Spantax: Spain’s Trailblazing Charter Airline

Long before the rise of budget airlines across Europe, Spain had a colourful and adventurous charter carrier that connected tourists to the sun-soaked coasts of the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. That airline was Spantax—a name that once echoed across European airports during the boom in postwar leisure travel.

With a varied fleet, daring operations, and a rollercoaster history, Spantax carved a unique niche in Spanish aviation before vanishing in the late 1980s.

Born in the Canary Islands

A Spantax Douglas DC-4. Photo (c) Richard Goring

Spantax (short for Spanish Air Taxi) was founded in 1959 by two ex-pilots of the Spanish airline Iberia: Rodolfo Bay Wright and his business partner, Rafael Martínez Esteve. The airline started as a small operation offering non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights, particularly serving Spain’s Canary Islands.

Initially based in Gran Canaria, the airline relocated to Palma de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands in the early 1960s as it shifted focus to the booming charter holiday market. Its strategic location put it right at the heart of one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations.

Diverse Destinations and Daring Ventures

A Spantax Douglas DC-8. Photo (c) José Luis Celada Euba

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Spantax expanded aggressively into the European charter market, offering flights from major cities in Germany, the UK, Scandinavia, and France to Spanish resorts. The airline also pioneered some long-haul routes to North America, operating tourist services to New York and the Caribbean.

Spantax had a reputation for boldness. It operated in markets others wouldn’t touch and was known for flying into tricky airports—often at short notice. It offered everything from high-density European charters to niche routes across the Atlantic and into Africa and the Middle East.

An Eclectic and Evolving Fleet

Spantax was equally adventurous with its aircraft fleet. Over nearly three decades of operations, it flew one of the most varied mixes of aircraft of any European airline, including:

• Douglas DC-3, DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7 – The backbone of the early fleet, used for short- and medium-haul charters in the airline’s formative years.
• Convair CV-990 Coronado – Spantax became one of the few European operators of this high-speed, four-engine jetliner. It suited the airline’s transatlantic ambitions but was costly to operate.
• McDonnell Douglas DC-8 – Used primarily for longer-haul charters to North America and beyond.
• Fokker F27 Friendship – Deployed on domestic and regional routes, particularly within the Canary and Balearic Islands.
• Douglas DC-9 – A common sight in the 1970s and early 80s, flying European charters.
• Boeing 737-200 – Introduced in the 1980s as the airline sought to modernise its fleet and reduce operating costs.

At its peak in the late 1970s, Spantax operated a fleet of nearly 30 aircraft and was Spain’s second-largest airline after Iberia.

A Tragic Turn and Financial Woes

The aircraft which crashed at Malaga. Christian Volpati (GFDL 1.2 <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html> or GFDL 1.2 <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html>), via Wikimedia Commons

Spantax’s adventurous streak came with risks. One of its darkest moments occurred on 3 December 1972, when Flight 275, a Convair CV-990 Coronado charter flight operated by Spantax from Tenerife to Munich with 148 passengers and 7 crew crashed while taking off from Tenerife-Norte Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, killing all 155 passengers and crew onboard. Many of the passengers were West German tourists heading home.

Then, ten years later on 13 September 1982, a Spantax McDonnell Douglas DC-10, EC-DEG, crashed while attempting to abort its takeoff at Málaga Airport due to unusual vibrations. The accident killed 50 people and badly damaged the airline’s safety reputation.

By the mid-1980s, Spantax was struggling financially. Competition from newer, more efficient charter airlines—especially from Germany and Scandinavia—was fierce. The airline’s ageing fleet, rising fuel costs, and operational inefficiencies compounded its difficulties.

In 1986, Spantax was sold to Spanish financial group Transhotel, but this failed to revive its fortunes. The following year, the Spanish government withdrew the airline’s operating license due to financial instability.

Spantax ceased operations on 29 March 1988, grounding its fleet and stranding hundreds of passengers. The airline officially filed for bankruptcy shortly afterward, ending almost 30 years of turbulent but colourful service.

A Unique Chapter in Charter History

The final Spantax livery. Photo (c) Pete Webber

Though it faded from the skies decades ago, Spantax remains a fond memory for many who flew to the Spanish sun on its aircraft. Its bold livery, unusual aircraft, and trailblazing routes earned it a unique place in European aviation history. For plane spotters and aviation historians, Spantax represents a golden era when charter flying was still a bit wild—and certainly never dull.

Spantax Survivors

Following its closure, Spantax’s fleet was in the most part sold on to new owners. However, a couple of relics can still be seen.

EC-BZO at Palma. Photo (c) Aero Icarus

First, this Convair CV-990, EC-BZO, has been sat on a remote apron at Palma de Mallorca airport since the airline’s demise. For a number of years a group was trying to restore it and open it to the public, but this has apparently been abandoned and the aircraft now left to nature.

Beechcraft 18 EC-ASJ never actually flew for Spantax, but has been faithfully restored to airworth condition in the livery of Spantax. It is currently on display at the small aviation museum at Malaga Airport.

Photo (c) José Luis Celada Euba

Douglas DC-3 EC-ASP is currently awaiting restoration at the Fundacio Parc Aeronautic de Catalunya in Sabadell to the north of Barcelona. It is in a partially dismantled state, but you can still make out the Spantax titles on the fuselage.

Did you ever spot a Spantax Convair or fly one of its charter routes? Share your stories in the comments below!

Title image: Ignacio Ferre Pérez

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