List of airlines by foundation date explained

This is a list of airlines by foundation date, founded before December 31, 1930.

The date of the first airline service may differ from the foundation date. Bold names and a light-green background indicate that the airline is still in operation, while light-yellow indicates a disputed claim.

AirlineEstablished Ceased operationsCountry Notes
DELAG/The world's first airline in revenue service. Operated Zeppelin airships. Merged with Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei (DZR) in 1935, which continued transatlantic flights until the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. Company dissolved in 1940 and re-established in 2001.
Aero Rt.Merged with Magyar Aeroforgalmi Rt (MAEFORT) which in turn, merged with Magyar Legiforgalmi R.T. (MALERT) to form Maszovlet. Later Hungary acquired all the Soviet shares of Maszovlet and renamed it to Malév Hungarian Airlines.
St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat LineFirst winged airline. See Thomas Reilly, Jannus: An American Flyer
Aircraft Transport and Travel United KingdomServices started 25 August 1919; first scheduled daily international commercial air service, London to Paris. A subsidiary of Airco, its assets were used to create Daimler Airway. Despite numerous takeovers and mergers, British Airways can trace part of its legacy back to Aircraft Transport and Travel.
Chalk's Ocean AirwaysStarted scheduled service between Florida and the Bahamas in February 1919; Became Chalk's International Airlines.
Deutsche Luft-Reederei/ Services started February 5, 1919. Became part of Deutscher Aero Lloyd in 1923, merged into Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926. Founding member of International Air Traffic Association in 1919.
Det Norske Luftfartsrederi NorwayFounding member of IATA
Det Danske Luftfartselskab DenmarkServices started August 7, 1920. Part of SAS since 1946.
Société des lignes Latécoère FranceServices started December 25, 1918; rebranded as Aéropostale in 1927; its assets were incorporated into Air France in 1933
Svensk Lufttrafik SwedenServices started 7 August 1920
Lignes Aériennes Farman FranceMerged with four other airlines to form Air France.
Société Générale des Transports Aériens FranceMerged with four other airlines to form Air France.
Grands Express Aériens FranceMerged with Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes to form Air Union.
SNETA BelgiumMerged into Sabena.
Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes FranceMerged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union.
Daimler Airway United KingdomMerged with 3 other airlines to form Imperial Airways.
CCNA (Compañía Colombiana de Navegación Aérea)[1] First airline in Colombia with mail contract with Colombian Government.
KLMStill in operationDuring World War II, KLM stopped operating in Europe, but continued in the West Indies as Dutch Caribbean colonies were not occupied by Nazi Germany.[2] [3] Merged with Air France in 2004 to form Air France–KLM. The airline is the "Oldest operating airline".
SCADTAAviancaStill in operation ColombiaAmerican concern during World War II over the German shares of the airline (as it was founded by Germans and Colombians), forced SCADTA to merge in 1940 with the smaller state-owned SACO to form Avianca – making it thereby the de facto "Second oldest airline by foundation date", though the claim remains contentious.
Handley Page Transport United KingdomMerged with 3 other airlines to form Imperial Airways.
Handley Page Indo-Burmese transport[4] First airline in India (then under British rule).
Instone Air Line United KingdomMerged with 3 other airlines to form Imperial Airways.
A/S AeroMerged with Norske Aeroplanfabrik
CFRNA France/Renamed CIDNA in 1925; the French arm was merged with 4 other airlines to form Air France; the Romanian arm was renamed LARES.
QantasStill in operationDuring World War II, most aircraft were used by the RAAF, however limited operations continued within Australia, to/from Singapore and on the Australia-England route.[5] The airline is the "Third oldest airline by foundation date", "Second oldest continuously-operating" (after KLM) and the "Oldest airline in the English-speaking world".
Aeronaut EstoniaOperated the routes: Tallinn-Helsinki, Tallinn-Stockholm, Tallinn-Riga-Königsberg and Tallinn-Tartu-Viljandi-Pärnu. Stopped operations in 1927 due to financial problems.
AerotargOperated only on the route between PoznańWarsaw and Poznań–Gdańsk, mainly in order to serve participants and visitors of the first Poznań International Fair.
Mexicana de Aviación MexicoSuspended operations indefinitely. MRO still operational.
Deruluft/Joint German-Soviet airline.
West Australian Airways AustraliaBecame part of Australian National Airways.
Aeromarine West Indies Airways United StatesServices started 1 November 1920; first U.S. international air service
Junkers LuftverkehrA division of the aircraft manufacturer Junkers; became a separate company in 1924; merged into Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926; joint-ventures with airlines in Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland
Beijing-Han AirlinesMarch 29, 1922March 31, 1922Founded by warlord Cao Kun with a single Handley Page aircraft, likely a modified HP O/400; fatally crashed in Beijing 3 days later.[6]
Aerolloyd PolandName changed to Aerolot in 1925; merged with other privately owned airlines in Poland formed LOT Polish Airlines.[7]
Latvijas gaisa satiksme ASJuly 31, 19221928 LatviaOperated in 1923-1926. With hub in Spilve airport, Riga it served Tallinn-Riga-Kaunas (for some time-Klaipėda)-Koenigsberg route in cooperation with Junkers Luftverkehr AG and Aeronaut. Went bankrupt in 1926, liquidated in 1928.
Malert HungaryFore-runner of Malev Hungarian Airlines.
Air Union FranceMerged with 4 other airlines to form Air France.
AeroflotStill in operation/ Founded as Dobrolyot, name changed to Aeroflot in 1932.
SABENA BelgiumSucceeded by SN Brussels Airlines, which became Brussels Airlines. MRO still operational.
British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd United KingdomMerged with 3 other airlines to form Imperial Airways.
Czech AirlinesStill in operationFounded as Czechoslovak State Airlines, name changed to Czech Airlines in 1995.
FinnairStill in operation FinlandFounded as Aero O/Y, name changed to Finnair in 1968.
Florida Airways United States
UkrpovitroshliakhMerged with Zakavia and Deruluft to form Dobrolyot, forerunner of Aeroflot.
ZakaviaMerged with Ukrvozdukhput and Deruluft to form Dobrolyot, forerunner of Aeroflot.
Condor Syndikat/ BrazilGerman-based Brazilian airline; absorbed into Deutsche Luft Hansa
AB Aerotransport SwedenFormed SAS.
Tajik AirStill in operationFounded as a division of Aeroflot in Tajik ASSR, became independent in 1991.
Imperial Airways United KingdomAmalgamated to form British Overseas Airways Corporation - itself merged to found British Airways.
Slov-Air/ SlovakiaFounded as a department of Bata Shoes; name changed to Svitlet in 1948, to Agrolet in 1950 (became part of CSA, became independent in 1955), and to Slov-Air in 1969.
Aero PolandMerged with Aerolot formed LOT Polish Airlines.
Ryan Airline Company United StatesName changed to B. F. Mahoney Aircraft Corporation.
Delta Air LinesStill in operationFounded as Huff Daland Dusters for crop dusting, renamed 'Delta Air Service' in 1928, operated scheduled services from 1928 to 1930 and since 1934.
National Air Transport United StatesBecame part of United Airlines following Air Mail Act of 1934.
Lloyd Aéreo BolivianoFormer flag carrier of Bolivia; replaced by Boliviana de Aviación.
Unión Aérea Española SpainMerged with Concesionaria de Líneas Aéreas Subvencionadas following Wall Street Crash of 1929.
Ford Air Transport Service United StatesThe world's first regularly-scheduled commercial cargo airline.
Società Anonima Navigazione AereaMerged with 3 other airlines to form Ala Littoria.
Western Airlines United StatesFounded as Western Air Express; merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to form Transcontinental & Western Air in 1930; severed from T & WA again in 1934; named changed to General Air Lines and back to Western Air Express in 1934, and to Western Airlines in 1941; merged with Delta Air Lines in 1987.
Pacific Air Transport United StatesMerged into Boeing Air Transport, but continued to operate as a separate division until 1934.
Deutsche Luft Hansa/Name styles as Deutsche Lufthansa from 1933. Operations suspended following the German defeat in World War II. There is no legal connection to Lufthansa, which was founded in 1953.
Western Canadian Airways CanadaAmalgamated with several Eastern Canadian carriers forming Canadian Airways.
Varney Air Lines United StatesMerged with 3 other airlines to form United Airlines following the Air Mail scandal in 1933 and the Air Mail Act of 1934. In 1934 Varney Speed Lines was established becoming Continental Airlines in 1936 when Robert Six took over control.
American AirlinesStill in operation United States
Eastern Air Lines United StatesStarted Operations in 1926 as Pitcairn Aviation. Until 1930 changed to "Eastern Air Transport" then Eastern Air Lines until 1991. Re-established in 2015 until 2017.
Northwest Airlines United StatesMerged with Delta Air Lines.
Colonial Air Transport United StatesFormed American Airlines.
Pan American World Airways United StatesFounded by Juan T. Trippe and began operations in 1927 as Pan American Airways (PAA). Former de facto flag carrier of United States.[8] Bankrupted in 1991 due to: high fuel prices because of the first Gulf War and 1973 oil crisis; a series of hijackings; no US network until the 1980s; the Lockerbie bombing of flight 103.
Varig BrazilNew airline formed with the same name in 2006 and eventually sold to Gol Transportes Aéreos.
Air SerbiaStill in operation/// SerbiaFormed as Aeroput in 1927, then re-formed as JAT - Jugoslovenski aerotransport in 1947, rebranded as Jat Airways in 2003, and then as Air Serbia in 2013.
IberiaStill in operation SpainMerged with British Airways to form International Airlines Group (IAG) in January 2011.
Maddux Air Lines United StatesMerged with TAT to form TAT-Maddux Air Lines, itself merged to form T & WA.
BunavadFirst national airline of Bulgaria.
Cruzeiro do Sul BrazilFounded as Syndicato Condor; name changed to Cruzeiro do Sul in 1943; merged with Varig in 1993.
Grand Canyon AirlinesStill in operation United StatesFounded as Scenic Airways; name changed to Grand Canyon Airlines in 1930.
Standard Air Lines United StatesSold off to Western Air Express, itself merged to form T & WA.
National Parks Airways United StatesBought out by Western Air Express.
Wien Air Alaska United StatesFirst airline in Alaska.
MacRobertson Miller Airlines AustraliaAbsorbed into Ansett.
Paul R. Braniff, Inc. United StatesFirst Braniff brothers airline entity that operated scheduled service between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Forerunner of Braniff Airways and then became Braniff Air Lines, Inc., and later Braniff Airways, Inc. in November 1930.
KNILM/ IndonesiaFirst operated as KNILM. KNILM dissolved and transferred to KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf (today Garuda Indonesia)
Universal Air Lines United StatesMerged with other companies to form American Airlines.
ETA BrazilCeased operations due to administrative difficulties.
British Columbia Airways Canada British Columbia AirwaysHad a single Ford 4-AT Trimotor which crashed.[9]
Faucett Perú Peru
Japan Air TransportMerged into Imperial Japanese Airways.
Mid-Continent Airlines United StatesFounded as Hanford's Tri-State Airlines; name changed to Mid-Continent Airlines in 1938; merged into Braniff International Airways in 1952.
Transcontinental Air Transport United StatesMerged with Western Air Express to form Transcontinental & Western Air (T & WA) in 1930; renamed Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 1950; merged into American Airlines in 2001.
LOT Polish AirlinesStill in operation PolandPolskie Linie Lotnicze LOT created by the Polish government they have absorbed airlines Aerolot (1922) and Aero (1925).
Hawaiian AirlinesStill in operation United StatesIncorporated January 30, 1929 as Inter-Island Airways. Began service October 6, 1929. Name changed to Hawaiian Airlines October 1, 1941.
LATAM ChileStill in operation ChileBegan as Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica. It took the name Línea Aérea Nacional de Chile (LAN Chile) in 1932. In September 1989, the Chilean government privatized the carrier. LAN Chile became LAN Airlines in 2004 but in 2010, LAN merged with TAM Airlines and became LATAM Airlines. LAN Airlines still operates under the name LATAM Chile as a subsidiary of LATAM Airlines Group.
Concesionaria de Líneas Aéreas Subvencionadas SpainCeased operations due to the Spanish Civil War.
AeropostalStill in operationFounded as Linea Aeropostal Venezolana LAV, name changed to Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela in 1997 after privatization.
Pan American-Grace Airways United StatesJoint venture between Pan Am and Grace Shipping Company; merged into Braniff in 1969.
Cubana de AviaciónStill in operation
Panair do Brasil BrazilFounded as Nyrba do Brasil. Name changed to Panair do Brasil in 1930. Bankruptcy forced by the Brazilian Militar Dictatorship Government.
Wiggins AirwaysStill in operation (?) United States
Union AirwaysFirst South African airline; taken over by the government and renamed South African Airways.
Australian National Airways Australia
Trans World Airlines United StatesAcquired by American Airlines.
AviaarktikaAbsorbed into Aeroflot.
/ United States
New England & Western Air Transportation Co. United States
South West African AirwaysFirst commercial air service in South West Africa (Namibia)

For airlines founded after 1930 see

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Noventa Años de Aviación Civil en Colombia. El portal de la Aviación en Colombia. 5 November 2014.
  2. Web site: The history of KLM's West-Indian Operation. 6 May 2016.
  3. Web site: KLM Dutch airline Britannica . 2022-10-28 . www.britannica.com . en.
  4. Web site: Fraser-Mitchell . A. H. . Handley Page Ltd. 1909-1970. 60 years of Achievement. . March 17, 2022 . aerosociety.com.
  5. Web site: World at War. Qantas.com.au. 4 February 1942. 8 July 2011.
  6. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Handley Page O/7 registration unknown Beijing-Nanyuan Airport . 2023-03-04 . aviation-safety.net.
  7. Web site: LOT - Historia . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100621011046/http://www.lot.com:80/Info/PL/aspx/Content__Company_History.aspx?menuId=005&subMenuId=005001 . 2010-06-21 . 2023-10-19 . www.lot.com.
  8. Web site: Lieberman . Melanie . Why the United States Doesn't Have a National Airline . Travel + Leisure . 26 February 2021 . English . 18 March 2018.
  9. Web site: History of Flight in BC . March 22, 2023 . The Canadian Museum of Flight.