Trans Mediterranean Airways
Encyclopedia
Trans Mediterranean Airways SAL, styled as TMA Cargo , is a cargo airline
based in Beirut
, Lebanon
. The airline restarted operations in 2010, following a six year hiatus.
TMA Cargo is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization
.
The airline was established and started operations in 1953 as a non-scheduled carrier operating cargo and passenger services. It was certified as the only Lebanese scheduled all-cargo carrier in 1979. Trans Mediterranean Airways (TMA) was the first all-cargo carrier to establish round the world services in both directions. However the Lebanese crisis adversely affected TMA growth and operation. In November 1996, following the Lebanese "Horizon 2000" reconstruction plan, the airline took measures to modernise its operations, restructure activities and increase capital to around $40 million. TMA is owned by Lebanese Air Investment Holding (99.9%) and private investors (0.1%).
In 2000, TMA introduced a new livery to their fleet. The new livery featured a white body with a grey belly, green 'TMA' and yellow 'CARGO' titles across the fuselage and new green decals on the tail.
In 2002, TMA leased an Airbus A310-304F from Islandsflug
during April to November, to operate their Europe
an routes as the Boeing 707
's had been banned from Europe
. The airline also planned a new passenger charter airline called TMA-Leisure which would have leased an Airbus A320
aircraft to operate for Lebanese
tour-operators. However, this never happened. During 2002, TMA made a $11 million loss.
TMA ceased all flights in February 2004 when the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) pulled its Air Operating Certificate
(AOC) citing safety concerns over its aging Boeing 707
fleet. The airline was in serious financial troubles and as a result was unable to modernize its fleet.
In September 2005, there were reports that TMA was planning to relaunch operations with a renewed fleet by acquiring medium-haul freight aircraft to replace their grounded 707 fleet, small freighter aircraft for feeder routes, and two Boeing
747-200F aircraft for long-haul freighter flights to the far east, this never happened.
In 2008, Mazen Bsat, Lebanese
investor, owner and CEO of Med Airways (formally Flying Carpet), bought TMA for $1 in exchange of clearing the airlines $60 million debt.
In October 2009, TMA launched renovated facilities and a new image, following this TMA also announced that they are to relaunch services. They acquired an Airbus A300-600F for the new cargo operations. In February 2010, the aircraft was painted in the new TMA Cargo livery.
. As well as the 14 scheduled destinations, TMA Cargo has also introduced charter flights on special request to various countries throughout Europe
.
TMA Cargo plans to add more Airbus A300
freighters once they begin to expand.
TMA operated the following aircraft at and before ceasing operations in 2004:
TMA had the following incidents and accidents until ceasing operations in February 2004;
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. The airline restarted operations in 2010, following a six year hiatus.
TMA Cargo is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization
Arab Air Carriers Organization
The Arab Air Carriers Organization , established in 1965, is a non profit organization and has 24 Arab airlines as members.AACO was established by the League of Arab States . Its goal is to promote cooperation, quality and safety standards among the Arab airlines...
.
History
In 2000, TMA introduced a new livery to their fleet. The new livery featured a white body with a grey belly, green 'TMA' and yellow 'CARGO' titles across the fuselage and new green decals on the tail.
In 2002, TMA leased an Airbus A310-304F from Islandsflug
Islandsflug
Islandsflug was an airline and aircraft leasing company based in Iceland. It operated charter and scheduled passenger and cargo services, as well as wet lease services. Its main base was Keflavík International Airport, Reykjavík. In 2005 it merged into Air Atlanta Icelandic...
during April to November, to operate their Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an routes as the Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
's had been banned from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The airline also planned a new passenger charter airline called TMA-Leisure which would have leased an 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...
aircraft to operate for Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
tour-operators. However, this never happened. During 2002, TMA made a $11 million loss.
TMA ceased all flights in February 2004 when the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) pulled its Air Operating Certificate
Operating certificate
Operating certificate is a category of license issued by a government agency allowing an individual or company to provide a controlled type of service. These certificates are generally issued for a limited time period...
(AOC) citing safety concerns over its aging Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
fleet. The airline was in serious financial troubles and as a result was unable to modernize its fleet.
In September 2005, there were reports that TMA was planning to relaunch operations with a renewed fleet by acquiring medium-haul freight aircraft to replace their grounded 707 fleet, small freighter aircraft for feeder routes, and two Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
747-200F aircraft for long-haul freighter flights to the far east, this never happened.
In 2008, Mazen Bsat, Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
investor, owner and CEO of Med Airways (formally Flying Carpet), bought TMA for $1 in exchange of clearing the airlines $60 million debt.
In October 2009, TMA launched renovated facilities and a new image, following this TMA also announced that they are to relaunch services. They acquired an Airbus A300-600F for the new cargo operations. In February 2010, the aircraft was painted in the new TMA Cargo livery.
Destinations
TMA Cargo has resumed scheduled operations to 14 destinations from their hub in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. As well as the 14 scheduled destinations, TMA Cargo has also introduced charter flights on special request to various countries throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Fleet
TMA Cargo operate the following aircraft (as of 5 December 2010):| Aircraft | In Fleet |
|---|---|
| Airbus A300F4-605R | 1 |
TMA Cargo plans to add more Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
freighters once they begin to expand.
Historic
- Airbus A310-304F - leased from IslandsflugIslandsflugIslandsflug was an airline and aircraft leasing company based in Iceland. It operated charter and scheduled passenger and cargo services, as well as wet lease services. Its main base was Keflavík International Airport, Reykjavík. In 2005 it merged into Air Atlanta Icelandic...
- Boeing 707-320C
- Boeing 707-330C
- Boeing 747-100SF
- Canadair CL-44Canadair CL-44The Canadair CL-44 was a Canadian turboprop airliner and cargo aircraft based on the Bristol Britannia that was developed and produced by Canadair in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
- operated by Seaboard World AirlinesSeaboard World AirlinesSeaboard World Airlines was an international all-cargo airline based in the United States. Its headquarters were on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.- History :... - Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
- Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
Incidents and accidents
TMA had 14 incidents and accidents, 4 of which had a fatalities. The total fatality count during operations (1953–2004) was 20.TMA had the following incidents and accidents until ceasing operations in February 2004;
- On 9 July 1962, TMA Flight 104, a Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
, crashed shortly after take-off from Brindisi AirportBrindisi AirportPapola Casale Airport , also known as Aeroporto del Salento, is an airport near Brindisi in southern Italy.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:**...
, BrindisiBrindisiBrindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The flight took off at 21:41 (GMT), however the plane struggled to gain height and began to descend followed by the plane tilting to the left and colliding with the sea. All 6 crew members were killed. - On 12 December 1963, a TMA Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
, flying from Kuwait International AirportKuwait International AirportKuwait International Airport is located in Farwaniyah, Kuwait, south of Kuwait City. It serves as hub for Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways. A portion of the airport complex is designated as Al Mubarak Air Base, which contains the headquarters of the Kuwait Air Force, as well as the Kuwait Air...
, KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
to Kabul International AirportKabul International Airport-Facilities:The airport has two terminal buildings, the modern for international flights and the Soviet built one for domestic flights. Several hangars along the runway are for military aircraft...
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, crashed into the Koh-i-Safid Mountains, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The plane was diverting to LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
due to weather condition at KabulKabulKabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. All 3 crew members were killed. - On 10 March 1966, a TMA Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
, flying from Beirut International Airport, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
to Frankfurt AirportFrankfurt AirportFrankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, crashed into Mt Parnon, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. All 5 crew members were killed. - On 23 July 1979, a TMA Boeing 707-320C, on a test flight for 4 co-pilots due to be promoted to captains, crashed whilst on a third touch-and-go at Beirut International Airport. The plane touched down but then yawed right to left to right again before the wing clipped the ground causing the plane to flip and come to rest inverted across a taxiway. All 6 crew were killed.