The airline stopped operating in 2016 and had announced its return in 2019, but a debt with the SIN prevented it from taking-off. But some activity can be seen now.
The airline Transportes Aéreos Militares (TAM), now registered as TAMep, will return to the air with just one aircraft that has the capacity to transport 70 people. It will seek to cover the demand of the national market with flights between La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Cobija (Pando).
Earlier, the director of the ATT, Néstor Ríos, said that in the coming days the operating license of the state company will be authorized and issued.
“In the current administration, the Military Air Transport Public Company (TAMep) presented its request for the provision of air transport services for passengers, cargo and mail. We, as an authority in the sector, have reviewed all the technical and legal requirements that it presented in order to obtain its operating license .”
The director of the Telecommunications and Transportation Regulation and Supervision Authority (ATT), Juan Manuel Chavarría, explained that the airline is already in the final stage in terms of procedures and authorizations.
The company received approval for the transportation of passengers, cargo and mail, after reviewing technical and legal requirements.
He said the airline passed the test, in which the aircraft is inspected and certification is assigned to the pilot and crew. At the ATT they also met all the requirements and are awaiting authorization from the DGAC to begin their operations in the country.
“It has already passed all the stages in the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC),” he said.
Chavarría assured that the airline seeks to respond to a surplus of “unsatisfied” demand of at least 1,100,000 passengers. TAMep aims to transport 6,000 per month to reduce that demand.
The TAMep company has only one aircraft , however, depending on the service plan and the demand that is registered, the number of aircraft will be expanded to cover the established routes.
“The itinerary, the number of routes and frequency must be authorized by the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, this process is dynamic, it depends on the market, the conditions and the operators to improve the service,” he explained.
The airline will begin flying with an aircraft manufactured by British Aerospace, a British aeronautical and defense company, currently integrated into BAE Systems.
The official explained that TAMep will cover at least 2% of flights within the country. The state-owned Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) covers 88% (350,000 passengers) and Ecojet 12% (46,000 passengers).
Chavarría reported that so far the country only has two airlines (BoA and Ecojet) and there are 19 companies internationally. Most operate at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz.
