Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas was a Brazilian airline founded in 1976 as VOTEC Serviços Aéreos Regionais. In 1986 its name was changed to Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas and in 1990 to TAM – Transportes Aéreos Meridionais. In 2000 it was merged into TAM – Transportes Aéreos Regionais, creating TAM Linhas Aéreas.

History

On November 11, 1975 the Brazilian Federal Government created the Brazilian Integrated System of Regional Air Transportation and divided the country in five different regions, for which five newly created regional airlines received a concession to operate air services. VOTEC Serviços Aéreos Regionais S/A was the fifth of those regional airlines to be made operational. Its services started on October 11, 1976 and its operational area comprised roughly parts of the Central-West,

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

and

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

regions of Brazil, specifically the states of

Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian States of Brazil, state located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Ge ...

Tocantins Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...

, and

Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...

, and parts of

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

Maranhão Maranhão () is a States of Brazil, state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of and it is divided into 217 municipalities. Clockwise from north, it ...

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

and connecting services to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

and

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. VOTEC (Voos Tecnicos e Executivos) was originally an

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. History The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...

company established in 1966 by Klaus Richard Hoelck. On February 17, 1976 the identity of VOTEC Táxi Aéreo was changed to VOTEC Serviços Aéreos Regionais S/A, a regional airline authorized to operate scheduled services. This airline grew quickly and in 1978 it served dozens of cities, operated off-shore air services on behalf of

Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...

, and mail services on behalf of Brazilian Post. In 1983 administration problems started, which eventually led to the reduction of the fleet to only three Fokker F27 in 1985, and finally, in January 1986, to the end of regular services. Sensing a good opportunity for growth on a still much regulated market, in June 1986 TAM – Transportes Aéreos Regionais (IATA code KK) acquired VOTEC, which was then renamed Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas. TAM and Brasil Central were both regional airlines and operated in different designated areas. They however operated as a

consortium A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...

with integrated networks and fleet, with the most notable differences being the flight number IATA codes (whereas TAM had the IATA code KK, Brasil Central operated with the code JJ inherited from VOTEC), the different aircraft color schemes, and their designated areas of operation. On May 15, 1990, the Brazilian Government lifted restrictions of operational areas of regional airlines allowing them to fly anywhere in Brazil. As a consequence, Brasil Central was renamed TAM – Transportes Aéreos Meridionais, acquired the same color scheme of TAM (KK) but still maintained the IATA code JJ. In 2000 TAM (KK) was merged into TAM (JJ) and TAM (JJ) was renamed TAM Transportes Aéreos. The code JJ was maintained and the code KK was released back to IATA. Even though the line VOTEC/Brasil Central/TAM Meridionais (JJ) is technically the original line into which TAM Regionais (KK) was merged into, historically it is considered just the opposite, because TAM Regionais was culturally the airline which gave identity to the new entity born from the merger. Actually, the only remaining asset of the original airline is the IATA code.

Destinations

VOTEC/Brasil Central/TAM Meridionais served the following cities: *

Aragarças Aragarças is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in southwest Goiás state, Brazil. Location Aragarças is the most important town in the Aragarças Microregion. It is 410 km from the state capital, Goiânia on the confluence of two imp ...

Araguaína Araguaína () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Tocantins. Its population was 183,381 (2020), and its area is . Education Higher education The city has campuses from several higher education institutions. There are two camp ...

–

Araguaína Airport Araguaína Regional Airport is the airport serving Araguaína, Brazil. It is operated by Esaero. History The airport has been renovated and works included the ramp, runway, runway lighting, and the terminal building. Airlines and destinations ...

Araxá Araxá () is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located approximately 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of the state capital Belo Horizonte, with an area of , and designated as the urban perimeter. As of 2022, the popul ...

– Romeu Zema Airport * Arraias – Arraias Airport * Balsas *

Barra do Corda Barra do Corda () is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the states of Brazil, state of Maranhão in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of Brazil. Geography Climate Higher education *Logos Institute of Theology (''Ins ...

Barreirinhas Barreirinhas is a municipality in the state of Maranhão in the Northeast region of Brazil. The municipality contains part of the Upaon-Açu/Miritiba/Alto Preguiças Environmental Protection Area, created in 1992. Barreirinhas is the starting ...

–

Barreirinhas Airport Barreirinhas Lençóis Maranhenses Regional Airport is the airport serving Barreirinhas, Brazil. It is operated by Esaero. History The airport was commissioned on November 19, 2021 as a replacement to an older facility which was then closed. ...

Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará), often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the north of B ...

– Val de Cães/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport *

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...

– Pampulha/Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport *

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

– Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport * Campo Alegre de Goiás * Canarana – Canarana Airport * Cândido Mendes * Carolina – Brig. Lysias Augusto Rodrigues Airport * Carutapera * Conceição do Araguaia – Conceição do Araguaia Airport *

Cuiabá Cuiabá () is the capital city and the largest city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It is located near the geographical centre of South America and also forms the metropolitan area of Mato Grosso, along with the neighbouring town of Várz ...

–

Marechal Rondon International Airport Várzea Grande–Marechal Rondon International Airport is the airport serving Cuiabá, located in the municipality of Várzea Grande, in the state of Mato Grosso. It is named after Marshall Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon (1865–1958), a Bra ...

* Cururupu *

Dianópolis Dianópolis is a municipality in the state of Tocantins in Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Tocantins This is a list of the municipalities in the States of Brazil, state of Tocantins (state), Tocantins (TO), located in the North Reg ...

Goiânia Goiânia ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian federative units of Brazil, state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West Region and the 10th-larges ...

– Santa Genoveva Airport * Grajaú *

Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved ...

Imperatriz Imperatriz is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Maranhão. The city extends along the northeastern bank of the Tocantins River and is crossed by the Belém-Brasília Highway, standing on the border with the state of Tocantins (state), Tocant ...

– Pref. Renato Moreira Airport * Ituiutaba *

Itumbiara Itumbiara () is a municipality in Brazil, located in the southern part of the state of Goiás, on the border with Minas Gerais. It is a "sister city" to the Minas Gerais municipality of Araporã. The city lies south of the state capital, Goiâ ...

* Marabá – Marabá Airport * Nova Xavantina *

Parnaíba Parnaíba () is a city in the Brazilian state of Piauí. Having a population of over 169,000 inhabitants according to IBGE's 2024 estimates, it is the second most populous city in the state, after the capital Teresina. It is one of the four coast ...

– Prefeito Dr. João Silva Filho International Airport * Passos * Pinheiro *

Poços de Caldas Poços de Caldas is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the south of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, in the microregion of the same name. Its estimated population in 2020 was 168,641 inhabitants. The city is known for its hot springs. Histor ...

– Poços de Caldas Airport *

Porto Nacional Porto Nacional is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Tocantins. The population was 53,316 (2020) in an area of , including both rural and urban areas. Geography It is located approximately in the center of the state at a distance of 60 ...

– Porto Nacional Airport *

–

Santos Dumont Airport The Santos Dumont Airport is the second major airport serving Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, Alberto Santos Dumont (1873–1932). It is operated by Infraero. History Or ...

* São Bento * São José do Xingu * São Luís – Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport *

São Miguel do Araguaia São Miguel do Araguaia is a city in northwest Goiás state, Brazil. It is the northernmost municipality in Goiás, one of the largest too, and a major producer of cattle. São Miguel is located in the São Miguel do Araguaia Microregion and is ...

– Congonhas Airport * São Simão * Santa Isabel do Morro * Santa Terezinha, Mato Grosso – Santa Terezinha Airport * Suiá-miçu * Tucuruí – Tucuruí Airport * Turiaçu * Tutóia *

Uberaba Uberaba () is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Highlands at an elevation of 823 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level on the Uberaba River, and is situated 418 kilometres (260 mi) from the state c ...

– Mário de Almeida Franco Airport *

Uberlândia Uberlândia () is a city and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. It is the second largest city in the state of Minas Gerais after the state capital Belo Horizonte. Its population in 2020 was 699,097, making it the si ...

– Ten. Cel. Av. César Bombonato Airport

Fleet

Airline affinity program

VOTEC did not have an airline affinity program. Brasil Central and TAM Meridional were part of TAM Regional Frequent Flyer program Programa Fidelidade.

Accidents and incidents

Accidents (as VOTEC)

*30 March 1980: a Britten Norman BN-2A-9 Islander registration PT-JSC stalled and crashed upon take-off of

. All 9 occupants died. *24 February 1981: an Embraer EMB110P Bandeirante registration PT-GLB flying from Tucuruí to Belém-Val de Cans collided with a ship in dry dock while approaching Belém in rain and high winds. The aircraft subsequently struck two barges and broke in two. The front part crashed onto a tug, and the tail section sank. Only 3 passengers of a total of 14 passengers and crew survived. *18 April 1984: two

Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (English: ''pioneer'') is a Brazilian twin-turboprop light transport aircraft designed by Embraer for military and civil use. The EMB 110 was designed by the French engineer Max Holste; it had been designed in ...

registrations PT-GJZ and PT-GKL collided on air, while on approach to land at

. PT-GJZ was flying from São Luís to Imperatriz and crashed on ground killing all of its 18 passengers and crew. PT-GKL was flying from Belém-Val de Cans to Imperatriz and its pilot was able to make an emergency landing on Tocantins river. One passenger of its 17-passenger and crew died.

Incident (as TAM Meridional)

*26 August 1993: a Cessna 208A Caravan I registration PT-OGN was hijacked and set on fire after landing at Sinop. There were no victims.

References

External links

VOTEC accidents as per Aviation Safety DatabaseTAM Meridionais accidents as per Aviation Safety Darabase

Brasil Central Photo Archive at airliners.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brasil Central Linhas Aereas Defunct airlines of Brazil Airlines established in 1976 Airlines disestablished in 2000 1976 establishments in Brazil