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Minerve (airline)

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Minerve
IATA ICAO Call sign
IW MIN Minerve
Founded1975; 49 years ago (1975)
Ceased operations1992; 32 years ago (1992)
(merged with Air Outre Mer to form AOM French Airlines)
HeadquartersParis, France
A Douglas DC-8-73 of Minerve at San Francisco International Airport (1990)
Former head office

Minerve (IATA: IWICAO: MINcall sign: Minerve) was a French airline, headquartered in the 1st arrondissement of Paris,[1] that operated from 1975 until it merged with AOM to form AOM French Airlines in 1992.

History

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Minerve began operations in 1975 using Sud Aviation Caravelle aircraft on charter flights from Paris-Le Bourget airport. Permission was granted for charter flights to the United States in 1983 and those were operated first with Douglas DC-8 jets and later on with a Boeing 747-200 wide body jetliner.

For charter flights to the Mediterranean and North Africa the Caravelles were used until replaced in 1987 by McDonnell Douglas MD-83. Minerve wanted to expand into North America and created a subsidiary in Canada called Minerve Canada, but that venture did not last long and it had a negative effect on the parent company. Other investments in Jet Alsace and Jet Fret created more financial burdens which led to the sale of 50% of the stock to the tour operator Club Méditerranée. To expand operations, three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 wide body jetliners were acquired for long-range services.

In 1991 Minerve was operating scheduled passenger services between Paris and Bangkok, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Nice, San Francisco and Tahiti with DC-10-30 jets being primarily operated on the international routes.[2] The same year, the airline published a joint timetable with French air carrier Air Liberte.[3]

In 1992 Minerve merged with Air Outre Mer to form AOM French Airlines.[4]

Fleet details

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Minerve DC-8-73CF F-GESM departing Gatwick Airport in 1990

References

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  1. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 14–20 March 1990. 11. "Head Office: 4 rue Cambon, F-75001, Paris, France."
  2. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, 1991 Minerve timetables
  3. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, June 1, 1991 Air Liberte/Minerve combined timetable
  4. ^ Hengi, page 127
  • Hengi, B.I. (2000). Airlines Remembered: Over 200 Airlines of the Past, Described and Illustrated in Colour. Midland. ISBN 9781857800913.
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