4. During the 1970s and 1980s, this was the only Eastern Bloc airline to operate flights to Tel Aviv, Israel.
Tarom of Romania. El Al also operated into Bucharest in return as well.
Spot on! I found out about this via a coworker of mine who flew a TAROM 707 into Ben Gurion in the early 1980s.
16. Air France was the launch customer of the A300. What was the second airline to fly the A300?
I'll offer an obscure Thailand carrier called Varan Air Siam. Airbus were desperate for orders for the first A300s, and did a lease deal for one aircraft with this carrier, they got it a few months after the first Air France one was delivered, in 1974. They went out of business about 12 months later, and Airbus got the aircraft back.
Right on, WHBM! Excellent recall as Air Siam was about as obscure as they come. I don't think they lasted more than a couple of years. And what a diverse fleet!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A..._Volpati-2.jpg