The History of Raptim

After 1945 the possibilities for mission orders and societies to send out missionaries were limited due to lack of transport. During World War II the replacement of missionaries had come to a standstill, although the training of new missionaries continued. As a result of the war, the aeroplane as a means of transport had gained considerably in importance and was readily available when hostilities ended. For this reason the idea of using charter planes to transport missionaries to and from missionary areas was logical.

On 8 October 1947 the initial charter flight with 15 Dutch missionaries on board departed from Amsterdam to Entebbe (Uganda).

In March 1949 Father van der Veen created together with five Mission Orders, RAPTIM (Romanae Assocatio Pro Transvehindis Itinerandibus Missionaris). The foundation for an independent organization was airborne. The possibility of a fast, and as it later turned out, economical method of transport - cheaper than by boat - had been discovered.

Savings in cost and time served the missionary cause. Other charter flights soon followed and were a great success. As a consequence a number of Dutch missionary societies decided in 1949 to start RAPTIM for the specific purpose of arranging air transportation for Christian missionaries worldwide.

This Dutch initiative was followed by the sister mission orders and societies abroad founding national RAPTIM organizations with mutual ideology. This resulted in monthly charter flights to Africa, followed in 1966 by regular charter operations to Asia. A network of specialized travel agents all over the world was built up to streamline the operational handling. In the meantime RAPTIM had grown into a real ecumenical organization serving all Christian denominations.

In the seventies charter operations were no longer feasible due to the Arab oil embargo and the more independent travel needs of the passengers. Global agreements were therefore made with a number of reliable scheduled airlines, thus creating travel products for the RAPTIM passenger which guaranteed the best value for their travel money.

This philosophy is still fundamental to our operations today. Nowadays discounted air travel is widely available. RAPTIM is able to offer you both: special missionary discounts and regular discounts, whichever best suits your travel needs. Fifty years of experience has produced a solid base of knowledge with which RAPTIM serves the needs of their non-profit passengers.