Union de Transports Aériens (UTA), formed in 1963 as a result of a merger between Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) and Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI), was the largest wholly privately owned, independent airline in France. It was also the second-largest international, as well as the second principal intercontinental, French airline. The airline was a subsidiary of Compagnie Maritime des Chargeurs Réunis, the French shipping line founded and controlled by the Fabre family, but was absorbed into Air France between 1990 and 1992.
The inherited network spanned five continents. Most of these were intercontinental, long-haul routes connecting France with West and Southern Africa. UTA’s creation coincided with a new French aviation policy that established exclusive spheres of influence for UTA and Air France. Air France withdrew from UTA’s sphere of influence but UTA continued serving the African routes it inherited from UAT in association with Air Afrique. UTA had the largest African network of any European airline, flying to up to 25 destinations.
In 1986 the French government unexpectedly decided to relax its policy of neatly dividing traffic rights for scheduled air services between Air France, Air Inter and UTA, without any route overlaps between them. In 1990 UTA, along with Air Inter and Air France itself, became part of an enlarged Air France group, which in turn became a wholly owned subsidiary of Groupe Air France. In 1992, UTA ceased to exist as a legal entity within Groupe Air France.
Source: Wikipedia June 2020
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