VH-TAB Airbus A300B4-203

VH-TAB. Airbus A300B4-203. c/n 151.

Was also registered as: D-AITB; JA-8263; TC-FLK.

This was the second of four aircraft ordered new by Trans-Australia Airlines (T.A.A.) - December 10, 1974

First flown at Toulouse as 'F-WZME' - June 09, 1981

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAB - August 15, 1981

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Accepted by the Trans-Australia at Toulouse, France - August 19, 1981

Departed Toulouse on the delivery flight to Australia - August 28, 1981

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - August 31, 1981

Delivery route: Toulouse - Bahrain - Madras - Singapore - Darwin - Brisbane - Melbourne

The aircraft was named 'John Oxley'

The aircraft naming ceremony was carried out at Brisbane Airport before flying to Melbourne

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - September 03, 1981

Due to a downturn in traffic the aircraft was leased to Condor Airways, Germany - 1984

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 26, 1984

Leased to Condor Airways (Lufthansa subsidiary) - March 27, 1984

Entered onto the German Aircraft Register as D-AITB - March 27, 1984

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry to Hamburg, Germany - March 27, 1984

Returned to Trans-Australia in Melbourne (Tullamarine) at the end of the lease - November 07, 1984

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAB - November 12, 1984

Re-entered service with Trans-Australia Airlines - November 1984

Trans-Australia Airlines was renamed Australian Airlines - August 04, 1986

Operated its last revenue service - March 15, 1987

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 26, 1987

Sold to TOA Domestic Airlines, Japan - March 28, 1987

Entered onto the Japanese Aircraft Register as JA-8263 - March 28, 1987

Departed Melbourne for Bordeaux, France in the basic Trans-Australia livery - March 28, 1987

Ownership transferred to Japan Air System when T.O.A. was renamed - April 01, 1988

Sold to Fly Havayolu Tasimacilik A.S., / Fly Air (Turkey) - June 23, 2004

Entered onto the Turkish Aircraft Register as TC-FLK - June 23, 2004

Cancelled from the Japanese Aircraft Register - June 23, 2004

Leased to Saudi Arabian Airlines for the Hadj season - December 25, 2004

Returned to Fly Air - early 2005

Leased to Saudi Arabian Airlines for Hadj season - September 2005

Returned to Fly Air - early 2006

Current status - ?

F-WZME. TAA Trans Australia - in the standard livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-004.)

F-WZME. TAA Trans Australia - in the standard livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-035.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-102.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 11, 1981.

(W. Spargo Copyright Image 0310-172.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-107.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, May 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-015.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, October 1982.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-105.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-103.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 08, 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-104.)

D-AITB. Condor - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 25, 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-089.)

D-AITB. Condor - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 26, 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-149.)

D-AITB. Condor - in the standard livery at Hamburg Airport, July 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-037.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 21, 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-010.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, August 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-106.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Oxley' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 29, 1986.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-135.)

VH-TAB. TAA Trans Australia - in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 20, 1987.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-146.)

JA-8263. TOA Domestic - in the basic 'Trans Australia' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 26, 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-038.)

JA-8263. TOA Domestic - in the basic 'Trans Australia' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 27, 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-014.)

JA-8263. JAS Japan Air Systems - in the standard livery at Nagoya Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-153.)

TC-FLK. FlyAir - in the basic 'JAS' livery at an unknown airport, September 2004.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-021.)

TC-FLK. FlyAir - in the revised livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, October 2005.