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Where it all started. VH-AES 'Hawdon' was representative of the livery of the new airline when it officially commenced services in September of 1946
Trans Australia Airlines Celebrates Forty Years of Achievement
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TAA, or Australian Airlines as it has more recently become known has now celebrated forty years of airline service. What is generally not remembered nowadays is the political and funding traumas that marked its early years. In this three-part series we relive the birth of Australia’s ‘other’ domestic airline, examine the aircraft and operating decisions that had such a profound impact on air transport during the fifties and sixties and finalise with a look to the future. New aircraft, a new corporate identity and a post-Two Airline Policy world of new frontiers.
On 9 September 1986, TAA will commemorate 40 notable years of achievement in the Australian airline industry. It is somewhat ironic that this milestone is tinged with the phasing out of Trans Australia Airlines as the operating name of the Australian National Airlines Commission. No doubt Australian Airlines, as TAA’s successor, will continue to maintain the proud traditions established over the past four decades.
It is probably quite difficult today for many people to imagine the depth of hostility that was directed at TAA during its first few years of operation. The domestic airline environment in the mid 1940s was dominated by Australian National Airways which operated an Australia-wide network. Numerous other smaller airlines such as Butler Air Transport, Guinea Airways and MacRobertson Miller Aviation completed the overall picture. Qantas was also there but was looking increasingly outward and in a few years was to completely remove itself from Australian domestic air travel.
The 1945 scenario was a fairly cosy one for the existing airline operators. With the war behind them they could be quite confident, provided their management was up to scratch, that they would be able to enjoy a steady passenger and freight growth. A major newcomer to the Australian airline scene was obviously not wanted as this would erode the market share held by the other operators. When the establishment of the Australian National Airlines Commission was first mooted in 1945 there was significant opposition on several fronts, which was to continue for some time.
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