TEA - Info Please

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 30 Jul 2004, 11:54

Does anyone have information about TEA - such as the routes they used to fly? I downloaded a Belgian livery package for a 737-200 yesterday, and as well as the advertised Sobelair and Sabena liveries (seevral liveries for each airline representing different decades) there was a TEA livery appeared on one of the new aircraft.

I like to try and recreate some genuine routes for the airlines in my collection (I even acquired an Air Nostrum CRJ to fly between Manchester and Barcelona!) but I don't know anything about TEA, especially where they flew!

744rules · Post by **744rules** » 30 Jul 2004, 12:41

TEA was created by G. Gutelman (he also created Citybird) and they mainly flew charters. In their fleet they had 2 A300 and with those a/c they got "famous" as they evacuated lot's of falashas (ethiopian jews) to Israel. The company went bancrupt and was re-born as EBA, with a 737-fleet.

I'm sure some others can add additional info.

bigjulie · Post by **bigjulie** » 30 Jul 2004, 13:26

Hi Louise, TEA stands for Trans European Airways, which was a Belgian company, they were in operation from 1970 till 1991

Here is one of their 737-200's www.airliners.net/open.file?id=129899
I hope it is the airline livery you saw. That is all I can help you with, I'm sorry

.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 30 Jul 2004, 13:40

744rules and Bigjulie - thanks for the info. And the aircraft in the photo is very like the new addition to my collection

The TEA aircraft was a surprise part of the package - I've already got the Sobelair and Sabena aircraft allocated to routes but I'm at a loss with the TEA one. If it was a charter carrier then I can maybe assume that they operated to sunny Med places and maybe ski runs to Switzerland and Austria? I had seen the photo of the broken Airbus in the TEA livery, but I never had them down as a 737 operator

sab319 · Post by **sab319** » 30 Jul 2004, 13:46

Tea turned into EBA and if I'm not mistaken that's Virgin Express now...

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 30 Jul 2004, 15:02

TEA operated 11 B737-200 (not @ the same time) between 1976-1991.
They wore two standard liveries (old & new) and 1 test livery:
-old livery
-new livery
-test livery

There were some a/c with slight variations in the old livery like smaller TEA titles, and also with the test livery.

From 1988 on, the B737-300 became the backbone, all 12 in the new livery.
Some migrated to affiliated companies like TEA UK, TEA Suisse, TEA France and TEA Italy. (I suppose there was even talk about a TEA Scandinavia). TEA Suisse formed later on also a TEA Cyprus.

First affiliate of TEA was presumable TUR (European Airways) formed in 1987, leasing 737-200 a year later.

TEA destinations mostly on behalf of tour operators to Mediterranean resorts, but also ad hoc charters to any destination in Europe.

Brgrds S

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 30 Jul 2004, 15:15

Thanks alot for that interesting info Q707, that's a big help.

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 01 Aug 2004, 01:52

TEA, Trans European Airways, sounds very nice indeed for a big strong eur. company. Maybe a good alternitive for AF/KLM.

TEA Belgium used to have hugh plans together with their sister company TEA Switserland when they placed an order of quite a lot of A310-300's. in the late '80 early '90. But they never got that far.

TWA

airDD · Post by **airDD** » 01 Aug 2004, 10:56

If memory serves me right TEA Suisse become Easyjet Switzerland

airDD

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 02 Aug 2004, 17:02

TWA wrote:TEA Belgium used to have hugh plans together with their sister company TEA Switserland when they placed an order of quite a lot of A310-300's. in the late '80 early '90. But they never got that far.

TEA did order 8 A310-300s in 1989 + later 1 option was converted to an order. Of the 9 aircraft which would have migrated to all affiliates only two were "delivered to TEA France", one operating on behalf of Cubana.

airDD wrote: If memory serves me right TEA Suisse become Easyjet Switzerland

Full story "TEA Suisse":
-created May 18 1988 as TEA Basel
-operational March 23 1989
-renamed in februari 1994 to TEA Switserland
-renamed on April 01 1999 to easyJet Switserland.

Brgrds S

terenia · Post by **terenia** » 03 Aug 2004, 09:14

744rules wrote:TEA was created by G. Gutelman (he also created Citybird)

CityBird was created by Victor Hasson, who later took Georges Gutelman as an associate.