"Up, up and away with TAA, the friendly, friendly way..." It's a jingle firmly etched in the memories of many Territorians. For some, it was the soundtrack to their arrival in Darwin as they walked down the steps of a Trans Australian Airways (TAA) plane onto the searing heat of the tarmac. There was an outpouring of nostalgia on Facebook this week as we marked 70 years since TAA began operating in the Northern Territory, an acronym that for the unkind among us soon took on another meaning - 'Try Another Airline'. Some recalled the heavy makeup of the flight attendants, "people who say enjoy your flight and make sure you do", while others confessed to still owning their TAA Junior Flyer badges. In 1986 the airline was rebranded as Australian Airlines and was eventually acquired by Qantas.

Published: 5 November 2017

Picture: Library & Archives NT. TAA flight, 1952, PictureNT, Henry & Gwen Scott Collection, PH0663/0224