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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 1063.PDF
946 FLIGHT International, 24 June 1971 FRANCE'S INDEPENDENT FLAG CARRIER . . . UTA's predecessor, UAT, prepared to take a leading part in pioneering jet travel with its order for the ill-fated Comet IA (top), which it put into service in 1953. UAT's post-war rival, TAI, operated the DC-6B (above) on its long-haul routes to the Pacific area. TAI merged with UAT in 1963 to form UTA. In 1966-67 the airline acquired two Caravelle lORs (right). UTA's long standing interest in the Pacific area is reflected in its subsidiary company Air Polynesie-RAI, which operates a Twin Otter (right) on scheduled services in Polynesia about 350 aircrew. Some 1,500 of the ground staff are employed at the Le Bourget UTA Industrial Centre. This centre occupies five large hangars along the aircraft park ing area in the northern part of the airport and a group of buildings nearby. Capacity of the centre is sufficient for the maintenance and overhaul of aircraft as well as for a number of different jobs performed for the State and for French and foreign civil customers. The airline also undertakes the overhaul of aircraft for Air Afrique and associated companies; if UTA's own aircraft are included, this means maintenance of 20 DC-8s, five Caravelles, 40 Douglas DC-4s, DC-6s and DC-7s and several Breguet Deux Ponts. There are also engineering facilities at Papeete and Noumea. Among other activities, UTA has been responsible for the equipment of a DC-7 for use as a laboratory aircraft by the French Directorate of Research (DRME), and construction of the prototype Bertin Aerotrain 250-80 in co-operation with SECAN. The size of UTA has called for a certain amount of decentralisation. Under the general management, activities are allocated to 12 separate management departments: public relations, law, personnel, finance, development, marketing, programmes, industry, flying staff, Europe- Africa, Far East-Pacific, and freight and mail. In 1969, management methods were modernised with the help of consultants; points stressed were increased distribution of responsibilities, long-term planning, the setting up of purpose-orientated departments, and utilisation of personal abilities to the best advantage. Three "profit centres" were set up. These are required to manage their budgets and profits autonomously and are responsible for their own results. They are specifically concerned with (1) the African network, (2) the Far East- Pacific network and (3) freight and mail transport manage ment. UTA's traffic (tonne-km) in 1970 was 12 per cent up on the previous year, and, with capacity just over 10 per cent up, there was an improvement in load factor. This rate of growth rate was less than in previous years, although freight traffic continued to grow strongly and now accounts for almost 40 per cent of the airline's total production. The 1970 traffic figures were as follows: — Available tonne-km ( X 1,000) Revenue tonne-km (X 1,000) Weight load factor (%) Passengers carried Available seat-km (X 1,000) Revenue pass-km (X 1,000) Passenger load factor (%) Freight in all-cargo aircraft (tonnes) Total freight carried (tonnes) Revenue freight tonne-km (X 1,000) 1970 544,000 313,926 57-6 363,326 3,638,306 1,980,226 54-4 17,442 27,414 121,780 % increase on 1969 10-1 12-0 56-7* 9-5 8-9 11-4 53-2* 18-4 15-9 12-7 * Actual 1969 figure. Some 46 per cent of UTA's passenger traffic is attribu table to the African routes, and the remaining 54 per cent to the Far East/Pacific group of services. Because of heavier freight traffic, the African routes account for a greater proportion of total traffic—about 59 per cent. But it is on the Far East routes that the highest passenger load factor is recorded—61-4 per cent last year. By contrast trans-Pacific passenger load factor reached only 47-8 per cent, a little lower than in 1969. Operating profits in 1969—the latest year for which figures are available—Fr682 million (£53 million), repre senting an increase of 14-4 per cent on 1968. [For a financial commentary on the airline, see Flight for
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