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the airlines ’ home countries , but Shelton was the true controller . Through TAN , Shelton was able to finance and supply aircraft to both airlines .
Then , to comply with the CAB mandate to serve primarily traffic between Miami and Honduras , TAN terminated flights to Ecuador and Peru on the same day that APSA inaugurated flights between Tegucigalpa and
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16 Operating antiquated C-46 aircraft enabled TAN to charge rates 30 % lower than Braniff and Panagra . This soon developed into a profitable longhaul passenger business as a lowcost alternative to the expensive U . S . carriers . // SCOTT STACHE COLLECTION |
Lima via Guayaquil — with service continuing on to the newly added destination of Santiago , Chile .
Shelton then began his ingenious interchange scheme . He would use the exact same C-46 aircraft throughout the trip . It would depart Miami under a TAN Airlines flight number . Upon landing in Tegucigalpa , the flight would take on an APSA number , and the same aircraft
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would continue on to Ecuador , Peru , and Chile . Passengers never had to deplane . At first , passengers were confused , but they eventually understood and did not really care as long as they paid ‘ bargain ’ airfares , despite flying 17 hours in an antiquated , unpressurized C-46 aircraft between Miami and Lima .
By the time that Ecuatoriana ( CEA ) was organized , Braniff ,
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