SkyStef's aviation page
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SkyStef's aviation page |
DAT (Belgian Regional Airline)
Taken at Antwerp in August 1989, the Fokker F28-3000
is wearing their last color scheme. (Photo: collection Skystef) |
| Base: Antwerp, Brussels |
| IATA: QG |
| ICAO: DE, DAT |
| Website: brusselsairlines.com |
| Fleet of commercial airliners of DAT: 2x Beech 65 (OO-VDD,OO-VDE), 8x DC3/C-47 (OO-AVG, OO-AUV, OO-AUX, OO-CBU, OO-DVG, OO-GVG, OO-KVG, OO-VDF) + 1x used for spares (SE-CFW) 1x DC4 (N38934), 8x DC6 (OO-CTK, OO-EVG / OO-VGE, OO-FVG / OO-VGF, OO-LVG / OO-VGL, OO-RVG, OO-VFG, OO-VGB, OO-VGK) + 1x used for spares (OH-KDC) + 1x never used (F-BRID) 5x CV440 (OO-PVG / OO-VGP, OO-TVG / OO-VGT, OO-UVG / OO-VGU, OO-VGJ, OO-VGW) + 2x used for spares (OO-NVG, EC-ARS) 2x Nord 262 leased from Cimber Air (OY-BCO, OY-BLV), 5x FH-227 (OO-DTA, OO-DTB, OO-DTC / OO-HTC, OO-DTD, OO-DTE), 10x Brasilia (OO-DTF, OO-DTG, OO-DTH, OO-DTI, OO-DTJ, OO-DTK, OO-DTL, OO-DTN, OO-DTP, OO-MTD + 2x leased from Embraer (PT-SIJ, PT-SKT), 1x Swearingen Metro leased from EAT (OO-JPK), 2x F28 (OO-DJA, OO-DJB) + 6x leased from TAT (F-BUTI, F-GBBR, F-GBBS, F-GBBT, F-GDUY, F-GNZB) and 1x leased from Fokker (PH-VGR), 1x B720 (OO-VGM), 6x BAe146 (OO-DJE, OO-DJF, OO-DJG, OO-DJH, OO-DJJ, OO-MJE) +1x leased from TAS Airways (I-ATSC), 26x Avro RJ85/100 (OO-DJK, OO-DJL,OO-DJN, OO-DJO, OO-DJP, OO-DJQ, OO-DJR, OO-DJS, OO-DJT, OO-DJV, OO-DJW, OO-DJX, OO-DJY, OO-DJZ, OO-DWA, OO-DWB, OO-DWC, OO-DWD, OO-DWE, OO-DWF, OO-DWG, OO-DWH, OO-DWI, OO-DWJ, OO-DWK, OO-DWL), |
| History: was formed by Frans van den Bergh on June 1 1966 to operate air-taxi and local sight seeing tours from its Antwerp base with three Cessna's. Gradually general charter work was upgraded with the delivery of the robust DC-3. When on November 1 1966 Sabena ended its helicopter services to Eindhoven & Rotterdam, a contract was sought to operate these services and two factory fresh Beech 65 were delivered as DAT would be the winner. But surprisingly the contract was granted to BIAS and the Beech aircraft were used on their air-taxi services. However soon one of the Beech found work when in 1967 a contract was signed with KLM (which later on would take a stake of 33%) to operate a scheduled pax and cargo services between Antwerp & Amsterdam upgraded to a DC-3 in 1968 followed by the CV-440 in 1972, Nord 262 in 1976, FH-227 in 1977 and Brasilia in 1988. The inaugural flight Antwerp - Amsterdam (and vv) took off on September 19 1967 and would last thirty years ending on March 29 1997, strange enough with a Brasilia wearing the Air Meuse colors. The next day KLM took over this link which on its turn ended on July 1 2002. The BIAS contract with Sabena on the service to Holland had already ended by August 1968 due technical issues with its leased D.H. Heron aircraft and a new, but solid contract was signed with DAT to operate on their "Common Market Commuter" network. One Beech 65 received even the colors of the former Belgian flag carrier. On April 1 1970 ownership changed to Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB), a maritieme group with its head office at Antwerp town. With this change the livery on DAT's aircraft changed as well from 1970 onwards adopting an attractive orange color scheme which was in fact the trademark of CMB itself. From the mid seventies, blue became the main color as the relationship with Sabena became closer. The piston age ended in 1978 with the sale of its last DC6 and during the transition between piston and the arrival of their own turboprops, two Nord 262 turboprops were temporary leased from Danish "Cimber Air". In 1974 an attempt was made to operate a Boeing 720 on world wide charters from Brussels, but failed a couple of months later. During a six month period in 1984, one Fokker Fairchild FH-227 was leased to Crossair of Switserland, repeated in 1985 due to engine troubles with their new Saab 340. In 1986 Sabena took a stake of 49% in DAT and gradually more and more flights were made on behalf of Sabena. In 1988 the company was renamed to DAT (Belgian Regional Airline) and in 1996 they became a wholly owned subsidiary of Sabena. All aircraft ended up in the colors of the Belgian flag carrier and their HQ was moved to Brussels. With the collapse of Sabena on November 7 2001, the subsidiary would ultimately survive and took over most of the European and African network. Its new name "SN Brussels Airlines" was officially adopted on February 15 2002. On April 12 2005 SN Holding took full stake in Virgin Express and on March 31 2006 it was announced that the low cost carrier would be merged with full service airline SN Brussels Airlines. On November 7 2006, exactly five years after the bankruptcy of Sabena, the new name and corporate identity was unveiled: Brussels Airlines becoming operational under this brand from March 25 2007 onwards. |
