Aerotarg
Encyclopedia
Poznań Airline Society Aerotarg (also spellt Aero-Targ) was the first Polish airline
. It was founded in Poznań
on 21 May 1921 mainly in order to serve participants and visitors of the first Poznań International Fair
. Aerotarg operated the first regular air connection in Poland - the Poznań-Warsaw
route, as well as the international connection between Poznań and the Free City of Danzig
(Gdańsk).
It is considered to be a precursor of the Polish flag carrier
LOT
along with other private-owned companies which were merged into the latter in January 1929.
The airline operated its first flight on 28 May, on the day of the opening of the fair and ceased operation on 5 June, when the fair ended. The Polish Post used the airline to send airmail
and issued a special series of stamps to allow for it.
Altogether the airline carried out 58 flight on the Poznań-Warsaw route and 30 flights between Poznań and Danzig. Around 100 passengers and 3000 kg of parcels were transported. The venture turned out to be unprofitable and the 5 million marks of the seed capital were not returned to the organizers of the fair.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
. It was founded in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
on 21 May 1921 mainly in order to serve participants and visitors of the first Poznań International Fair
Poznan International Fair
The Poznań International Fair is the biggest industrial fair in Poland. It is held on the Poznań fairground in Poland. Poznań International Fair is located in the centre of the city opposite the main railway station - Poznań Główny, in the centre of Poland and in the centre of...
. Aerotarg operated the first regular air connection in Poland - the Poznań-Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
route, as well as the international connection between Poznań and the Free City of Danzig
Free City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
(Gdańsk).
It is considered to be a precursor of the Polish flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
LOT
Lot
Lot or lots may refer to:*Lot , a unit of weight used in many European countries since Middle Ages until the beginning of the 20th century*Lot, a set of goods, together for sale in an auction; or a quantity of a financial instrument...
along with other private-owned companies which were merged into the latter in January 1929.
History
The organizing committee of the first Poznań Fair (which was later renamed Poznań International Fair) decided to set up an air connection between Poznań, Warsaw and the free city of Danzig (Gdańsk) to enable a rapid transit of the participants to Poznań. To do so, on 10 May 1921 the Poznań Airline Society Aerotarg was established. The committee allocated 5 million Polish marks to finance this venture. Aerotarg began cooperation with a haulage company from Danzig - Danziger Luftpost which subsequently leased six Junkers F 13 aircraft to the newly-created airline.The airline operated its first flight on 28 May, on the day of the opening of the fair and ceased operation on 5 June, when the fair ended. The Polish Post used the airline to send airmail
Airmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
and issued a special series of stamps to allow for it.
Altogether the airline carried out 58 flight on the Poznań-Warsaw route and 30 flights between Poznań and Danzig. Around 100 passengers and 3000 kg of parcels were transported. The venture turned out to be unprofitable and the 5 million marks of the seed capital were not returned to the organizers of the fair.