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Viação Aérea São Paulo S.A. - VASP

The first Brazilian customer for the One-Eleven was Viação Aérea São Paulo S.A. – VASP. Two Series 422EQs were ordered on 23rd June 1967 with an option on three more. Both of these were delivered in December 1967 in a single class 74 seat configuration but the options were not taken up. They initially operated from Porto Alegre to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belém and Manaus and from Rio de Janeiro to Salvador, Recife and Fortaleza using the‘VP’ flight prefix. They were later employed on less densely travelled routes within Brazil before they were sold in June 1974.

Força Aérea Brasileira

The Força Aérea Brasileira soon followed VASP and ordered two Series 423ETs on 19th November 1967. These two aircraft were specially fitted out by Marshall of Cambridge (Engineering) Ltd prior to delivery each with two cabins, one in an executive configuration and the other with 24 first class seats. They were accepted on 24th September 1968 and 26th March 1969 but were retained in the United Kingdom for crew training before delivery in October 1968 and May 1969. The aircraft were operated by the Grupo de Transporte Especial – GTE based in Brasilia for the carriage of the President and senior government officials until replaced by Boeing 737-200s in 1976.

Sadia SA Transportes Aéreos/TransBrasil SA Linhas Aéreas

In February 1969 Sadia SA Transportes Aéreos based at São Paulo announced the selection of the BAC One-Eleven 500 Series to upgrade its services from Handley Page Dart Herald propeller aircraft. The company initially ordered two Series 520FNs which were delivered in October and December 1970 in a mixed class 12 first and 74 tourist class seat configuration. The aircraft were later changed to a single class 94 seat configuration and operated using the ‘QD’ and later ‘TR’ flight prefix. Prior to delivery of these aircraft a Series 521FH was leased from Austral Lineas Aéreas initially for crew training. The company changed its name to TransBrasil SA Linhas Aéreas in June 1972 and moved its headquarters to Brasília while at the same time changing its colour scheme to one of six different schemes representing coffee, wine, wheat, water, sun and amazon. At the same time it ordered a third Series 520FH which was delivered in September of the same year. Introduction of the One-Elevens enabled the company to expand its routes from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro northwards beyond Recife and Fortaleza to São Luís and Belém. Other points served included Aracaju, Brasília, Maceiό, Salvador and Vitόria while to the south Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo were linked with Londrina and Foz do Iguaçú together with Campinas, Curitiba, Florianόpolis and Porto Alegre. In May 1972 Transbrasil took delivery of the first of three Series 523FJs which it purchased from British Midland Airways Ltd. Three of the company’s Heralds were traded as part payment for these new aircraft and the remaining aircraft were delivered in November 1973 and April 1974. A Series 530FX was leased from British Caledonian Airways Ltd from February to December 1974 while two Series 518FGs were leased from the British Aircraft Corporation in October and December 1974. With the expanded fleet the following additional points were added to the One-Eleven network:- Belo Horizonte, Ilhéus, Manaus and Fernando de Noronha. The last aircraft was withdrawn in April 1978 after replacement by Boeing 727-100s.

Colour schemes:-

1. Basic Austral black & red colours with Sadia titles & fin emblem

2. Coffee

3. Wheat

4. Sun

5. Amazon

6. Water

7. Wine

8. Court Line pink with TransBrasil titles and fin emblem

9. Basic BCAL colour scheme with TransBrasil titles & fin emblem

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