TAS (Transportes Aereos Squella / Transportes Aereos Suravia)

  Late 1950's to 1975

  Chile

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TYPE: Cargo airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: TJ / ---

HEADQUARTERS: Chile

OTHER NAMES: TAS (Transportes Aereos Squella) (1950's-1973), TAS (Transportes Aereos Suravia) (1973-1975)

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil

TAS (Transportes Aereos Squella) was founded in the late 1950's by Oscar Squella Avendano, a former Chilean Air Force paratrooper who became a famous businessman in the country. Squella was not only the owner and CEO of TAS, he also flew his own airplanes. One of his contracts was the resupply by air of the Carabineros, Chilean backcountry's police force. In 1963, following the demise of Transa Chile, Squella took over the latter's permit to perform cargo flights between Santiago, Chile and Miami, FL. As TAS grew, it was incorporated in January 1973 and its name changed to Transportes Aereos Suravia, still with Squella at the helm.

On 31 July 1981, Squella crashed in one of his Commandos while taking off from Cochrane, in the south of the country. All onboard died, and this brought an end to the company.

ca 1964* to July 1981*

• Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando: CC-CAB
• Curtiss C-46A-41-CU Commando: CC-CEX
• Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando: CC-COA