UTA - UNION DE TRANSPORT AÉRIENS
(France)

Airline number 2 in France has been UTA, Union de Transports Aériens, for a long time. Since 1963, when it was formed as a merger of Union Aéromaritime de Transport and Transport Aérien Intercontinental, the carrier was Air France’s main competitor on long-haul routes.
In 1969, UTA became one of the first airlines to order the DC-10 when a joint other with the three other KSSU-members was placed. UTA’s share of the order contained five aircraft and two options of which one was taken up with the sixth aircraft joining the fleet on November 2nd 1977. The DC-10s were used on the long-haul routes to West Africa, the India region, the US - west coast, Singapore and the Middle East. In 1989, one aircraft, N54629, became victim of a bomb explosion over Niger killing all people on board. The replacement aircraft, which brought the all-time fleet to seven aircraft, was only operated for a short time as UTA merged into Air France on December 21st 1992. The DC-10s were operated by Air France for a few years and leased or sold away, mainly to AOM which took over UTA’s place in the French civil aviation. At the time of ceasing operations, UTA operated also a fleet of 747-200/300 and DC-8-50F.

Following aircraft were operated by or for UTA:

RegistrationAircraftFleetnr./NameOperated from - toWhere is it now?
F-BTDB46850/ 6318.02.1973 - 21.12.1992-stored-
F-BTDC
F-FTDH
46851/ 8519.03.1973 - 03.03.1975 and
05.05.1977 - 21.12.1992
-stored-
F-BTDD46963/ 24402.11.1977 - 21.12.1992-stored-
N54639
F-BTDE
46853/ 13418.01.1974 - 21.12.1992-stored-
N54629
F-BTDF
46852/ 9301.05.1973 - 21.03.1988WRITTEN OFF
F-GHOI46870/ 21718.10.1989 - 21.12.1992SCRAPPED
N5464946854/ 19319.03.1975 - 21.12.1992SCRAPPED


Following DC-10 aircraft have been written off during service with UTA:
N54629, 46852/ 93
Previous airline: United States Air Force Next airline: VARIG Brazil

Back to the list