TAME Commences Fort Lauderdale Service

Ecuadorian national carrier TAME (Transportes Aereos Militares Ecuatorianos), Linea Aerea del Ecuador recently commenced its new passenger service to southern Florida when flight 562 landed at daybreak at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport after a four-hour flight from Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito. After landing, the flight taxied to the international terminal at the airport and received the traditional water cannon salute for a first flight as it neared the terminal. After the normal ground services to the aircraft at a little after 9:00 AM, the return flight pushed back from the terminal as TAME flight 563. It taxied to the active runway and departed on its way home to Quito.

TAME as an airline originally evolved as a way of funding the Ecuadorian Air Force with its decision to offer transportation services to remote areas of the country. At the same time, a requirement was also defined to improve the training of Air Force pilots. With all these factors in mind, Colonel Luis A. Ortega put forward the idea of the creation of an Ecuadorian Air Force Airline. With the full support of the commanding general of the Ecuadorian Air Force, TAME was created as an airline and performed its first flight in December 1962. The first aircraft in the TAME fleet were Dakota C-47s, but as the airline started to grow, Douglas DC-3 and DC-6 aircraft were incorporated. Over the years, TAME has operated Lockheed Electras, Boeing 727s and Fokker F28 Fellowships. The fleet in modern times consists of Airbus A319. A320 and A330, Embraer E170 and E190 jets and several ATR42 turboprop aircraft. The airline flies throughout South America and the United States with Fort Lauderdale being the first Floridian destination.

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport has just completed a massive project to expand its southern runway to commercial status. The airport is still expanding its new international terminal to be able to accommodate the increasing number of international flights that are arriving at the airport. Within the next few months following the introduction of the TAME flight today, new airlines Volaris and Azul will be commencing flights to the 23rd busiest airport in the United States as well as increased international service by US-based airlines JetBlue and Southwest.

Mark Lawrence is a NYCAviation producer and a south Florida-based aviation fanatic that has been around the industry since he was a small boy. As well as being an avid photographer, he also runs his own blog.