Summary UTA, a former French flag carrier, merged with Air France in 1992, shaping France's aviation industry. The merger transferred UTA cabin crew to Air France, impacting the legacy airline's operations. UTA's African destinations influenced Air France's current network, showcasing the lasting impact of the merger.
You would be forgiven if you thought there was only one flag carrier in France; this is correct as of today. Air France showcases French savoir-être while bringing customers to and from Paris CDG and Paris Orly Airport in Paris. But once upon a time, there were two leading carriers, Air France and the Union des Transports Aériens (UTA), or Union of Air Transportation in English.
Let's dive into the history of the little-known (outside of the French aviation scene) second airline of the Hexagon (this is the nickname French people give to their country. The early days of UTA In 1949, the predecessor of UTA, an airline called Aéromaritime, joined forces with Société aérienne de transports internationaux (SATI, founded in 1948) on October 13 to create Union aéromaritime des Transports (UAT). Aéromaritime was the French state's second attempt at a nationalized postal air service after the failure of Aéropostale, which is sometimes credited as the ancestor of Air France .
The capital was divided between Chargeurs réunis (40%), Air France (40%), and Jean Lombard and Roger Loubry (founders of SATI) (20%). In 1952, UAT was one of the first airlines in.
