|
that TAA was the first overseas airline to introduce the Convair 240, VH-TAQ, and the first airline to be given a licence to operate the aircraft with an all up weight of 40,500 lbs. |
The first TAA service took three hours five minutes to fly from Laverton Air Force Base near Melbourne to Sydney, on September 9, 1946, with 21 passengers on board. Essendon Airport was closed at the time. |
| Did you know The airline in August 1947 adopted the advertising slogan "Fly TAA the Friendly way" which it continued to use through most of its existence. |
Did you know The Australian National Airlines Commission - the Government-appointed "board of directors" - was established with the appointment of Arthur Coles on |
|
Did you know The airline became national in December 1946, when it's first service was flown to Perth, completing the inter-capital city network. TAA's first all cargo flights commenced in April, 1947. |
the 8th February 1946 (TAA's first employee), whilst the other 'directors' were being selected for the official first board meeting to be undertaken on 10th April 1946. This board was to meet monthly for the first 12 months of operation, unless otherwise advised. |
Aircraft types of TAA
THESE ARE SOME OF THE AIRCRAFT TYPES WHICH MADE UP THE TAA FLEET AS IT PROGRESSED THROUGH THE YEARS FROM THE 1940'S THROUGH TO THE 1990'S
The Convair, which joined the TAA fleet in September 1948, was the first pressurized airliner to operate in Australia.
Air express, now called Jet express, was introduced in December 1946. This was a TAA innovation and is recognized as the fastest method of sending a parcel between cities.
TAA's network had grown to such an extent that by April 1949, the airline was able to claim that it had the longest unduplicated network of any purely domestic airline in the world with a total of 13,652 miles or 21,843 kilometers.
In August 1949 TAA carried its one-millionth passenger.
The airline's first operating profit was announced in July 1950. In fact, history now shows that it was profitable in its third year of operations, 1948-49, because of a retrospective rebate in air navigation charges which was announced in 1952-53. Since it was formed in 1946, TAA has shown a profit in 25 out of 29 years. The four loss years all occurred in the first six years of service.
Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh made six flights on TAA aircraft during the 1954 Royal Tour of Australia.
TAA introduced the first turbine powered airliner to Australia, the Viscount, which entered service December 1954.
Economy class air travel was introduced to Australia in October,
1955.
TAA operated Australia's first commercial helicopter service in April,
1956.
December 1958, weather avoidance radar was installed on TAA aircraft for the first time. In March the following year Fokker Friendships entered service, followed by the first Lockheed Electra aircraft in June 1959.
TAA became the first Australian airline to carry a million passengers in 12 months during 1960. That year also saw the airline commence services to Papua New Guinea. TAA was to remain in Papua New Guinea until November 1974 when operations were handed over to the new national carrier Air Niugini.
Australian domestic airline services entered the jet age with the arrival of the Boeing 727 in November 1964+
The De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft were put into service in Papua New Guinea in September 1966. These aircraft were later to be used on services throughout the Gulf and Channel Country Areas and on flights from Mackay to Shute Harbour and Brampton Island.
The first Douglas DC9 joined the fleet in March 1967. The Redifon Boeing 727 flight simulator was installed in the new flight training centre at Essendon in May 1967 and a DC9 simulator arrived in October 1968.
A major development occurred in 1972 with the introduction of a fully computerised on-line reservations system which has been continually upgraded to meet increasing passenger needs. In 1973 TAA bought its first 151 seat advanced Boeing 727. In 1974, TAA opened a $5 million world standard passenger terminal at Sydney Airport. It is capable of handling up to 1000 passengers an hour.
In 1975 TAA became the first Australian domestic airline to carry more than four million passengers in a year. The average passenger flight stage was 829 kilometers.
In 30 years of operation TAA has contributed more than $205,000,000 in revenue to the Australian Government.
Australia's Minister for Transport Mr. P. Nixon in a 1976 address said of TAA: "Although TAA is a Commonwealth Government instrumentality TAA receives no subsidy or special assistance from us. Mr. Ken Vial as Commission Chairman, is virtually chairman of a free enterprise company in open competition in the market place.