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10 Oldest Airlines In The World

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6 years ago

May 26, 2020

10 Oldest Airlines In The World

The first scheduled passenger airline service began in the U.S. on 1 January 1914. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line only lasted 4 months. However, its operations opened the doors for commercial flights.

Following the first commercial flight, a good number of airlines emerged. Some of these airlines have become the world’s oldest airlines. They were established in the 1920s and 1930s in a variety of countries across the world.

Although some of these airlines have closed, there are a few still surviving that have more than 90 years of flying history.

In this article, we are highlighting the 10 oldest airlines in the world.

1. KLM

Founding Year: 1919

First flight: May 1920

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Hague, Netherlands

Notable Achievement: In 1946, it became the first European airline to begin scheduled flights to New York, using DC-4 aircraft; KLM Royal Dutch Airlines turned 100 years old in October 2019.

See Also: Early Days Of Commercial Passenger Air Travel: 10 Things You Should Know

2. Avianca

Founding Year: 1919

First flight: 1919

Country of Origin/Headquarters: ‎Bogotá, Colombia

Notable Achievement: Avianca is one of the largest airline groups in Latin America, with a fleet of 173 aircraft and a network of subsidiaries that spans pretty much the whole continent.

3. Qantas

Founding Year: 1920

First flight: 1920

Notable Achievement: Australia largest airline and one of its best-known brands globally.

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Sydney, Australia

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4. Aeroflot

Founding Year: 1923

First flight: July 1923

Notable Achievement: Aeroflot was the largest airline in the world during the Soviet era.

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Soviet Union/Moscow, Russia.

5. Czech Airlines (CSA)

Founding Year: 1923

First flight: October 1923

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Czechoslovakia/ Prague, Czech Republic.

Notable Achievement: In 1957, CSA became the third airline, after BOAC and Aeroflot, to operate jet airliners when it put the Soviet-made Tupolev Tu104A into service.

See Also: 10 Airlines With The Largest Number Of Aircrafts

6. Finnair

Founding Year: 1923

First flight: March 1924

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland.

Notable Achievement: In 1983, it became the first European airline to fly non-stop to Tokyo, with DC-10 aircraft. Five years later, Finnair was the only European airline with a direct flight between Europe and China

7. Delta Air Lines

Year of foundation: 1925

First flight: 1929

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, United State.

Notable Achievement: Delta is one of the world’s largest airlines in terms of scheduled passengers. It is the oldest airline still operating in the US.

See Also: Here Are 12 Notable Airlines That Have Gone Out Of Business In The Last 14 Months

8. Air Serbia

Founding Year: 1927

First flight: 1927

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Yugoslavia/ Serbia

Notable Achievement: Air Serbia is jointly owned by the Government of Serbia

Iberia

Founding Year: 1927

First flight: 1927

Country of Origin/Headquarters: Madrid, Spain

Notable Achievement: In 1946, it was the first airline to fly between Europe and South America, a region that has remained at the core of Iberia’s long haul business throughout its history. The airline was privatized in 2001 and it merged with British Airways in 2010 to create the International Airlines Group.

10. British Airways

Founding Year: 1919 (or 1974)

First flight: August 1919 (or 1974)

Country of Origin/Headquarters: London, England, UK

Notable Achievement: on August 25, 1919, British Airways became the world’s first scheduled international flight. It flew between London and Paris and took off with one passenger, plus some Devonshire cream and some grouse. It is the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom, based on fleet size and passengers carried, behind easyJet.

BA was created in 1974 after a British Airways Board was established by the British government to manage the two nationalised airline corporations, British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways, and two regional airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines. On 31 March 1974, all four companies were merged to form British Airways.