TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar (Military Air Transport) is an airline based in La Paz, Bolivia. It is owned by the Bolivian Air Force, and was established to offer flights to rural communities where commercial airlines could not operate profitably. Today it also operates in competition with commercial airlines on many of Bolivia's trunk domestic routes.
TAM begins operations on June 15, 1945 with the acquisition of new planes Douglas C-47s. In 1955, the squadron of the Bolivian Air Transport normed TAM to begin activities with commercial character.
"El Grupo Aéreo "71" (the Air group "71") known by the civil populace as Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM), is an essential part of the structure of the Bolivian Air Force and the fundamental element for the development and integration of the populations in the distant parts of the national territory."
—TAM website, Historical summary/review.
The original name (from 1944) was "El Escuadrón de Transporte Aéreo" (ETA). In 1953 the name was changed to Transporte Aéreo Militar. This heritage is reflected in the words "Grupo Aéreo 71" appearing as part of the TAM logo.
Transporte Aéreo Militar services the following destinations:
Bolivia
Apolo - Apolo Airport
Baures - Baures Airport
Bella Vista - Bella Vista Airport
Cobija - Captain Aníbal Arab Airport
Cochabamba - Jorge Wilstermann International Airport
Guayaramerín - Guayaramerín Airport
Huacaraje - Huacaraje Airport
Ixiamas - Ixiamas Airport
La Paz - El Alto International Airport
Magdalena - Magdalena Airport
Oruro - Juan Mendoza Airport
Potosí - Captain Nicolas Rojas Airport
Puerto Suárez - Puerto Suárez International Airport
Reyes - Reyes Airport
Riberalta - Riberalta Airport
Rurrenabaque - Rurrenabaque Airport
San Borja - Capitán Germán Quiroga Guardia Airport
San Ignacio de Moxos - San Ignacio de Moxos Airport
San Joaquín - San Joaquín Airport
San Ramón - San Ramón Airport
Santa Ana - Santa Ana del Yacuma Airport
Santa Ana de Huachi - Santa Ana de Hachi Airport
Santa Cruz:
El Trompillo Airport (SRZ)
Viru Viru International Airport
Santa Rosa
Sucre - Juana Azurduy de Padilla International Airport
Tarija - Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport
Trinidad - Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport
Uyuni - Uyuni Airport
Yacuiba - Yacuiba Airport
The TAM fleet consists of the following aircraft:
Accidents and incidents
On 11 September 1962 Captain Walter Arze Rojas was taking off and the service of an airport of a very small town in Bolivia confused and gave his plane truck gasoline, he did everything to land the plane safely but he couldn't.
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.
On 14 July 1970, Douglas DC-3 TAM-17 was damaged beyond repair in an accident at El Alto International Airport, La Paz.
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.
On 25 September 1972, Douglas C-47A TAM-24 was reported to have been damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Caranavi Airport.
On 19 January 1974, Douglas DC-3 TAM-30 was damaged beyond economic repair in a wheels-up landing at Laia.
On 11 November 1974, Douglas DC-3 TAM-34 crashed near the Sorata Mountain shortly after take-off from El Alto Airport.
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 March 18, 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.
On January 9, 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.
