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Airline was started with the help of Air France and UTA after former French colonies in west Africa gained independence. Innitial members included Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (French), Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Republic of Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) and Senegal. Togo joined in 1968. First, Air Afrique, whose mission was to provide air service for consortium of 11 former colonies, flew only domestic service with DC-4 and DC-6's. First international service was to Paris from points in Africa with Lockheed Constellations. First jet service was operated with DC-8 in 1962. Gabon and Cameroon withdrew from consortium to establish their own carriers Air Gabon and Cameroon Airlines. First wide-body a DC-10 was delivered in June 1973. Transatlantic service was introduced in June 1981 with flights to New York JFK. Currently, airline operates intra-west-african network and links it with points in Europe, mainly France. Airline was on verge of bankruptcy in late 2001 and few of its planes were inpounded in Europe and only 3 have been left in service. African governments who owned more than 2/3 of shares sold most of it to private investors and Air France same year in exchange for cash injection into the ailing airline. The new American CEO Jeffrey Erikson faced a strong workforce opposition. Bankruptcy was filed in 2002 from which Air Afrique never recovered.
founded - demised (age)
March 28 1961 - July 2 2002 (41)
headquarters
3 Avenue Joseph Anoma, Abidjan
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base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (0)
