Spantax
Encyclopedia
Spantax S.A. was a Spanish
airline that operated from 1959 to 1988. Its head office was located in Madrid
.
pilot Rodolfo Bay Wright and ex-Iberia flight attendant
Marta Estades Sáez. The airline was based at Gran Canaria Airport in the Canary Islands
, and began operations flying geologists and technicians who were searching for oil in the Sahara
and Spanish West Africa. Initial destinations included El Farsia, Gaada, Itguy, Mardesiat, Tindouf
, Dakhla
, Lagouira
and El Aaiún
. In 1959 the fleet comprised three Airspeed Consul
s, two Airspeed Oxford
s, one Auster
and a single Avro Anson
. A Douglas DC-3
was added to the fleet in 1960.
At the end of 1960, the airline purchased two DC-3s from Swissair
and these were place into service from May 1961 operating tourist flights within the Canary Islands, and were joined by a Piper Apache for short flights. The fleet was joined in 1962 by a Beechcraft Model 18
executive aircraft, and a Bristol 170 which was leased from Iberia. The Bristol was returned to Iberia the following year, and four Douglas DC-4
s were acquired; the first in the Belgian Congo
and the other three from Aviaco
. The Douglas DC-7
entered service with the airline in April 1963, and would eventually go on to operate eight of the aircraft. Between June 1963 and September 1967 the airline also acquired an additional four DC-4s, and in May 1965 it obtained two Douglas DC-6
s.
Between 1962 and 1965 the airline operated DC-3s and a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
on routes for Air Mauritanie
, and in 1966 the airline became the first Spanish airline to operate the Fokker F-27, which was put into service on routes in the Canary Islands. On 7 December 1965, the airline suffered its first crash, when a DC-3 on a charter flight from Los Rodeos Tenerife
to Gran Canaria
crashed just after take-off, killing 28 passengers and 4 crew.
After receiving approval from the Spanish authorities to operate passenger charter flights, the airline moved its headquarters from Gran Canaria to Palma de Mallorca
. The Balearic
base was chosen due to the role that Mallorca had taken in the development of tourism in Spain
, allowing the airline to gain prestige in the European market.
The airline entered the jet age when in February and May 1967 two Convair 990
joined the fleet after being purchased second hand from American Airlines
. Between 1968 and 1972, an additional eight Convair 990s would join the fleet piloted by Juanito Mauri,flight instructor and the best pilot of the company by then; two of which were leased to Iberia between 1967 and 1969 whilst that airline experienced delays in the delivery of its own Douglas DC-8
s. On 5 January 1970, a CV-990 crashed shortly after take-off from Arlanda Airport in Stockholm
after it had experienced problems with one of its engines, killed five of the seven passengers on board. Another of the Convairs crashed on 3 December 1972, on take-off at Los Rodeos in Tenerife on a flight to Munich
. The aircraft reached a height of 90 metres (295.3 ft) and crashed 325 metres (1,066.3 ft) past the runway, killed all 155 passengers and crew on board, making the crash the worst crash in Spanish airline history at the time.
A Convair 990 of the airline on a flight from Madrid
to London
was involved in a mid-air collision
with an Iberia McDonnell Douglas DC-9
over Nantes
on 5 March 1973. The Spantax aircraft lost part of its left wing, and its pilots managed to land safely at Nantes Airport; however, the Iberia DC-9 crashed killing all 68 passengers and crew on board. The airline acquired a further four Convairs from Swissair
in April, May and June 1975, and the airline would become the world's largest operator of the type. The last of the Coronados was retired in the mid 1980s.
Requiring an aircraft with intercontinental range, Spantax purchased two Douglas DC-8-61CF
s from Trans Caribbean Airways
in February 1973, and would go on to operate an additional four of the type. Two DC-9-14
s were acquired from Southern Airways
in April 1974 in order to meet demand on charter flights on domestic and European routes. In October 1978 the airline put into service its first wide-body aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
, and put it into service on charter routes to the United States
. By 1980 the airline employed 1,168 people, carried 2,017,000 passengers and had revenues of 9.953 billion pesetas
.
On 13 September 1982 Flight 995
to New York City
crashed after an aborted takeoff in Málaga
. The DC-10 overshot the runway and crossed a highway before colliding into farm buildings, whereupon a fire broke out in the rear of the fuselage. Fifty of the 394 passengers and crew on board the aircraft were killed. In 1983, Spantax became the first Spanish airline to fly to Japan
via the polar route
, with a stop in Anchorage
, and in the same year Boeing 737-200s began to be added to the fleet, to replace the DC-9s. New flights from Palma de Mallorca
to Turku
, Kuopio
, Tampere
and Vaasa
in Finland
were begun with the 737s in 1984, and in the August 1984 the airline undertook charter flights to Venezuela
with the DC-10s in conjunction with Iberia and VIASA
.
, and two Boeing 747
s and a DC-10 from Malaysian Airline System.
In 1987, plagued by financial troubles and labour strikes, Spantax was sold to the Aviation Finance Group, based in Luxembourg
. The new owners had committed capital of 3 billion pesetas, and an investment of 4 billion pesetas. Debts to the Spanish authorities totallying 13 billion pesetas were reorganised for payment over a twenty five year period, and a fleet renewal program would have seen the airline operating fifteen aircraft by 1993. Attempts to revamp and refinance the airline, renew its fleet with McDonnell Douglas MD-83s, and negotiate with China Airlines
for acquisition of Boeing 767
s were all unsuccessful. After the Kuwait Investment Authority
withdrew from a planned offer to purchase the airline, Spantax ceased all operations on 29 March 1988, leaving some 7,000 passengers around Europe stranded.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
airline that operated from 1959 to 1988. Its head office was located in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Formative years
Spanish Air Taxi Líneas Aéreas S.A. was founded on 6 October 1959 by ex-IberiaIberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
pilot Rodolfo Bay Wright and ex-Iberia flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
Marta Estades Sáez. The airline was based at Gran Canaria Airport in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and began operations flying geologists and technicians who were searching for oil in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
and Spanish West Africa. Initial destinations included El Farsia, Gaada, Itguy, Mardesiat, Tindouf
Tindouf
Tindouf is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Mauritanian and Moroccan borders. The region is considered of strategic significance, and it houses Algerian military bases. Since 1975, it also contains several Sahrawi refugee camps operated by the Polisario Front a guerrilla...
, Dakhla
Dakhla, Western Sahara
-External links:**...
, Lagouira
Lagouira
La Güera or La Gouera is a town on the Atlantic coast at the southern tip of Western Sahara, on the western side of the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula...
and El Aaiún
El Aaiún
El-Aaiún , is a city in Western Sahara founded by the Spanish in 1928. Administered by Morocco since 1976, El-Aaiún is the capital of what the Moroccan government call the region of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, and POLISARIO call Occupied Territories...
. In 1959 the fleet comprised three Airspeed Consul
Airspeed Consul
-See also:-References:...
s, two Airspeed Oxford
Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
s, one Auster
Auster
Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.-History:The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited, making light observation aircraft designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of...
and a single Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
. A Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
was added to the fleet in 1960.
At the end of 1960, the airline purchased two DC-3s from Swissair
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
and these were place into service from May 1961 operating tourist flights within the Canary Islands, and were joined by a Piper Apache for short flights. The fleet was joined in 1962 by a Beechcraft Model 18
Beechcraft Model 18
The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
executive aircraft, and a Bristol 170 which was leased from Iberia. The Bristol was returned to Iberia the following year, and four Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
s were acquired; the first in the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
and the other three from Aviaco
Aviaco
Aviación y Comercio, S.A., was a Spanish airline incorporated on February 18, 1948. It was founded when the National Institute of Industry proposed that the national carrier of Spain, Iberia, could not meet the domestic demand. This had been caused by the heavy commitment of Iberia to the lucrative...
. The Douglas DC-7
Douglas DC-7
The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
entered service with the airline in April 1963, and would eventually go on to operate eight of the aircraft. Between June 1963 and September 1967 the airline also acquired an additional four DC-4s, and in May 1965 it obtained two Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
s.
Between 1962 and 1965 the airline operated DC-3s and a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...
on routes for Air Mauritanie
Air Mauritanie
Air Mauritanie was an airline based in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It was the national airline and operated domestic and regional services. A VIP-configured Boeing 727-200 was flown for the Mauritanian government. Its main base was Nouakchott International Airport....
, and in 1966 the airline became the first Spanish airline to operate the Fokker F-27, which was put into service on routes in the Canary Islands. On 7 December 1965, the airline suffered its first crash, when a DC-3 on a charter flight from Los Rodeos Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
to Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
crashed just after take-off, killing 28 passengers and 4 crew.
After receiving approval from the Spanish authorities to operate passenger charter flights, the airline moved its headquarters from Gran Canaria to Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
. The Balearic
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
base was chosen due to the role that Mallorca had taken in the development of tourism in Spain
Tourism in Spain
Tourism in Spain was developed during the last years of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, when the country became a popular place for summer holidays, especially for tourists from the British Isles, France, Central Europe and Scandinavia. In 2007, Spain became the second most visited country of the...
, allowing the airline to gain prestige in the European market.
Jet age
Convair 990
The Convair 990 Coronado was a narrow-body jet airliner produced by the Convair division of General Dynamics, a "stretched" version of their earlier Convair 880 produced in response to a request from American Airlines. The 990 was lengthened by 10 feet, which increased the number of passengers from...
joined the fleet after being purchased second hand from American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
. Between 1968 and 1972, an additional eight Convair 990s would join the fleet piloted by Juanito Mauri,flight instructor and the best pilot of the company by then; two of which were leased to Iberia between 1967 and 1969 whilst that airline experienced delays in the delivery of its own Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
s. On 5 January 1970, a CV-990 crashed shortly after take-off from Arlanda Airport in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
after it had experienced problems with one of its engines, killed five of the seven passengers on board. Another of the Convairs crashed on 3 December 1972, on take-off at Los Rodeos in Tenerife on a flight to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The aircraft reached a height of 90 metres (295.3 ft) and crashed 325 metres (1,066.3 ft) past the runway, killed all 155 passengers and crew on board, making the crash the worst crash in Spanish airline history at the time.
A Convair 990 of the airline on a flight from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was involved in a mid-air collision
Mid-air collision
A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually...
with an Iberia McDonnell Douglas DC-9
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
over Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
on 5 March 1973. The Spantax aircraft lost part of its left wing, and its pilots managed to land safely at Nantes Airport; however, the Iberia DC-9 crashed killing all 68 passengers and crew on board. The airline acquired a further four Convairs from Swissair
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
in April, May and June 1975, and the airline would become the world's largest operator of the type. The last of the Coronados was retired in the mid 1980s.
Requiring an aircraft with intercontinental range, Spantax purchased two Douglas DC-8-61CF
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
s from Trans Caribbean Airways
Trans Caribbean Airways
Trans Caribbean Airways is a former airline owned by O. Roy Chalk. Its hub was San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 1945, it was acquired by American Airlines in 1971. Its headquarters was located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City....
in February 1973, and would go on to operate an additional four of the type. Two DC-9-14
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
s were acquired from Southern Airways
Southern Airways
Southern Airways was a regional airline operating in the United States from its founding by Frank Hulse in 1949 until 1979 when it merged with North Central Airlines to become Republic Airlines, which on October 1, 1986, became part of Northwest Airlines, which in 2008 became a part of Delta Air...
in April 1974 in order to meet demand on charter flights on domestic and European routes. In October 1978 the airline put into service its first wide-body aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...
, and put it into service on charter routes to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. By 1980 the airline employed 1,168 people, carried 2,017,000 passengers and had revenues of 9.953 billion pesetas
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
.
On 13 September 1982 Flight 995
Spantax Flight 995
Spantax Flight 995 was a charter flight from Madrid-Barajas Airport to New York via Malaga Airport . When the aircraft was rolling for take-off, the pilot felt a strong vibration and aborted the take-off...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
crashed after an aborted takeoff in Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
. The DC-10 overshot the runway and crossed a highway before colliding into farm buildings, whereupon a fire broke out in the rear of the fuselage. Fifty of the 394 passengers and crew on board the aircraft were killed. In 1983, Spantax became the first Spanish airline to fly to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
via the polar route
Polar route
A polar route refers to an aircraft route across the uninhabited polar ice cap region. The American Federal Aviation Administration defines the North Polar area of operations as the area lying north of 78 deg north latitude , which is entirely north of Alaska and most of Siberia...
, with a stop in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, and in the same year Boeing 737-200s began to be added to the fleet, to replace the DC-9s. New flights from Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
to Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
and Vaasa
Vaasa
Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
were begun with the 737s in 1984, and in the August 1984 the airline undertook charter flights to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
with the DC-10s in conjunction with Iberia and VIASA
Viasa
Venezolana Internacional de Aviación Sociedad Anónima , or VIASA for short, was the Venezuelan national airline between 1960 and 1997. It was headquartered in the Torre Viasa in Caracas. Launched in 1960, it was nationalised in 1975 due to financial problems, and re-privatised in 1991, with the...
.
Demise
By the mid-1980s, competition in the charter airline market in Europe was intense, and in conjunction with spiralling fuel prices, the fortunes of the airline took a turn. Having an outdated fleet, the company was forced to lease in 737s from SABENASabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
, and two Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s and a DC-10 from Malaysian Airline System.
In 1987, plagued by financial troubles and labour strikes, Spantax was sold to the Aviation Finance Group, based in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. The new owners had committed capital of 3 billion pesetas, and an investment of 4 billion pesetas. Debts to the Spanish authorities totallying 13 billion pesetas were reorganised for payment over a twenty five year period, and a fleet renewal program would have seen the airline operating fifteen aircraft by 1993. Attempts to revamp and refinance the airline, renew its fleet with McDonnell Douglas MD-83s, and negotiate with China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
for acquisition of Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
s were all unsuccessful. After the Kuwait Investment Authority
Kuwait Investment Authority
The Kuwait Investment Authority is Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund , managing body, specializing in local and foreign investment...
withdrew from a planned offer to purchase the airline, Spantax ceased all operations on 29 March 1988, leaving some 7,000 passengers around Europe stranded.
Accidents and incidents
- On 30 September 1972, Douglas C-47B EC-AQE crashed on take-off from Madrid-Barajas Airport. The aircraft was being used for training duties and the student pilot over-rotated and stalled. One of the six people on board was killed.