UTOPIA AIRPORT: AIR AFRIQUE 1/11/76-TIMETABLE OF THE MONTH

(TIMETABLE DATED NOVEMBER 1, 1976)

Air Afrique luggage sticker

When the big wave of independence swept Africa in the late fifties, few countries (Except North African countries) had national airlines : Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and East African Airways Corporation had transcontinental services. It was British Overseas Airways Corporation, Air France, T.A.P ,U.A.T. T.A.I, Iberia and SABENA which provided the bulk of services linking the colonies with the mother country and developing the domestic network of their respective colonies.

AIR AFRIQUE was established as the trans national carrier of the french speaking African countries as these did not have the technical and financial capabilities to set their own airlines.

Following the Francophone conferences held in Abidjan in October 60 and in Brazzaville in December of the same year , the treaty of Yaounde signed on March 28/1961 established Air Afrique as a stock company owned by Air France (17%), UAT (17%) and the remaining shares between the following 11 countries.

Central African Republic

Republic of Congo

Cameroon

Ivory Coast

Dahomey now Benin

Gabon

Mauritania

Niger

Senegal

Upper Volta now Burkina Faso

Togo will join in 1965. Missing countries are Mali and Guinea which went to establish their own national airlines with the help of the Soviet Union.

Cameroon will leave the consortium in 1971 to form Cameroun Airlines and Gabon will withdraw in 1976 to establish Air Gabon.

Air Afrique together with Gulf Air and Scandinavian Airlines System were the only transnational consortia. Unfortunately, the only surviving consortium airline is SAS.

Air Afrique was among the first African airlines to launch services to New York (in May 1965 in cooperation/code share with Pan American and in 1971 with its own right.

In this timetable Dated November 1,1976

From the collection of Bjorn Larsson at www.timetableimages.com

and according to the world airline directory published by "Flight International" , the company operated a fleet of

2 DOUGLAS DC10-30

The company ordered 2 DC10-30 in February 1970.

TU-TAL "Libreville" was delivered on February 28,1973

Air Afrique DC-10-30 TU-TAL CDG Jun 1993.png

"Air Afrique DC-10-30 TU-TAL CDG Jun 1993" by Alain Durand - http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-10-30/1021172/L/. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons.

TU-TAM "Cotonou" delivered on June 19, 1975

"Air Afrique DC-10-30 (TU-TAM 204 46892) (9474592771)" by FotoNoir - Air Afrique DC-10-30 (TU-TAM/204/46892). Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

DC 10 ROUTE NETWORK

AIR AFRIQUE - 1976 DC10 ROUTE NETWORK

1 DOUGLAS DC8-63F

"Fort-Lamy" renamed "N'Djamena. Delivered on May 28,1970

"Air Afrique DC-8-63CF TU-TCF CDG 1980-09-28" by Michel Gilliand - http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-8-63CF/1400078/L/. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons.

5 DOUGLAS DC8 30/50

TU-TCA DC8-53 "Abidjan" was the first DC8 delivered to Air Afrique on October 19, 1963

Air Afrique Douglas DC-8-53 TU-TCA GVA.png

"Air Afrique Douglas DC-8-53 TU-TCA GVA" by Eduard Marmet - http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/Douglas-DC-8-53/0102985/L/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

TU-TCB DC8-53 "Brazzaville" was the second DC8 delivered to Air Afrique on January1, 1964

"Douglas DC-8-53, Air Afrique AN1399869" by Michel Gilliand - Gallery page http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/Douglas-DC-8-53/1399869/L Photo http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/9/6/8/1399869.jpg. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons.

TU-TCC DC8-55F "Cotonou" was delivered to Air Afrique on August 2,1966

"Douglas DC-8-55CF Jet Trader, Air Afrique AN0916071" by Michel Gilliand - Gallery page http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/Douglas-DC-8-55CF-Jet/0916071/L Photo http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/1/7/0/0916071.jpg. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons.

TU-TCD DC8-33 "Dakar" was F-BJUV with T.A.I/UTA delivered in October 1967.

Air Afrique DC-8-33 TU-TCD LFSB 1978-06-29.png

"Air Afrique DC-8-33 TU-TCD LFSB 1978-06-29" by Eduard Marmet - http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/Douglas-DC-8-33/0132483/L/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

TU-TCG DC8F-54 "Cotonou" was N8008 with T.I.A and Saturn Airways delivered to Air Afrique on November 10,1974

TU-TCH DC8-55F was N8065W Seabord World delivered to Air Afrique on August 8,1975

DC8 PASSENGER ROUTE NETWORK

AIR AFRIQUE - 1976 DC8 ROUTE NETWORK

DC8 CARGO ROUTE NETWORK

AIR AFRIQUE - 1976 CARGO NETWORK

3-SUD AVIATION CARAVELLE

TU-TCN Caravelle 10B1R "Nouakchott", delivered in December 1973 was JY-ACS with ALIA

TU-TCO Caravelle 11R "Ouagadougou", delivered on September 18,1967

TU-TCY Caravelle 11R "Yaounde", delivered in July 17,1967

Air Afrique Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle Type 11R Groves.jpg

"Air Afrique Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle Type 11R Groves" by Clinton Groves - http://www.airlinefan.com/airline-photos/1497857/Air-Afrique/Sud-Aviation/SE-210-Caravelle/TU-TCY/. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons.

Worth noting at this stage that during the period studied Air Afrique leased from UTA 1 Caravelle as TU-TXQ from October 1976 to January 1977

Air Afrique Caravelle 10B1R TU-TXQ LBG 1977-06-11.png

"Air Afrique Caravelle 10B1R TU-TXQ LBG 1977-06-11" by Eduard Marmet - http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Afrique/Sud-SE-210-Caravelle/0113593/L/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

CARAVELLE ROUTE NETWORK