ASA International Airlines  Martin 4-0-4   N455A                     (c/n  14146)

                                 

                                      ASA International Airlines began as Aerovias Sud Americana Inc and was founded in 1947 as a
                                      contract cargo carrier operating a route from Tampa to Havana, Cuba.  In 1952 it was granted a
                                      US Government international all-cargo certificate as a scheduled carrier and at that time changed
                                      its name to ASA International.   Passenger services were added later and the company grew,
                                      augmenting its initial fleet of C-46s and C-54s with more modern DC-6, DC-7, L-1049 and
                                      Martin 4-0-4 types.  One of the latter was N455A, a former Eastern Air Lines machine acquired
                                      by ASA in 1961.  It was not operated long and was sold the following year to Pacific Air Lines.
                                      My shot above was taken at Long Beach when it was being readied for Pacific.   It eventually
                                      wound up in Bolivia as CP-1917.