Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas was a Brazilian airline founded in 1976 as VOTEC Serviços Aéreos Regionais. In 1986 its name was changed to Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas and in 1990 to TAM – Transportes Aéreos Meridionais. In 2000 it was merged into TAM – Transportes Aéreos Regionais, creating TAM Linhas Aéreas.
On November 11, 1975 the Brazilian Federal Government created the Brazilian Integrated System of Regional Air Transportation and divided the country in five different regions, for which five newly created regional airlines received a concession to operate air services. VOTEC Serviços Aéreos Regionais S/A was the fifth of those regional airlines to be made operational. Its services started on October 11, 1976 and its operational area comprised roughly parts of the Central-West, North, Southeast and Northeast regions of Brazil, specifically the states of Goiás, Tocantins, and Federal District, and parts of Pará, Maranhão, Minas Gerais and connecting services to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.[1]
VOTEC (VoosTecnicos e Executivos) was originally an air taxi company established in 1966 by Klaus Richard Hoelck. On February 17, 1976 the identity of VOTEC Táxi Aéreo was changed to VOTEC Serviços Aéreos Regionais S/A, a regional airline authorized to operate scheduled services. This airline grew quickly and in 1978 it served dozens of cities, operated off-shore air services on behalf of Petrobras, and mail services on behalf of Brazilian Post.[2]
In 1983 administration problems started, which eventually led to the reduction of the fleet to only three Fokker F27 in 1985, and finally, in January 1986, to the end of regular services.
Sensing a good opportunity for growth on a still much regulated market, in June 1986 TAM – Transportes Aéreos Regionais (IATA code KK) acquired VOTEC, which was then renamed Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas. TAM and Brasil Central were both regional airlines and operated in different designated areas. They however operated as a consortium with integrated networks and fleet, with the most notable differences being the flight number IATA codes (whereas TAM had the IATA code KK, Brasil Central operated with the code JJ inherited from VOTEC), the different aircraft color schemes, and their designated areas of operation.
On May 15, 1990, the Brazilian Government lifted restrictions of operational areas of regional airlines allowing them to fly anywhere in Brazil. As a consequence, Brasil Central was renamed TAM – Transportes Aéreos Meridionais, acquired the same color scheme of TAM (KK) but still maintained the IATA code JJ.
In 2000 TAM (KK) was merged into TAM (JJ) and TAM (JJ) was renamed TAM Transportes Aéreos. The code JJ was maintained and the code KK was released back to IATA.
Even though the line VOTEC/Brasil Central/TAM Meridionais (JJ) is technically the original line into which TAM Regionais (KK) was merged into, historically it is considered just the opposite, because TAM Regionais was culturally the airline which gave identity to the new entity born from the merger. Actually, the only remaining asset of the original airline is the IATA code.
VOTEC did not have an airline affinity program. Brasil Central and TAM Meridional were part of TAM Regional Frequent Flyer program Programa Fidelidade.
24 February 1981: an Embraer EMB110P Bandeirante registration PT-GLB flying from TucuruítoBelém-Val de Cans collided with a ship in dry dock while approaching Belém in rain and high winds. The aircraft subsequently struck two barges and broke in two. The front part crashed onto a tug, and the tail section sank. Only 3 passengers of a total of 14 passengers and crew survived.[7]
18 April 1984: two Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante registrations PT-GJZ and PT-GKL collided on air, while on approach to land at Imperatriz. PT-GJZ was flying from São Luís to Imperatriz and crashed on ground killing all of its 18 passengers and crew. PT-GKL was flying from Belém-Val de Cans to Imperatriz and its pilot was able to make an emergency landing on Tocantins river. One passenger of its 17-passenger and crew died.[8][9][10]
^Garófalo, Gílson de Lima (1982). O Mercado Brasileiro de Transporte Aéreo Regional (in Portuguese). São Paulo: Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas. pp. 103–107, 128–130.
^Pereira, Aldo (1987). Breve História da Aviação Comercial Brasileira (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Europa. p. 262.
^Pereira, Aldo (1987). Breve História da Aviação Comercial Brasileira (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Europa. pp. 261–264.
^Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "Roleta russa". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928-1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 335–337. ISBN978-85-7430-760-2.
