Transbrasil

Infobox Airline
airline =Transbrasil
logo =TransBrasil70s.gif
logo_size =150
fleet_size =
destinations =
IATA =TR
ICAO =TBA
callsign =Transbrasil
parent =
company_slogan =
founded =1955
headquarters =Guarulhos International Airport
key_people =Omar Fontana
hubs =São Paulo,Brasil
focus_cities =
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
website =N/A

TransBrasil was an international Brazilian airline which ceased operations in December 2001. Transbrasil was privately owned, by Omar Fontana and his relatives. The company was famous for its very colorful aircraft which featured a rainbow on the aircraft's tail.

History

* 1955 - Sadia Linhas Aereas was created, by Omar Fontana. It was controlled and used by Sadia, initially for food transportation.
* 1962 - Sadia acquires "Transportes Aéreos Salvador". Back then, it covered 53 cities with a fleet of 27 airplanes.
* 1967 - Sadia stardardized its fleet with pressurized aircraft (mostly Dart Heralds).
* 1968 - Sadia opened its capital and distributed shares to its employees.
* 1972 - Sadia changed its name to Transbrasil S.A. Linhas Aéreas, and transferred its hub to Brasília.
* 1973 - Transbrasil ordered some Bandeirante EMB-110, made by Embraer, to replace the Dart Heralds.
* 1974 - Transbrasil received its first 727-100.
* 1975 - Transbrasil is the third largest Brazilian airline. Together with Varig and VASP, it survived the oil crisis while most other airlines in Brazil were declared bankrupt.
* 1985 - Omar Fontana lost his shares in the company, in a government decision. Two years later, he was back as owner again, but the company was scrapped by its predecessor.
*1990s - The company made a big expansion, acquiring new 737s and 767s. It was once the second major Brazilian airline.
* 1998 - Omar Fontana decided to retire, due to health problems. Celso Cipriani assumed the presidency. The company began its downfall in the late 1990s, due to little attention given to the domestic market, international crisis and harsh competitions from Varig, TAM Linhas Aéreas and VASP on the most profitable routes.
* 2001 - Shell decided to interrupt the supply of kerosene to Transbrasil until the airline paid its debts with the oil company. Two years later, the company was declared bankrupt.

Fleet

Transbrasil was known for its colourful airplanes. The main airplanes used by the company and its subsidiary Interbrasil were:

*DC-3
*C-46
*Dart Herald
*BAC One Eleven-500
*EMB-110
*707
*727-100
*737-300
*737-400
*767-200
*767-300

Destinations

*Brazil: Aracaju, Brasília, Belém, Belo Horizonte, Campinas, Campo Grande, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Foz do Iguaçu, Goiânia, Londrina, Manaus, Maringá, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, Sao Luís, Teresina, Vitória

*Other countries: Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Lisboa, Miami, Porto, Orlando, Vienna

*Major hubs: São Paulo (Congonhas & Guarulhos Airports), Rio de Janeiro (Galeao and Santos Dumont Airports), Belo Horizonte (Pampulha Airport), Brasília, Porto Alegre

"As of 1998, and including its subsidiary Interbrasil"