Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM) connected Bolivia’s biggest cities and most remote towns and villages using an eclectic mix of vintage airliners. Bernd Sturm recalls a visit to the South American nation during the carrier’s heyday

In many parts of the world, domestic routes considered vital for a nation’s infrastructure but not lucrative enough to be run profitably are operated by airlines under contract from – and subsidised by – the state.