The Airlines of Frances in the 1960s and 1970s – A Pictorial History
Photos from the Collection of Henry Tenby
Write up by Henry Tenby
As the third largest population in Europe behind the UK and Germany, France’s airline industry was well established into the 1960s with a healthy number of charter airlines serving the travel hungry travelling public to destinations within Europe and to French Department Territories further abroad. The growth of the home built airline market with the Caravelle, and then the Mercure, Nord 262, and the Airbus 300 which launched in the early 1970s fuelled growth through the 1970s and beyond.
Europe Aero Service Vickers Viking F-BMEU circa mid 1960s.
TAI, UAT, UTA served the overseas Department Territories of France along side flag carrier Air France whilst the domestic passenger scheduled market and inter European routes were operated by Air France and Air Inter (which was primarily a domestic France carrier as insinuated by their company name). During the 1960s the main airport for international operations was the iconic Orly Airport in Paris. Orly boasted a fantastic viewing deck which allowed for aviation fans and photographers of the day to easily capture the airline scene on slides for the viewing enjoyment of later generations, present company included!
Through my many years of collecting 35mm aircraft slides, I am pleased to present an extensive photo collection of many of these French international, domestic and charter carriers, including the following (which are featured in my French airline 1960s and 1970s photo slide show which starts on this page):
Air France
TAI
UTA
Air Inter
Europe Aero Servis EAS
Air Charter International
Air Toulouse
Air Alsace
Catair
Air Paris
Air Polynesie
Aeromaritime
Airnautic
Air Alpes
TAR
TAT
Trans-Union
I am looking to purchase 35mm Kodachrome aircraft slide collections. Please contact me: henrytenby at gmail dot com
Thank you very much for visiting this page, and enjoy!
Air France DC-4 F-BBDA beautiful kodachrome slide circa mid 1960s.Air France Viscount 700 G-AMOG short term lease from Cambrian circa mid 1960s.Air France Fokker F27-500 F-BPUD at London Heathrow August 1972.Air France A300 F-BVGI March 1977.Air France 707-328B F-BLCA at Zurich Kloten in August 1978.Air France 707 F-BHSH at Montreal in June 1970.Air France 747 classic F-BPVB at Montreal in June 1970.Air France 727-228 F-BPJG at Rome May 1973.Air France Airbus A300 F-WUAA circa 1973.Air France Se210 Caravelle F-BJTS at Rome May 1973.Air France Fokker F28 F-BUTI at Frankfurt September 1976.Air France Concorde F-WTSA at Dallas circa 1973, being serviced and ground handled by Braniff International. It is possible the Concorde was being demonstrated to Braniff as there appears to be a very large media presence to meet the aircraft, which suggests this might be the first ever visit of a Concorde aircraft to Dallas.Air France Cargo 747F N18815 at New York JFK December 1975.Air France C160 Transall F-BUFR at Paris Orly June 1974.Air France Fokker F27 F-BPUL circa early to mid 1970s.Air France Falcon F-BTMF June 1974.Air France Convair 990 N5605 circa late 1960s.Air France Falcon F-BTMF June 1974.Air France experimental scheme 727-200 F-BOJD at Paris Orly June 1974.Air France DC-3 F-BAIF circa mid 1960s.Air France DC-4 F-BJHB circa early 1960s.Air France short term lease DC-8-30 OO-TCP at Paris Orly circa late 1960s.Air France Deux Ponts F-BASN possibly Nice, circa mid 1960s.Air France Deux Ponts F-BASU at London Heathrow circa mid 1960s.Air France DC-3 F-BEFH operating for the French Post Office circa mid to late 1960s.Air France Breuguet 763 Deux Ponts F-BASQ circa early 1970s storage.Air France Se210 Caravelle F-BHRH at Paris Orly in May 1973.Air Paris De Havilland Heron F-BRSK at Paris Orly August 1970.Europe Aero Service Vickers Viking F-BMEU circa mid 1960s.CATAIR L-1049C Constellation F-BRAD circa mid 1960s, location not known.Air Fret L-1049 Connie F-BHBI circa late 1960s.Catair Se210 Caravelle F-BSRD October 1971.Air Alpes Beech 99 F-BRUN at Dusseldorf August 1971.CIE Air Transport Bristol Freighter Mark 32 F-BKBI possibly at Nice, circa late 1960s.Rousseau Aviation DC-3 F-BAXR at London Heathrow circa mid to late 1960s.Aerospatiale Fregate NORD 262 prototype October 1971.Airnautic Vickers Viking F-BIPT at Paris Orly circa early 1960s.Commission for International Control CIC Boeing 307 Stratoliner F-BELU at Saigon circa mid 1960s.Aeromaritime DC-8-30 leased from Atlantis of Germany D-ADIR at Paris Orly airport September 1971.Air Polynesie DC-4 F-BBDR at Faaa airport Tahiti circa early 1970s.Air Comores DC-4 F-BRHE seen in Comores circa 1971.Aeromaritime DC-6 F-BGSL at Paris Orly circa early 1970s.UAT Aeromaritime DC-6 F-BAMS circa early 1960s.Aerospatiale France – British Aircraft Corporation Concorde prototypeF-WTSS at Paris Orly circa 1971.Rousseau Aviation HS748 G-AYIR leased from Hawker Siddeley circa late 1960s.TAI Transports Aeriens Intercontinentaux DC-8-30 F-BJUV at Paris Orly circa early 1960s.TAI Transports Aeriens Intercontinentaux DC-6 reg not visible seen at Tokyo Haneda circa early 1960s.Air Inter Nord 262 F-BLHS at Paris Orly circa late 1960s.Air France Se210 Caravelle F-BHRH at Paris Orly in May 1973.Air Alsace Corvette F-BVPO at Schonefeld airport in Berlin circa early 1960s.CATAIR L-1049C Constellation F-BHMI at London Heathrow circa mid 1960s, possibly on a football charter.Air Charter International 727-214 F-BPJU at Amsterdam in October 1973.UTA DC-10 N54629 at Paris Orly circa early 1970s.Air Inter Viscount 700 F-BNEA circa early 1970s.Air Afrique DC-8-54 TU-TCB at Paris Orly August 1971.Air Alpes Fokker F27 F-GBDE July 1980.Air Inter Viscount 700 F-BGNR at Paris Orly circa mid to late 1960s.Air Inter Mercure F-BTMD at Paris Orly June 1974.Air France Lockheed L-1649 Starliner reg not visible at Tokyo Haneda circa 1960 or 1961.UTA leased this DC-8-63 N4867T from Trans International seen at Paris Orly August 1973.Aerospatiale France – British Aircraft Corporation Concorde prototypeF-WTSS at Paris Orly circa 1971.Avions Marcel Dassault Mercure prototype F-WTCC circa early 1970s.Prototype Airbus A300 F-OCAZ at the Paris airshow circa early 1970s.TAR Vickers Viking F-BJES May 1974.Europe Aero Service Dart Herald F-BLOY circa early 1970s.Air Alpes Beech 99 F-BRUX at Dusseldorf November 1973.Air Alpes DHC-6 Twin Otter F-GBDA pre delivery at Downsview – Toronto March 1978.Rousseau Aviation HS748 F-BSRU at Paris Orley 1968.UTA DC-10 N54639 at Paris Orly early 1970s.TAR DC-6B F-BRID at Nice, Cote d’Azure circa late 1960s or early 1970s.Air Charter International Se210 Caravelle F-BJTE at Paris Orly in September, 1971.Air Alsace VFW-614 D-BABM at Zurich Kloten September 1977.Air Alsace Nord 262 F-BVRV at Paris Orly circa late 1960s or early 1970s.Europe Aero Service Vickers Vanguard F-BVUY at Zurich Kloten in July 1979.Turbomeca Nord 260 F-BKRH circa late 1960s.Air Inter Vickers Viscount 700 F-BMCG at Paris Orly August 1969.Air Inter Fokker F27-500 F-BPND April 1971.Air Inter Se210 Caravelle 12B F-BTOE at Paris Orly April 1973.TAT Fokker F27 F-BUFA March 1973.UTA DC-10-30 F-BTDB at Zurich Kloten April 1978.Union De Transports Aeriens DC-8-54 F-BJLB at Paris Orly August 1971.Union De Transports Aeriens DC-8-54 F-BJLB at Paris Orly circa early 1970s.Aeromaritime Airbus Industrie Super Guppy F-BTGV at Paris Orly circa early 1970s.Trans-Union DC-6 F-BRID at Paris Orly August 1971.TAT VFW-614 D-BABG July 1977.
