SEVEN SEAS AIRLINES, INC.

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 16054322
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: April 19, 2022
• Case Number: F-2019-02320
• Publication Date: February 18, 1961

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON 25. D. C.
OFFICE OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTEWGENCE
8 FE P 1961
MEMORANDUM FOR: Brigadier General Chester V. Clifton
The White House
SUBJECT: Seven Seas-Airtirie-s, Inc.
In response to your inquiry concerning reports that an
American firm has delivered three et jzzailni,,aircraft from
44,
France to Tshombe, I am attaching a memorandum which cites
the facts as we know them about Seven Seas Airlines, Inc.
C. P. CABELL
General, USAF
Deputy Director
Attachment
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SEVEN SEAS AIRLINES, INC.
Description of Business
Seven Seas Airlines, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its
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operating base in Luxemburg and maintaining offices in New York,
Leopoldville and Elisabethville, has been in business since the summer
of 1959 and has operated under an FAA certificate which authorizes the
company to operate aircraft for the contract carriage of persons or
property world wide. It holds no Civil Aeronautics Board permit �since
this is not necessary for its operations. The company is owned by
United States citizens, approximately twenty in number, of which the
President and Executive Vice President, Urban L. Drew and Earl J.
Drew (brothers and organizers) own between 30 and 40 percent of the
equity. The company's gross business is at the rate of approximately
$3,000,000 a year.
The nature of the company's operations is unusual in the sense
that j./...Ltit....he its business obtained
on a global basis through opportunity charters of cargo and passengers.
.turalzaggalit.a.tar.iczazzarailm l22t (five DC-4's and one C-46) have
been op sharter to the U. N, covering the traLiarati:aigLi.ia of
cargo within the Congo. In addition, the company has on lease a C-46
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which
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is to be placed at Elisa.bethville,
for opportunity. charters.
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Seven Seas Delivery of Fouga French Trainers to Elisabethville
Early in January the Agency was advised by the Drew brothers
of a request by Tshombe to transport nine Fouga
jet trainers from Toulouse to Elisabethville. At that time Tshombe and
other key figures in Katanga appeared antagonistic to the establishment
of U.S. sponsored air transport operations in Katanga.
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The Agency did not, however, have anything to do with prompting
or soliciting the offer of business nor did it sponsor the transaction in
any way.
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