Transporte Aéreo Militar: Difference between revisions

By /

Line 23: Line 23:

”’TAMep, Transporte Aéreo Militar Empresa Pública”’ (Military Air Transport) is an [[airline]] based in [[La Paz]], [[Bolivia]]. It was owned by the [[Bolivian Air Force]], and was established to offer flights to rural communities where commercial airlines could not operate profitably. It also operated in competition with commercial airlines on many of Bolivia’s trunk domestic routes.<ref name=aw201402>Schmitz, Sebastian (February 2014). ”Airliner World”. Key Publishing. pp. 32–37.</ref> In September 2019, the airline suspended all operations.<ref name=”TAM”>{{cite web |author1=Helen Coffey |title=The airlines that have stopped flying in 2019 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airlines-bankrupt-stop-flying-flight-thomas-cook-flybe-adria-a9242741.html |website=independent.co.uk |publisher=[[The Independent]] |access-date=13 May 2024 |date=12 December 2019}}</ref> In May 2024, the airlines restarted operations, using an [[Avro RJ70]] aircraft.<ref name=”ElDeber-TAMep” />

”’TAMep, Transporte Aéreo Militar Empresa Pública”’ (Military Air Transport) is an [[airline]] based in [[La Paz]], [[Bolivia]]. It was owned by the [[Bolivian Air Force]], and was established to offer flights to rural communities where commercial airlines could not operate profitably. It also operated in competition with commercial airlines on many of Bolivia’s trunk domestic routes.<ref name=aw201402>Schmitz, Sebastian (February 2014). ”Airliner World”. Key Publishing. pp. 32–37.</ref> In September 2019, the airline suspended all operations.<ref name=”TAM”>{{cite web |author1=Helen Coffey |title=The airlines that have stopped flying in 2019 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airlines-bankrupt-stop-flying-flight-thomas-cook-flybe-adria-a9242741.html |website=independent.co.uk |publisher=[[The Independent]] |access-date=13 May 2024 |date=12 December 2019}}</ref> In May 2024, the airlines restarted operations, using an [[Avro RJ70]] aircraft.<ref name=”ElDeber-TAMep” />

[[File:CP-3106 Avro RJ70 TAMep Bolivia.jpg|263px|thumb|Avro RJ70 reg. CP-3106 on final approach to [[Jorge Wilstermann International Airport]]]]

== History ==

== History ==

Bolivian airline

TAMep, Transporte Aéreo Militar Empresa Pública (Military Air Transport) is an airline based in La Paz, Bolivia. It was owned by the Bolivian Air Force, and was established to offer flights to rural communities where commercial airlines could not operate profitably. It also operated in competition with commercial airlines on many of Bolivia’s trunk domestic routes.[2] In September 2019, the airline suspended all operations.[3] In May 2024, the airlines restarted operations, using an Avro RJ70 aircraft.[1]

Avro RJ70 reg. CP-3106 on final approach to Jorge Wilstermann International Airport

History

Creation

The Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM) was created in 1945 as an air transport unit of the Bolivian Air Force (FAB), with the primary mission of providing air connectivity to remote and isolated regions of Bolivia where commercial aviation services were limited or nonexistent. Its origins date back to 1944, when the Escuadrón de Transporte Aéreo (ETA) was established to support military logistics and national integration. TAM formally began operations on 15 June 1945 with Douglas C-47 aircraft, which were used for passenger transport, cargo carriage and logistical missions, playing a significant role in connecting isolated communities and strengthening state presence across the country.[4][5]

Expansion and early commercial operations

In 1953, the organization adopted the name Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM), consolidating its institutional identity within the Bolivian Air Force. During the mid-1950s, TAM expanded its scope beyond exclusively military transport and began operating regular commercial passenger services on domestic routes. Over the following decades, the airline became an important component of Bolivia’s internal air transport system, serving departmental capitals and smaller cities, often in regions with limited infrastructure or low commercial demand, where private airlines were unwilling or unable to operate sustainably.[6]

Restructuring and suspension of operations

As part of broader reforms in the state aviation sector, the Bolivian government initiated a process to transform TAM into a civil public airline. This transformation was formalized by Supreme Decree No. 3444 of 2017, which established the restructuring of TAM as a public enterprise separate from direct military administration. The transition required significant organizational and regulatory adjustments, including compliance with civil aviation standards and oversight by national aviation authorities. During this period of institutional change, TAM suspended its regular flight operations in July 2018.[7]

Although authorization was later granted to temporarily resume services in 2019, TAM continued to face financial, administrative and regulatory challenges, including outstanding tax obligations and difficulties in obtaining full operational certification. As a result, all flight operations were again suspended on 23 September 2019, initiating a prolonged period of inactivity while the government assessed alternatives for the airline’s future and potential restructuring.[8]

Present years

After several years without commercial activity, the airline was reestablished as Transporte Aéreos Militares – Empresa Pública (TAMep) and officially resumed operations on 31 May 2024. The relaunch marked a rebranding from TAM to TAMep and was carried out with a limited operational structure. At the time, the airline operated a single aircraft, an Avro RJ70 registered CP-3106, which served initial domestic routes connecting La Paz with Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cochabamba and Cobija. Government authorities stated that administrative and technical procedures were underway to allow for a gradual expansion of services to additional destinations within Bolivia.[9][1]

In October 2025, TAMep temporarily suspended operations due to scheduled maintenance on its only operational aircraft, underscoring the operational constraints associated with a single-aircraft fleet. The airline indicated that services would resume following the completion of the maintenance work, characterizing the interruption as temporary rather than structural.[10]

Later that year, amid broader challenges in Bolivia’s aviation sector and increased passenger demand during the year-end holiday season, the government announced solidarity flights to mitigate disruptions affecting domestic air services.[11] These flights were to be operated by the Bolivian Air Force, which made two aircraft available to the airline: a British Aerospace 146 and a Boeing 737-200, reflecting the continued role of state and military resources in supporting civil aviation during periods of operational strain.[12][13][14]

Destinations

As of December 2025, TAMep operates flights to the following destinations:

Base
Future
Focus city
Terminated

Fleet

Current fleet

As of December 2025[update], TAMep operates the following aircraft:[18]

Historic fleet

Accidents and incidents

  • On 11 September 1962 Captain Walter Arze Rojas’s aircraft crashed after the plane was given standard gasoline instead of aviation fuel.
  • On 12 February 1970, Douglas DC-3 TAM-11 crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Laja Airport. The aircraft was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight. All five people on board survived.[19]
  • On 14 July 1970, Douglas DC-3 TAM-17 was damaged beyond repair in an accident at El Alto International Airport, La Paz.[20]
  • On 4 May 1971, Douglas C-47 TAM-22 crashed shortly after take-off from El Alto Airport, La Paz on a cargo flight to El Jovi Airport.[21]
  • On 25 September 1972, Douglas C-47A TAM-24 was reported to have been damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Caranavi Airport.[22]
  • On 19 January 1974, Douglas DC-3 TAM-30 was damaged beyond economic repair in a wheels-up landing at Laia.[23]
  • On 11 November 1974, Douglas DC-3 TAM-34 crashed near the Sorata Mountain shortly after take-off from El Alto Airport.[24]
  • On 27 October 1975, a CV-440 crashed into the Cerro Colorado volcano during takeoff, killing all 4 crew and 63 passengers on board. The aircraft was carrying military officers and their families.
  • On 18 March 2011, a Xian MA60 (with Bolivian registration FAB-96) with 33 passengers and crew aboard, performed an emergency landing without locked nose landing gear in the airport of the touristic Amazonian village of Rurrenabaque, on arrival from La Paz. No injuries were reported.[25][26]
  • On 9 January 2012 a Xian MA60 (with Bolivian registration FAB-96) with 16 passengers and 5 crew aboard performed an emergency landing without landing gear lowered at Guayaramerin on arrival from Riberalta. No injuries occurred, but the aircraft was substantially damaged.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b c “TAMep inicia operaciones tras ocho años de suspensión de vuelos”. El Deber. 31 May 2024.
  2. ^ Schmitz, Sebastian (February 2014). Airliner World. Key Publishing. pp. 32–37.
  3. ^ Helen Coffey (12 December 2019). “The airlines that have stopped flying in 2019”. independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ Rivas, Jorge (2003). Historia de la Fuerza Aérea Boliviana (in Spanish). Editorial Aeronáutica.
  5. ^ “Empresa Pública Transporte Aéreo Militar”. gob.bo. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  6. ^ “El transporte aéreo y la integración territorial de Bolivia”. Revista de Estudios Bolivianos (in Spanish). 2010.
  7. ^ “El Gobierno autoriza reanudación de operaciones del TAM por seis meses” (in Spanish). Oficina de Fortalecimiento de Empresas Públicas. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  8. ^ “TAM vuelve a suspender operaciones”. Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 24 September 2019.
  9. ^ “TAMep inicia operaciones comerciales” (in Spanish). Agencia Boliviana de Información. 31 May 2024.
  10. ^ “Comunicado oficial TAMep sobre suspensión temporal de operaciones” (in Spanish). Transporte Aéreos Militares – Empresa Pública. 4 October 2025.
  11. ^ “State airline of Bolivia suspends flights on Dec. 4, 2025 amid operational issues”. El Nacional (via EFE) (in Spanish). 4 December 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Ibáñez, Erika (2025-12-26). “Vuelos solidarios de la FAB arrancan el lunes en cuatro rutas”. La Razón (La Paz) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  13. ^ a b c d e f “La FAB habilitará dos aviones para vuelos solidarios ante saturación de BoA”. El Día (in Spanish). 2025-12-24. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  14. ^ “BoA accumulates fines and operational issues amid delays and cancellations”. Los Tiempos (via Oxígeno) (in Spanish). 10 January 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  15. ^ a b “Próximas Rutas”. TAMep – Transporte Aéreo Militar (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  16. ^ a b c d “Itinerario”. TAMep – Transporte Aéreo Militar (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  17. ^ a b c d “La Fuerza Aérea realizará vuelos solidarios para cuatro ciudades del país”. Visión 360 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  18. ^ “Global Airline Guide 2025 – TAM”. Airliner World: 52. September 2025.
  19. ^ “TAM-11 Accident description”. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  20. ^ “TAM-17 Accident description”. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  21. ^ “TAM-22 Accident description”. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  22. ^ “TAM-24 Accident description”. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  23. ^ “TAM-30 Accident description”. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  24. ^ “TAM-34 Accident description”. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  25. ^ Avión aterriza de panza sin causar daños, Periódico Los Tiempos, retrieved on March 18, 2011, archived from the original on March 21, 2011
  26. ^ “TAM Bolivia MA60 at Rurrenabaque on Mar 18th 2011, could not extend nose gear, rests on belly”. Air Crash Observer, retrieved on March 20, 2011. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011.
  27. ^ “TAM Bolivia MA60 at Guayaramerin on Jan 9th 2012, gear up landing”. Aviation Herald. Retrieved 9 January 2012.

Media related to Transporte Aéreo Militar at Wikimedia Commons

Must Read

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Exit mobile version