TAIP and Dabolim

A tale of a Goan airline and airport Gabriel de Figueiredo

The year is 1955. Nehru's blockade has started taking effect. The Portuguese governor, Gen. Paulo BénardGuedes, is quite concerned about the provision of vital supplies to the local populace and their security. The only modes of transport from Goa to the outside world and to Damão and Diu are via sea and air.

Long before this event, Carlos Beck, an air pilot, was the first person to fly a flimsy monoplane from Lisbon to Goa. In 1934, he took four days to reach Goa stopping over at Beirut and Karachi, landing atop the hill of Dabolim, where here was a rudimentary “airport” consisting of just a small shed with a windsock and a dirt road for a runway.

In 1953, the Portuguese government in Lisbon undertook a feasibility study to airlift supplies to Mormugão. As the current airfields in Goa, Damão e Diu were not capable of receiving the heavy "Skymaster" transporters, the government opted for the creation of air transport services as a civilian company, integrated within the government services of the Estado da Índia Portuguesa (E.I.P.) to organise and develop proper airports.

Whilst the plans for air transport were being developed, the Indian Government instituted a blockade against Estado da Índia Portuguesa, in an effort to induce the populations in these territories to rebel against the Portuguese, little knowing that the population of these territories continued to enjoy equal rights as the Portuguese (originally instituted by Marquês de Pombal in 1757), ever since the Acto Colonial of 1930 was revoked in 1950 (thanks to the oratorical skills of Dr. Froilano de Mello, Goa's representative in the Assembleia Nacional - Parliament - in Lisbon), a treatment quite different to what Indians had to endure under the British. The Portuguese government had to fast-track plans for air transport to beat the blockade, and by Decreto-Lei No 40257 the "Serviço de Aeronáutica Civil" was created in the E.I.P. with the responsibility of setting up the Transportes Aereos da Índia Portuguesa - and thus TAIP was born.

The infrastructure was quickly set up with the technical assistance of the Portuguese Air Force, building adequate aerodromes, runways, and hangars at Dabolim, Damão, and Diu.

The Director-General of the Service de Aeronáutica Civil settled on the purchase of a couple of quad-engined DeHavilland HERON aircraft. Maj. Solano de Almeida, at that time Commander of Search and Rescue at Açores, accepted the proposal to direct operations with the proviso that he would have a free

hand to choose the crews and support personnel.

On 29 th May 1955, the first air mechanics left for Goa, flying first by plane to Karachi, then by ship to Mormugão, to prepare and set up a basic maintenance environment at Dabolim. In the meanwhile, four pilots went to Hatfield, in England, to acquaint themselves with the newly purchased HERON aircraft. The first TAIP plane, CR-IAA, left Lisbon on 2 nd August 1955 captained by Maj. Solano de Almeida, and arrived Goa on the 10 th August. This maiden voyage proved that the HERON was not quite up the mark for these journeys, as the fuel load had to be reduced if it was to take a full load of passengers, forcing numerous refuelling stops. Before landing at Dabolim, Maj. Solano de Almeida flew over Panjim to a joyous applause from the population welcoming the first plane of their own airline.

Due to the proven unsuitability of the HERON aircraft, Maj. Solano de Almeida left for England in January 1956, to procure aircraft of a larger capacity. He purchased two twin-engined Vickers VIKING planes, the first of which, CRIAC, arrived Goa on the 13
th March 1956. The next VIKING, CR-IAD, arrived Goa on 17 May 1956, which, about a year later, had the misfortune of crashing into the fire brigade headquarters building at Karachi airport on 2
nd Nov 1957 with 24 passengers on board and was a writeoff, though no casualties were reported.

As the VIKING proved to be capable of passenger services, it now became necessary to engage and train airhostesses. A short course was organised in Goa and four