[citation needed] The military airline was founded on December 17, 1962, by Luis A. Ortega under Guillermo Freile Posso, both colonels.

At the time, the Air Force required an income source; governmental transport services to remote and difficult to reach parts of Ecuador; and an entity to train pilots.

On December 4, 1962, Luis A. Ortega, Hector Granja, Eduardo Sandoval, Alfredo Barreiro, Oswaldo Lara, Julio Espinosa, Teodoro Malo and Jose Montesinos made inaugural flights in the Douglas C-47.

On April 30, 1966, TAME began regular international flights to Havana, Panama and Santiago de Chile.

In 2011, Tame changed its legal status to a state-owned company, no longer under the administration of the Ecuadorian Air Force.

In addition, 3 Quest Kodiaks were incorporated for its subsidiary TAME Amazonía for the routes in the country's Amazon.

The original logo, designed by Luis A. Ortega symbolized the flight of a bird with a sun in the background.

TAME flew internationally to Cali in Colombia as well as Fort Lauderdale and New York in the United States.