TAM Mercosur
Encyclopedia
TAM Airlines, also known as Transportes Aéreos del Mercosur S.A., formerly known as TAM Mercosur and LAP (Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas), is the flag carrier and the national airline of Paraguay with its headquarters in Asunción, Paraguay. Its flights operate from Silvio Pettirossi International Airport
in Asunción.
. After a brief period (1994–1996) as a subsidiary of the Ecuador
ian airline SAETA
when its name was LAPSA, in 1996 the majority of the stakes of LAP were sold to the Brazil
ian airline TAM Airlines and the current acronym
was adopted. This is not to be confused with a previous military-run passenger service, Transporte Aéreo Militar, TAM, operating mainly DC-3 and CASA 212 aircraft to domestic underserved destinations and not related to the civilian airline.
In 1994 TAM Airlines established a small subsidiary airline in Paraguay, called ARPA - Aerolíneas Paraguayas
, with a fleet consisting mostly of Cessna 208 Caravan
aircraft, formerly operated by TAM. On 1 September 1996, ARPA purchased 80% of the shares of the former state-owned LAP - Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas and both airlines were merged under the name TAM - Transportes Aéreos del Mercosur. Today TAM owns 94.98% and the Paraguayan government 5.02% of the shares.
In 2008, following a branding strategy, the name TAM Mercosur was dropped and the airline adopted a corporate identity identical to its Brazilian owner, becoming TAM Airlines. However, its corporate structure remains the same.
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Paraguay
Silvio Pettirossi International Airport
-Incidents and accidents:*3 December 1945: an USAAF Douglas C-47B-5-DK registration 43-48602 flying from Asunción to Montevideo crashed 16km SE of Carlos Pellegrini, Argentina...
in Asunción.
History
The airline was established in 1962 and started operations in 1963 as Líneas Aéreas ParaguayasLíneas Aéreas Paraguayas
Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas - Air Paraguay was founded in 1963 to be the flag carrier airline of Paraguay. Its main base was Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, in Asunción.-Company history:...
. After a brief period (1994–1996) as a subsidiary of the Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian airline SAETA
SAETA
SAETA was a privately held airline of Ecuador, which began operations in the 1960s and during its heyday in the 1990s flew to numerous destinations in North and South America from its base in Guayaquil...
when its name was LAPSA, in 1996 the majority of the stakes of LAP were sold to the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian airline TAM Airlines and the current acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
was adopted. This is not to be confused with a previous military-run passenger service, Transporte Aéreo Militar, TAM, operating mainly DC-3 and CASA 212 aircraft to domestic underserved destinations and not related to the civilian airline.
In 1994 TAM Airlines established a small subsidiary airline in Paraguay, called ARPA - Aerolíneas Paraguayas
ARPA - Aerolineas Paraguayas
ARPA - Aerolíneas Paraguayas was an airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque, Paraguay, near Asunción. It operated scheduled domestic services...
, with a fleet consisting mostly of Cessna 208 Caravan
Cessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers...
aircraft, formerly operated by TAM. On 1 September 1996, ARPA purchased 80% of the shares of the former state-owned LAP - Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas and both airlines were merged under the name TAM - Transportes Aéreos del Mercosur. Today TAM owns 94.98% and the Paraguayan government 5.02% of the shares.
In 2008, following a branding strategy, the name TAM Mercosur was dropped and the airline adopted a corporate identity identical to its Brazilian owner, becoming TAM Airlines. However, its corporate structure remains the same.
Destinations
As of August 2011 TAM Mercosur operated scheduled services to the destinations below:Argentina
- Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
- Aeroparque Jorge NewberyAeroparque Jorge Newbery-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
- Ministro Pistarini International AirportMinistro Pistarini International AirportMinistro Pistarini International Airport , more commonly known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location within the Ezeiza Partido in the Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport located south-southwest of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina...
- Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Bolivia
- Santa Cruz de la SierraSanta Cruz de la SierraSanta Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
– Viru Viru International AirportViru Viru International AirportViru Viru International Airport is an aviation facility located in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.The idea to build a new, modern airport in Santa Cruz was conceived in 1976, in view of the obsolence of the old airport known as El Trompillo. Soon after, construction of the airport began...
Brazil
- Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
– Galeão/Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport - São PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
– Guarulhos/Gov. André Franco Montoro International Airport
Chile
- Santiago de Chile – Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International AirportComodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International AirportComodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport , also known as Pudahuel Airport and Santiago International Airport, located in Pudahuel, north-west of downtown Santiago, is Chile's largest aviation facility and the busiest international air passenger gateway to the country...
Paraguay
- AsunciónAsunciónAsunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
– Silvio Pettirossi International AirportSilvio Pettirossi International Airport-Incidents and accidents:*3 December 1945: an USAAF Douglas C-47B-5-DK registration 43-48602 flying from Asunción to Montevideo crashed 16km SE of Carlos Pellegrini, Argentina... - Ciudad del EsteCiudad del EsteCiudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of Alto Paraná department, located at the Rio Paraná....
– Guaraní International AirportGuarani International Airport-External links: *...
Fleet
The TAM Mercosur fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of August 2010):| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | |||
| Airbus A320 Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
3 | 12 | 144 | 156 | |