Minerve
IATA ICAO Callsign
IW MIN Minerve
Founded1975 (1975)
Ceased operations1992 (1992)
(merged with Air Outre Mer to form AOM French Airlines)
HeadquartersParis, France
A Douglas DC-8-73 of Minerve at San Francisco International Airport (1990)
Former head office

Minerve (IATA: IW, ICAO: MIN, call sign: Minerve) was a French airline, headquartered in the 1st arrondissement of Paris,[1] that operated from 1975 until it merged with AOM to form AOM French Airlines in 1992.

History

Minerve began operations in 1975 using Sud Aviation Caravelle aircraft on charter flights from Paris-Le Bourget airport. Permission was granted for charter flights to the United States in 1983 and those were operated first with Douglas DC-8 jets and later on with a Boeing 747-200 wide body jetliner.

For charter flights to the Mediterranean and North Africa the Caravelles were used until replaced in 1987 by McDonnell Douglas MD-83. Minerve wanted to expand into North America and created a subsidiary in Canada called Minerve Canada, but that venture did not last long and it had a negative effect on the parent company. Other investments in Jet Alsace and Jet Fret created more financial burdens which led to the sale of 50% of the stock to the tour operator Club Méditerranée. To expand operations, three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 wide body jetliners were acquired for long-range services.

In 1991 Minerve was operating scheduled passenger services between Paris and Bangkok, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Nice, San Francisco and Tahiti with DC-10-30 jets being primarily operated on the international routes.[2] The same year, the airline published a joint timetable with French air carrier Air Liberte.[3]

In 1992 Minerve merged with Air Outre Mer to form AOM French Airlines.[4]

Fleet details

Minerve DC-8-73CF F-GESM departing Gatwick Airport in 1990

References

  1. ↑ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 14–20 March 1990. 11. "Head Office: 4 rue Cambon, F-75001, Paris, France."
  2. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, 1991 Minerve timetables
  3. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, June 1, 1991 Air Liberte/Minerve combined timetable
  4. ↑ Hengi, page 127
  • Hengi, B.I. (2000). Airlines Remembered: Over 200 Airlines of the Past, Described and Illustrated in Colour. Midland. ISBN 9781857800913.
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