TASSILI AIRLINES, S. A.: Blvd. Mustapha ben Boulaid, 301 Hassi Messaoud, Algeria; Phone 213 (9) 73 84 25; Fax 213 (9) 73 84 25l Year Founded 1999. Tassili is established on paper at Hassi Messaoud in 1997 to provide transport for oil workers between that city and Algiers. Shareholding is divided between Sonatrach (51%) and Air Algeria, S. A. (49%).
Following a long gestation period, the company receives operating authority during the first quarter of 1999. Outfitted with a fleet comprising 1 each de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102 and DHC-6-300, revenue flights are launched on April 8. Plans are announced later in the year for the acquisition of Next Generation Boeing 737s, probably under lease from the major airline partner.
TAT (TOURAINE AIR TRANSPORT, S. A.): France (1968-1987). Touraine Air Transport, S. A. is set up by Michel Marchais in 1968, originally as a Beech King Air 90-equipped air taxi, but later, to provide scheduled passenger and cargo service on routes in France and to Corsica. Revenue flight operations begin between Tours and Lyon in March 1970.
In 1971, additional flights are added on behalf of Air Inter (Lignes Aeriennes Interieures, S. A.) as the carrier comes to act in a feeder capacity for the French domestic flag line. The company becomes a subsidiary of Societe Auxiliare de Services et de Materiel Aeronautiques (SAS-MAT) in January 1973 and receives its first Fokker F.27 on February 16. Also during the year, the small regional Rousseau Aviation, S. A., together with its fleet of 8 Nord 262s, is taken over and merged.
In 1974 TAT diversifies into maintenance and professional pilot training. The training enterprise is known as CIPRA (Centre d’Instruction Professionelle et de Recyclage Aeronautique).
In 1975-1977, a number of smaller airlines are absorbed during this period, including Air Alps, S. A., Air Paris, S. A., Air Languedoc, S. A., Rosseau Aviation, S. A., and Taxi Avia France, S. A. Operations grow to cover a 55-point network of domestic and international services from four major cities: Paris (Orly), Lyons (Satolas), Lille, and St. Brieuc. Several other incidents occur during these years.
The No. 2 engine aboard a Beech 99, with two crew and six passengers catches fire just after takeoff from Nantes on July 2, 1975; the plane attempts an emergency landing, but crashes instead and there are no survivors.
The first express air cargo is flown in 1976 by the company’s TAT Worldwide Express subsidiary, TAT Express, S. A.
Chairman/President Marchais’s workforce totals 446 in 1978 and he oversees a fleet comprising 2 Fokker F.28-1000s, 2 VFW-Fokker 614s, 9 Fairchild Hiller FH-227Bs, 2 Nord 262s, 3 Aerospatiale Corvettes, 5 Beech 99s, and 1 Cessna 402.
An FH-227B with 18 passengers is involved in a ground accident at Paris (ORY) on July 5, 1979; there are no fatalities.
Operations continue apace in 1980-1982. During these years, two additional F.28-1000s join the fleet.
The Fokkers are not quite large enough to satisfy TAT requirements, but are excellent short field aircraft suitable to the majority of airports visited. A search for an F.28 replacement continues. In late summer 1983, arrangements are made to lease for a year’s trial a pair of Douglas DC-9-21s from SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System). SAS owns 14 of the type and is interested in selling them.
The two Douglas transports are delivered to Paris (ORY) in September and October via Denmark, then the only Scandinavian EEC country (thus making the planes non-import taxable). Revenue flights are undertaken from Paris (ORY) to Chambery, Beziers, and Carcassone. Although TAT wishes to proceed with the sale, SAS, upon reconsideration, elects to retrieve the DC-9-21s for additional service.
A subsidiary, TAT Export, is now created to undertake international charters. One each DC-9-14 and DC-9-41 are leased from Finnair O/Y for a year at the beginning of 1984. The former will suffer from significant summer payload restrictions during the summer while the other is simply too large.
A daily nonstop service from Saarbrucken and West Berlin’s Tempel-hof Airport is taken over by Dan-Air/Dan-Air Services, Ltd. LAB (Laboratoires et Ateliers de Bretagne, S. A.) is established during the year as a wholly owned maintenance subsidiary. Most importantly, the regional Air Alsace, S. A. is acquired, together with its three F.28-4000s.
The fleet in 1985 comprises 18 FH-227s, 7 F.28-1000s and 1 F.28-4000 employed on Air France contract work, 2 other F.28-4000s, 5 de Havilland Canada DHC-6s, and 6 Beech 99s.
The two Finnair O/Y DC-9s are returned when their charters expire.
The fleet in 1986 acquires an FH-227B cargo aircraft, two FH-227Js, and two Beech King Air 90s. In 1987, TAT is reformed and renamed TAT (Transport Aerien Transregional, S. A.), also known as TAT French Regional Airlines.
TAT (TRANSPORT AERIEN TRANSREGIONAL, S. A.)/TAT (FRENCH REGIONAL AIRLINES): France (1987-1992). TAT (Touraine Air Transport, S. A.) is reformed in 1987 and renamed. Founder Michel Marchais remains as president/CEO, with Rodolphe Mar-chais as general manager. Their fleet comprises 6 Beech 99s, 1 Cessna King Air 90, 4 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, 14 Fairchild Hiller FH-227Bs, 2 FH-227Js, 7 Fokker F.28-1000s, and 3 F.28-4000s. The F.28s constitute the world’s third-largest in-service fleet of that type and regional services continue to be flown from Paris, Lyons, and Lille.
The workforce is increased by 11.7% in 1988 to 2,161. Another FH-227B is acquired, along with a Fairchild-Swearingen Metro II and a second King Air 90; one Beech 99 is retired.
En route from Nancy to Paris (ORY) on March 4, Flight 230, an FH-227B with 3 crew and 20 passengers, loses electrical power and crashes near Fontainebleau; there are no survivors.
Wet-lease operations commence in the spring on behalf of Air Inter, S. A.
In November, orders are placed for 30 Avions de Transport Regional ATR72-200s and 8 ATR42-300s.
Customer bookings for the year increase 15% to 2,240,000.
Company employment is cut by 30.6% in 1989 to 1,500 and orders are placed in March for eight Fokker 100s and four Boeing 737-200s. These will be employed both on company routes and as leasing vehicles. Meanwhile, two more Metroliners are received during the year’s first half, together with two ATR42-300s. A 6.25% stake is taken in the new Ajaccio, Corsica-based Compagnie Corse Mediterranee, S. A.
Emphasis is now placed on increasing the company’s freight business as feed contracts are signed with Air France and the French Post Office, and a revised TAT Express, S. A. overnight delivery service is created. The flag carrier takes 35% shareholding in July.
Passenger boardings jump 20% to 2.7 million. The year’s profits total $21.8 million (operating) and $11.1 million (net).
The new aircraft begin to arrive in 1990; delivered are the four Boeings, two Fokker 100s, and three ATR42-300s. Following the Air France absorption of UTA French Airlines, S. A., the European Commission directs Air France to divest itself of its TAT holdings in a three-stage pullout. In addition, the regional receives six new routes from Paris (CDG) to London, Milan, Stockholm, Munich, Copenhagen, and Frankfurt. The newly received aircraft duly inaugurate the new service opportunities.
Later, the company will also receive permission to fly from Paris (CDG) to Helsinki and Vienna. The Fokker 100 order is increased in December by two options. Two Metroliners are withdrawn and two F.28-1000s are leased out, including one to Air Reunion, S. A.
Customer bookings ascend 11% to 3 million and revenues climb 22% to $465 million. With expenses held in check, the operating profit grows to $31.3 million, 18th best among all airlines in the world. Net gain is $12.1 million.
Four ATR42-300s arrive in 1991, along with eight leased Fokker 100s and two ATR72s. The number of FH-227Bs is reduced to five, one of which is chartered to Iona Airways, Ltd.
As the result of the conditions placed upon Air France for its takeover of Air Inter, S. A. and UTA French Airlines, S. A., the flag carrier is required to relinquish a number of regional routes to the smaller independent airlines. In January, the company receives a license to fly from Paris (CDG) to Frankfurt, Copenhagen, London (LGW), Milan, Munich, and Stockholm plus Nice to Berlin, Geneva, and Athens. Services are also newly provided from Lyons to Satolas and from Toulouse to Blagnac and London (LGW).
On April 1, the company revises the mission of its 14 Fokker 100s. Ten remain dedicated to the provision of Air France replacement services while four are now leased out to other airlines. Although not obligated to do so for another year, Air France transfers 25% shareholding in July to a subsidiary of the Credit National. It also sells a 10% stake to SASMAT, a financial group chaired by TAT Chairman Marchais.
At the same time, Chairman Marchais is able to acquire additional financial assistance to help with the acquisition of new aircraft. These include Banque Indosuez, Aerospatiale Finance, and Credit Agricole and Societe Generale, which commit a total of FFr 240 million. A FFr 1.2-billion loan is also acquired from the European Investment Bank.
By August, the carrier is operating 280 flights daily to 51 national points, plus 28 charter and 9 holiday destinations. Sales offices are opened in Frankfurt, Munich, Copenhagen, Stockholm, London, and Milan while flights from Paris to the latter destination commence in November.
Although traffic figures are not released, it is reported that a $7.5-million profit is earned on revenues of $450 million.
Four more ATR72s are received in 1992 as both King Airs and three FH-227Bs are withdrawn from service. Two Fokker 100s are leased to Corse Mediterranee, S. A., the two F.28-1000Cs are chartered to Air Austral and Iran Asseman Airlines. The latter carrier also leases an F.28-1000 as a second Dash-1000 is loaned to Stellair. A new international hub is established at Paris (ORY) and the domestic hub is strengthened there and a new one established at CDG. At this point in February, the carrier announces plans for a major expansion of services and is renamed TAT European Airlines, S. A.
TAT (TRANSPORTES AEREOS DE TAMPICO, S. A. de C. V.): Mexico (1940-1950). Felipe Gutierrez de Lara sets up TAT at Tampico in 1940, obtaining an experimental Mexican government permit to begin offering Spartan biplane service between Tampico and Huejutla on May 22. A 30-year certificate is granted at the end of the year and full service begins over the Ruta de las Huastecas on January 2, 1941. Tampico-Ciudad Victoria-Monterrey experimental flights commence on October 15, 1942; however, the route is abandoned in 1943.
Tampico-Mexico City service is inaugurated on September 2, 1946 and proves so successful that the company purchases and introduces large Douglas DC-3s in 1947. In 1948 , Avro Ansons are employed to begin a frequency from Tampico to Poza Rica.
In 1950, de Lara orchestrates a merger between his TAT, Aeronaves Oaxaca, S. A. de C. V., and SAN (Servicios Aereos Nacionales, S. A. de C. V.) resulting in the amalgamated LAUSA (Lineas Aereas Unidas, S. A. de C. V.).
World History
