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The 17 from December, but in 1962, the flag carrier of Ecuador began operations. Hoy Tame EP Ecuador It is celebrating another year of anniversary reaching destinations where no other does.
The last 6 years for Tame have been complex and have brought great uncertainty about its aeronautical future in press and general public. These problems have landed on the airline due to economic issues, mainly due to an aggressive international expansion in the 2013 and apparent administrative mismanagement that undoubtedly remind us of Ecuatoriana de Aviación.
During the 2017 and 2019, the airline has taken corrective measures and measures that have allowed, first, reduce your losses that accumulated according to some reports, exceed the $200 million and improve its operability with the recovery and maintenance of aircraft that were on the ground for long periods due to the lack of resources to carry out their scheduled maintenance based on what the manufacturers indicate.
on this new anniversary, Tame seeks to take off again and show the country and its frequent customers, that a Public Company can be correctly managed, profitable and a worthy representative of the country in the world.
Tame's Story
Tame was born as a military airline, founded the 17 from December to 1962, by Colonel Luis A.. Ortega under the support of Colonel Guillermo Freile Posso as a thesis project which included all the operating parameters. Its name originally meant Ecuadorian Military Air Transport. – TAME and was fully managed by the Ecuadorian Air Force – FAE. Founded to provide services to remote areas of Ecuador of a social nature and where no other airline of the time flies, little by little the airline was positioning itself in the minds of Ecuadorians as the flag carrier.
TAME's first flight was officially given on 4 from December to 1962 under the command of Teodoro Malo and José Montesinos in a Douglas C-47 plane on the Quito route, Esmeraldas, Bay, Manta, Guayaquil, Cuenca and back to Quito. Subsequently, and with the growth of the airline, DC-3 and DC-6 aircraft were incorporated. On 1970 The first two Avro HS-748s, which the Air Force also operated, arrived in Ecuador.
in the middle of the 70, Tame acquired 4 Lockheed L-188 Electra that previously operated for Ecuatoriana de Aviación, to later in the early 80s, increase its capacity and improve its service by purchasing the first three Boeing 727-100 with which he began to fly to Manta, Cuenca, and Emeralds. Between 1980 and 1992, Tame continued to expand its fleet, incorporating four Boeing aircraft 727-200 and 3 Fokker 28 Fellowship (series 2000 and 4000) with the first he began to fly between Quito and Bogotá for Air France and with the second the Quito route – tulcan – Cali, which is the airline's oldest international route.
Also for a short period, until his accident in Cuenca, Tame flew a Boeing 737-200 HC-BIG, which had been purchased directly from Boeing new from the factory.
for a brief period, TAME chartered a Boeing 757-200 from Mexico to expand its operation and capacity in the Galapagos Islands (Baltra).
For the beginning of 2000, TAME started its fleet renewal plan and strategy, which saw the green light 13 august 2003 with the arrival in Ecuador of the 2 First new Airbus A320 HC-CDY and HC-CDZ leased to European manufacturer. Subsequently, the renovation plan would continue with the incorporation of 2 Embraer 170 HC-CEY and HC-CEX and an Embraer 190 HC-CEZ this in March 2006. in december 2007 others would arrive 2 Embraer 190 HC-CGF the HC-CGG, all these 5 Embraer were purchased new from the factory.
During the 2007, in an alliance between Tame and the defunct Saereo, the first version of the TameXpress project is created, where Tame provided the routes and Saereo operated the flights with its Embraer aircraft 120, which were specially painted adding the titles of the project.
Between 2008 and 2009, Tame incorporates the first Airbus A319 HC-CGT and the first Airbus A320 are replaced by others with lower rental costs, completing the fleet renewal with the Airbus A320 HC-CID, with which the change also began, renewal and modernization of the corporate image of the airline.
On 2011, Tame changes its name and is no longer an entity administered by the Ecuadorian Air Force, changing their name to Tame E.P – Ecuadorian airline, eliminating the acronym and it becomes a Public Company administered by the Ecuadorian State.
The 8 October 2011, Also come the 3 ATR42-500 thanks to the support of the Government, with which the TameXpress project was born, to fly to social destinations like Tulcán, Macas, Again, Santa Rosa, Latacunga and others. The project did not prosper and the planes began to operate on routes that generated profitability for the airline.
In this period of time and up to the 2013, the airline begins to fly regularly, leaving behind his characteristic charter operation in the Caribbean, to international destinations such as Havana, Bogota, Caracas and Lima. At 2013 Tame's first wide body arrives in Guayaquil, an Airbus A330-200 HC-COH with which he flies to his first destination in the United States, New York with 1 daily flight.
Same year 2013, Tame embarks on a new social project, with the acquisition of 3 Quest Kodiak aircraft 100 for the project based on the Shell Mera Airport, called Tame Amazonia. With this project promoted by the Government and the local authority, It seeks to provide service to tracks and remote populations where access is limited and provide social assistance with the transfer of its inhabitants who need to travel to the city to receive medical attention or carry out personal procedures at differentiated and affordable prices..
Subsequently, new destinations to Sao Paulo would be inaugurated, Buenos Aires and Fort Lauderdale (the 2 The first ones were closed and Fort Lauderdale operates from Guayaquil) and its fleet grew reaching a historic number of 17 planes on an Ecuadorian airline.
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Tame EP News
Currently, and after the rapid expansion that generated a lack of control in Tame's expenses and the well-known administrative problems, this has had to contract and adjust its operation by flying now to the following domestic routes (came to operate 16 national destinations).
destinations
- Quito
- Guayaquil
- Esmeraldas
- Manta
- Santa Rosa
- Catamayo (Store)
- Cuenca
- Coca
- Sour Lake
- Baltra
- San Cristobal
Its current international routes are:
- Cali
- Fort Lauderdale
Fleet
Tame's fleet, before the closure of routes, also contracted and went from a historic number of 17 planes parts 5 at 2019:
- 1 Airbus A320
- 1 Airbus A319
- 3 ATR42-500
in december 2019, The airline stopped operating the Embraer fleet 190, to unify a fleet made up of Airbus and ATR aircraft.
Current photo galleries of Tame EP
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Very good chronology of the history of Tame, its a pity its end. As you pointed out above, Tame deserved a better fate, but unfortunately the lack of care in its administrative and financial management has led it to plummet in recent 9 years. Whenever I hear a plane and look up at the sky, I will remember it..
Well now it's just history Take me down in history.
I have been 15 years at Tame as maintenance technician, the company was one of the best with high quality standards in Ecuador was the first with certification. ISO 9001-2000, was certified with IOSA, In my opinion, the FAE managed the company in a better way when it passed into civilian hands, they finished off Tame, The administration changed, people from other aviation companies came that closed and interest groups began to form ex-military, Tame civilian employees aligned with the policy imposed by FAE at the time, the new civilians of the former saeta, former Ecuadorian and other companies from then on Tame did not grow but the losses began. Tame had his own planes the B727 – F 28-4000 but the geniuses arrived and we came to this. Just to see their own interest and not as a state company, now that it is in liquidation, many things will come to light for everyone
Now we will not have a national flag airline.
thanks Nicholas… all the best…
How wonderful to see the 727, Among the few trips I made in them, I remember that the HC-BLF took us to the Galapagos for a 6th grade trip, which unfortunately crashed in Tulcán… Suddenly you know how many passengers each of the 727 of tame ? (Mike, Sierra, Romeo, Charlie, India, Echo and Victor)
Very good question Patrick., I only remember that the 727-200 They had 155 seating, being able to be wrong.
It seems to me that it was better operated by the FAE, it was able to grow in a controlled way and sustain itself., I would think that if it were still operated by FAE, the airline would be in better hands and there would not be the waste of money that there was., let's hope we don't lose it.
However, the accidents that claimed a large number of human lives were during that administration, all under the command of military pilots.
The 80% of the pilots of the airlines that operate in Ecuador are ex-military
It makes me sad to see how the flag carrier will come to a time when it can be dissolved ?
.
good post☺?
Let's hope that day doesn't come and they manage to get ahead.