Ethiopian Airlines was founded in 1945 by the Ethiopian government with the assistance of Western airlines. With a fleet of war-surplus Dakotas, the airline took to the sky. At first, only domestic and regional destinations were served, forcing the airline to build makeshift airstrips. However, in 1957, Douglas DC-6s and a Lockheed Constellation were obtained and flights to Europe commenced. In the 1960s, Ethiopian entered the jet age with the purchase of Boeing 720s, later supplemented with 707s. Despite various political, economic, and social obstacles, Ethiopian Airlines continued to invest and grow, expanding to other African countries and further abroad. As passenger transport has declined, as a result of the global pandemic, it currently utilizes its cargo business to transport medical supplies. Illustrated with over 100 images, this book shows how Ethiopian Airlines has remained the powerhouse of African aviation.

Aero Oy, which was later rebranded as Finnair, is one of the oldest surviving airlines in the world. The airline was established in 1923 and started up domestic flights alongside routes to the Nordic and Baltic regions. In the beginning, Aero Oy used German Junkers F 13 aircraft, as Junkers Flugzeugwerke AG was a shareholder of the airline. The airline continued to use Junkers aircraft, such as the G 24 and Ju 52, even after Finnish shareholders had bought back Junkers' shares. During World War Two, Finland was occupied by Russian troops, followed by the Germans and then the Allies. Still, Aero Oy managed to continue its operations. After the war, thanks to its geographic location, Finnair was able to start up several routes to the Soviet Union. Later on, the airline was the first carrier in the world to connect Europe with Asia via a polar route, which is considerably shorter than the conventional routes via Russia or the Persian Gulf. Both passenger and cargo flights to Asia became Finnair's main source of income at a time when China was opening up the new Silk Road'. Of course, Finnair was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic like most other airlines around the world. While this is an ongoing problem, Finnair is taking steps to guarantee the further growth of the airline once the pandemic is over. With over 140 images, this book charts Finnair's history from the very beginning and shows how it has survived through the years.

In August 1961, Iranian Airways and Persian Air Services merged to form United Iranian Airlines. A few months later, however, Iran National Airline Corporation was formed by order of the Iranian government, and the new airline took over operations from United Iranian Airlines. When the airline entered the jet age, a few Boeing 727s were leased, which operated on routes to most major cities in Europe as well as the Persian Gulf region. Later, Boeing 737s for domestic flights and Boeing 707s for semi-long-haul flights were purchased, followed by Boeing 747s and 747SPs for the non-stop Tehran-New York route. The Shah of Iran also ordered the French Concorde, an order which was cancelled immediately after the Revolution. As a result of the Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war, domestic and international passenger numbers went down. At the end of the war with Iraq, the Iranian government decided to end the monopoly status of Iran. Fully illustrated with over 140 images, this book tells the story of Iran's national carrier from its earliest years to the present day.

On January 26, 1949, Garuda Indonesia was officially established as Indonesia's government-owned flag carrier. To begin with, the airline focused on domestic and regional travel. However, in 1962, the Dutch-occupied island of Dutch New Guinea was added to the Indonesian territory and Garuda faced the huge challenge of starting up flights to the very remote and isolated settlements of Irian Jaya. Fortunately, the airline had the assistance of another Indonesian government-owned airline, Merpati, which would later become a feeder and subsidiary of Garuda.In the mid-1980s, a massive reorganisation led to Garuda offering international flights, which required the modernisation of the entire fleet. The late '90s saw a new management having to cope with the disastrous effects of the Asian financial crisis closely followed by the deregulation of the aviation industry in 2000, which greatly increased competition in the domestic market. Over subsequent years, Garuda has faced many more challenges, from the effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Bali bombings to the 2003 SARS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite these setbacks, it has successfully transitioned from a small domestic carrier to a player on the international stage. This fully illustrated volume looks at Garuda's turbulent history from its involvement in Indonesia's postwar struggle for independence to operations during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. 120 colour photographs

Egyptair began life in the 1930s as Misr Airwork. It flew domestically first, before adding international routes in 1939\. World War Two put a stop to development, but the company benefitted from regional aircraft disposal from the Allies. Through this, it was able to modernise its fleet. Following the formation of the United Arab Republic by Egypt and Syria in 1958, the airline was renamed United Arab Airlines. Syrian Airways was merged into it and UAA took over all routes and equipment used by the Syrian carrier. The first jets arrived into the fleet at this time. As relationships with the US turned rocky, the airline found itself using more and more Soviet aircraft. In 1971, the airline was renamed again to Egyptair. It was able to purchase American-made aircraft in the 1970s. In 2002, the establishment of the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation and the switch from government-owned to being a holding company with subsidiaries enabled Egyptair to participate with other airlines, such as Air Sinai. A regional subsidiary, Egyptair Express, was established in 2006\. With over 110 images, this book follows the story of Egypt's flag carrier, from its inception to present day.

The roots of China Airlines can be found in mainland China (the People's Republic of China). After several attempts to set up national airlines in mainland China, the airline was first established in 1929 by the Nanjing National government, but the company was short-lived. During World War Two and the subsequent civil war in China, the American CIA decided to set up an airline to supply the anti-communist troops of Chiang Kai-shek. By 1949, the government had retreated to Taiwan (officially, the Republic of China), which had been liberated. A new China Airlines was set up with American assistance. In the first years of its existence, its main task was shipping supplies to anti-communist forces in Asia. Only in the late 1960s, when jets entered the airline's fleet, did its focus shift from military to civilian operations. However, the airline would continue to struggle because of tensions between mainland China and the Republic of China. Furthermore, it had to compete with new Taiwanese private airlines, set up after the end of martial law on the island and the liberalisation of civil aviation. Finally, in 2009, regular flights between Taiwan and China were introduced, enabling citizens on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to visit relatives on the other side. In the meantime, China Airlines has grown to become an internationally respected intercontinental airline, using modern equipment such as the Airbus A350 and A321 and Boeing 777\. With over 100 images, this book tells the fascinating story of China Airlines, including its rocky beginnings and the obstacles it has overcome.

The first traces of Polish aviation can be found in 1910. However, the first fully domestic airline in Poland was established in Pozna? in 1921 and lasted only for the duration of the Pozna? International Fair. A second, and more permanent, airline, under the name of Aerolloyd, was formed in 1922 by Polish oil barons and operated from the Free City of Danzig, with the help of German investors. Aerolloyd, or Aerolot in Polish, initiated a merger with some smaller competing Polish airlines in 1927 to form LOT Polish Airlines, which was owned by the Polish state. In the early days, LOT used both older German aircraft and the Fokker VII, which were built under licence in Poland. During World War Two, when Poland was occupied by German troops, the airline ceased all operations. After the war, and under Soviet control, LOT was forced to use Russian-built aircraft, though in certain cases, some Western aircraft were also used. In general, however, LOT remained a loyal customer of the Russian aviation industry until the fall of the Berlin Wall. By that time, more Western equipment was entering the fleet, and the airline was gradually expanding its route network. Although LOT has had to face numerous problems, including the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet, a failed privatisation and the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline has managed to become the leading airline in Eastern Europe. Illustrated with over 150 photographs, this book tells the history of this fascinating airline from its beginnings to the present day.

"Turkish Airlines' origins go back to 1933, when the Turkish government established the State Airlines Administration with a fleet of just five aircraft and a staff of 24 people. Initially, the route network only included domestic destinations, but it was soon followed by flights to Nicosia (which has a large Turkish population), Beirut (the financial heart of the Middle East) and Cairo (the political epicentre of the region). In 1956, the airline was restructured and transformed into the current Turkish Airlines. From that moment, the airline started a rapid international expansion. At first, many destinations in Germany were served because of the large number of Turkish workers in that country, but other major European cities were soon added to the network. Of course, the airline has faced many challenges, such as the deregulation of air transport in Turkey, the devaluations of the Turkish currency and domestic political unrest. Geopolitical factors such as the tensions with Russia and the war in Syria may also have caused some issues for the airline's management. With 150 images, this book charts Turkish Airlines' history, showing how it has become one of the largest airlines in the world."