Delta Air Transport - “den DAT”

Delta Air Taxi was founded in 1966 by Frans Van Den Bergh with a couple of Cessna aircraft. When Freddy Van Gaever joined the business, the name was changed to Delta Air Transport and things got bigger. A scheduled service to Schiphol with Beech Queen Air put the company on the map. The airline would become one of the largest charter companies in Belgium and is the core of what is now Brussels Airlines.

Despite the uncertain future of the Antwerp airport, Frans Van Den Bergh still believed in its importance. He spent his fortune on founding of an airline, which would survive for several decades and eventually form the basis of Brussels Airlines.

Frans Van Den Bergh crashed with his plane. The company's shares passed into the hands of the Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB). Larger aircraft were purchased: first the Douglas DC-3, later Convair 440 and Douglas DC-6.

DAT profiled itself on the charter scene: Oviedo, Jersey, London and Lourdes were regular destinations.

In 1976 CMB withdrew and Sotramat became the main shareholder.

With the arrival of the Fairchild FH.227, the American version of the Fokker F-27, the airline also started flying for Sabena. In 1986, a large part of the shares came into the hands of Sabena and DAT became a low-cost subsidiary of the national airline. The first large jets, the BAe.146 and later the Avro RJ.85 and RJ.100 were introduced in 1995. A year later, 1996, Delta Air Transport would leave Antwerp airport for good while Sabena acquired 90% of the shares. In the demise of Sabena, after the merger with Air France, Delta was saved from the ruin. Thanks to Maurice Count Lippens and Etienne Davignon, a restart was made under the brand name SN Brussels Airlines. In 2007, the company was rebranded Brussels Airlines and DAT officially ceased to exist.