Transair Sweden
Operator Identification
1951 to early 1981
Sweden
TYPE: Charter airline
IATA/ICAO CODES: AB / ---
HEADQUARTERS: Stockholm Bromma, Sweden (1951-1960), Malmo, Sweden (1960-1981)
FORMER NAME: Nordisk Aerotransport
SUBSEQUENT NAME: SAS (purchased)
Operator History
Nordisk Aerotransport was founded in 1950 with the purpose of flying newspapers from Stockholm to other locations in Sweden using three Airspeed Oxford. It changed to its present name a year later.
Shortly thereafter, the company became aware of the great opportunities presented by the growing stream of tourists travelling abroad for their holidays. It ceased that opportunity in 1953 with the purchase of two DC3s for charter passenger flights. The success of this new venture led to the acquisition of another DC3 in 1955, and the fleet of aircraft was further increased in 1957 when Transair bought three Super 46C Commandos.
By 1959, Transair employed 240 people. It continued to grow and acquired three Douglas DC6 from SAS in 1960. Until this time the company had been operating from Stockholm Bromma airport. However, for many reasons, it was found desirable and advantageous to move the base to the southern part of Sweden, and in 1960 the company moved to Malmo. With the DC6 forming the backbone of the fleet, Transair started operating worldwide, with its first round-the-world flight taking place in 1960.
In addition to the largest Swedish travel organizers, the company was now glad to welcome many important customers from abroad. Transair was asked by the UN to assist with air transport in the Congo. Two Super 46C Commandos with crews and technical staff were chartered by the UN in 1960 and later the company was also requested to supply a DC6. From then until the UN operation in the Congo was over, Transair had equipment and personnel permanently stationed in the Congo, operating as many as six Commandos, two DC6 and a staff of 50 based in Leopoldville.
As time went on the demand for carrying capacity was ever increasing and in 1961 the company bought another four DC6Bs. In 1963, it built a hangar with attached component overhaul shops in Malmo, making it possible to do most of the servicing of the aeroplanes in-house. Developments in 1962 and 1963 were highly favourable. When the UN handed over management to the Congolese authorities in late 1963, Transair was asked to place staff and aircraft in the Congo at their disposal.
In 1963 the company purchased two more DC6Bs, bringing the fleet of aircraft up to six DC6B, three Douglas DC6, ten Commandos and a single DC3. In 1964, the number of people employed by the company was in excess of 600 and the turnover was 13 million dollars. Late 1964 Transair made a trade-in of the DC6/6B fleet of nine planes against eleven ex-Eastern Air Lines DC7B aircraft. Apart from bringing a standardized four-engined fleet, the trade-in also increased the passenger-carrying capacity by 30% and reduced the flying time to all ports of call. This strengthened Transair's position as the biggest charter company in Europe.
The propeller fleet was slowly sold off in favor of brand new Boeing 727-100 aircraft. Commandos were easily sold off, however it turned out to be more difficult, if not impossible, to sell the DC7B fleet. Instead these airplanes continued in service for some time, with the last flight on 31 October 1969. The first new Boeing 727 was delivered in November 1967, followed two weeks later by aircraft number two. It then took until September 1968 until the third aircraft arrived in Malmo. This aircraft was of the “convertible” type, and as such it was equipped with a large cargo door.
The same year, Transair started a partnership with SAS through several agreements. SAS ended up buying Transair, which thereafter came to operate as a subsidiary company to SAS. Transair made its last flight in 1981.
Commando Operations
April 1957 to May 1967
Transair Sweden operated a total of 11 Commandos. In Europe, they were used both for charter passenger flights and to serve scheduled cargo routes, mostly carrying newspapers.
From 1960, Transair entered in an agreement with ONUC, the United Nations Operation in the Congo, to wet lease Commandos to them. The agreement lasted until about 1963, at which time the same Commandos remained in Congo for the Congolese Government. The contract came to an end in 1965, with a total of three Commandos written off in Congo. The remaining Commandos were repatriated to Malmo and flown for a brief time around Europe on charter flights before being sold off.
In the mid-1960's, five of Transair's Commandos were purchased by Paraense Transportes Aereos, a Brazilian airline, and the other three by Tor-Air, another Swedish charter airline.
Last edited: 19/02/2021