Airline Counter: 4
Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines was founded in 1945 with its inaugural flight launched between Addis Ababa and Cairo (with a stop in Asmara) the following year. This followed a lengthy period of discussion between the newly liberated state of Ethiopia and Western powers for the establishment of a flag carrier. Scheduled international routes followed shortly in 1951. Since then, the company has been at the forefront of African carriers, having operated Africa’s first commercial jet plane and the continent’s first A350 and B787. As such, Ethiopian’s fleet consistently ranks among the most modern in Africa.
Above is an Airbus A350-900 (ET-AYM) named “Ethiopia” arriving at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) from Bole Addis Ababa International Airport (ADD)
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Air Maroc (RAM) was founded in 1953 following the merger of Air Atlas (founded in 1946) and Air Maroc (founded in 1947), two competing Moroccan airlines. In 1957, the company became nationalized and adopted the name Royal Air Maroc. Of note, RAM took delivery of its first Boeing aircraft, a 727, in 1970 and today operates almost exclusively Boeing aircraft. In 2023, RAM announced major expansion plans for the decade, including the doubling of its fleet (~50 currently) with long term plans for a fleet of 200 aircraft, as the company positions itself as a leading African airline.
Above is a Boeing 787-9 (CN-RHB) arriving at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) from Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN)
Egypt Air
Egypt Air was established in 1932 as Misr Airlines (Misr being the Arabic name for Egypt). It served as the major carrier for the Kingdom of Egypt which was left without a significant airline since it gained independence from the UK in 1922. In 1958, upon the formation of the United Arab Republic (roughly modern Egypt and Syria), the company was renamed United Arab Airlines (UAA), now the flag carrier for the new nation. Finally, in 1971, as the country again changed its name to the Arab Republic of Egypt (now split from Syria), UAA was rebranded as EgyptAir and retains this title to this day.
Above is a Boeing 787-9 (SU-GES) arriving at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) from Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Air Algerie
Air Algérie was founded in 1947 as the Compagnie Générale de Transports Aériens (CGTA) operating charter flights out of Algeria. By the 1950s, it flew scheduled flights to multiple destinations in Europe, and in 1953, CGTA merged with Compagnie Air Transport (CAT), a small French airline looking for a partner airline, forming the Compagnie Générale de Transports Aériens Air Algérie. When Algeria became independent in 1962, the newly formed government took a majority stake in the company as it became Algeria’s official flag carrier.
Above is an Airbus A330-200 (7T-AJC) arriving at London Heathrow (LHR) from Algiers International Airport Houari Boumediene (ALG)