Rs 805 lakhs.
Blue Dart opens a new service center in New Delhi on February 16, 1998. Three days later, service is expanded to Warangal and Rajah-mundry. An interline agreement is inked with Cargolux Airlines International, S. A. on March 26.
The company expands its B-737-2A8AF services on May 1 to provide charter flights on behalf of its interline partners, as well as freight forwarders and other Indian corporations. During the first three weeks of this activity, 127 tons of cargo will be flown on 12 charter flights. On May 13, service is expanded to the four southern locales of Pollachi, Na-makkal, Ooty, and Palghat.
Interline agreements are signed with Alitalia, S. p.A. and Asiana Airlines, Ltd. on July 27.
When flooding devastates the area around Guwahati in August, all surface transport is cut off until the government can open a single emergency route. Except for Blue Dart, all Indian carriers suspend their services. Through September 17, the express company completes seven charter flights into the area to deliver goods into the flood-hit region.
Profits continue to be generated by the two “Baby Boeings” and by year’s end the company has taken over 36% of the nation’s domestic market share for express services.
Flights continue in 1999. The company now provides interline cargo services on behalf of ten international airlines.
Headquarters are moved into a new administrative super-hub, Blue Dart Centre, at Mumbai. It also launches Power Dart 2000+, public package-tracking software.
After a cyclone strikes Orissa, 3,400 company employees from all over India collect 8 tons of relief supplies. On December 14, two containerized vehicles transport the goods to Kendrapara. Earlier, company vehicles had also taken relief supplies, on behalf of international air organizations, from Delhi to Calcutta.
For the year as a whole, operating income increases to Rs 2054.6 million and net profit doubles to Rs 123.1 million.
A third B-737-2K9AF is chartered during the first quarter of 2000 and is placed into scheduled return service from Bangalore to Delhi. The company website is revised during the summer to support interactive e-commerce.
The chartered B-737F is purchased (from Air Sahara, Ltd.) in early October.
World History
