Independence and Airline Development
The table below, reproduced from a 1978 study produced by Douglas Aircraft Corporation titled Trans-Saharan Trunk Air Routes: Vital Link Between Two Continents and updated, illustrates the timeline of independence of African nations and the establishment of national airlines on the continent.
| Country | Former Name | European Colonial Power | Date of Independence | National Airline | Date of Airline’s Founding |
| Liberia | Never colonized | n/a | Liberian National Airways | 1949 | |
| Liberia | Never colonized | n/a | Air Liberia | 1974 | |
| Ethiopia | Temporarily occupied 1937-1940 | n/a | Ethiopian Airlines | 1945 | |
| South Africa | U.K. | 1910 | South African Airways | 1934 | |
| Egypt | U.K. | 1922 | Misrair | 1949 | |
| Libya | Italy | 1951 | Libyan Airlines | 1964 | |
| Morocco | France | 1956 | Royal Air Maroc | 1957 | |
| Sudan | U.K. / Egypt | 1956 | Sudan Airways | 1946 | |
| Tunisia | France | 1956 | Tunisair | 1948 | |
| Ghana | Gold Coast | U.K. | 1957 | Ghana Airways | 1958 |
| Guinea | France | 1958 | Air Guinee | 1960 | |
| Cameroon | France Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Cameroon | France Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1960 | Cameroon Airlines | 1971 | |
| Togo | France Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Togo | France Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1960 | Air Togo | 1965 | |
| Mali | France | 1960 | Air Mali | 1960 | |
| Senegal | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Senegal | France | 1960 | Air Senegal | 1971 | |
| Madagascar | France | 1960 | Air Madagascar | 1961 | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Congo/Zaire | Belgium | 1960 | Air Zaire / Air Congo | 1961 |
| Somalia | Italy | 1960 | Somali Airlines | 1964 | |
| Benin | Dahomey | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 |
| Niger | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Niger | France | 1960 | Air Niger | 1966 | |
| Burkina Faso | Upper Volta | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 |
| Ivory Coast | France | 1960 | Air Ivoire | 1956 | |
| Ivory Coast | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Chad | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Central African Republic | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Central African Republic | France | 1960 | Air Centrafique | 1966 | |
| Republic of the Congo | Congo | France | 1960 | Air Congo (Brazzaville) | 1961 |
| Republic of the Congo | Congo | France | 1960 | Lina Congo (renamed) | 1965 |
| Gabon | France | 1960 | Compagnie Aerienne Gabonaise | 1951 | |
| Gabon | France | 1960 | Member of Air Afrique | 1961 | |
| Gabon | France | 1960 | Air Gabon | 1974 | |
| Nigeria | U.K. | 1960 | Nigeria Airways | 1958 | |
| Mauritiana | France | 1960 | (member of AFQ) | 1961 | |
| Mauritiana | France | 1960 | Air Mauritanie | 1962 | |
| Sierra Leone | U.K. | 1961 | Sierra Leone Airways | 1958 | |
| Tanzania | Tanganyika | U.K. (formerly Germany) | 1961 | Air Tanzania | 1977 |
| Algeria | France | 1962 | Air Algérie | 1947 | |
| Burundi | Belgian Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1962 | Société de Transports Aériens du Burundi (STAB) | 1971 | |
| Burundi | Belgian Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1962 | Air Burundi (renamed) | 1975 | |
| Rwanda | Belgian Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1962 | Air Rwanda | 1975 | |
| Uganda | U.K. | 1962 | Uganda Airlines | 1965 | |
| Tanzania | Tanganyika and Zanzibar | U.K. | 1963 | Air Tanzania | 1977 |
| Kenya | U.K. | 1963 | Kenya Airways | 1977 | |
| Malawi | U.K. | 1964 | Air Malawi | 1964 | |
| Zambia | Northern Rhodesia | U.K. | 1964 | Zambia Airways | 1964 |
| The Gambia | U.K. | 1965 | Gambia Airways | 1964 | |
| Botswana | Bechuanaland | U.K. | 1966 | Air Botswana | 1972 |
| Lesotho | Basutoland | U.K. | 1966 | Lesotho Airways (formerly Basutair) | 1971 (1967) |
| Mauritius | U.K. | 1968 | Air Mauritius | 1967 | |
| Swaziland | U.K. | 1968 | Swazi Air | 1974 | |
| Equitorial Guinea | Rio Muni | Spain | 1968 | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | Portugal | 1974 | Transportes Aereos de Guinea | 1975 | |
| Mozambique | Portugal | 1975 | DETA | 1937 | |
| Cape Verde Islands | Portugal | 1975 | Transportes Aereos de Cabo Verde-TACV | 1958 | |
| Comoros | Comoro Islands | France | 1975 | Air Comores | 1977 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Portugal | 1975 | Tansportes Aereos de Sao Tome | 1949 | |
| Angola | Portugal | 1975 | Angola Airlines – TAAG | 1938 | |
| Seychelles | U.K. | 1976 | |||
| Djibouti | Somaliland | France | 1977 | ||
| Namibia | Southwest Africa | U.K. Mandate (formerly Germany) | 1979 | Suidwes Lugdiens (formerly Southwest Air Transport) | 1946 |
| Zimbabwe | Rhodesia | U.K. | 1980 | Air Rhodesia | 1967 |
| Zimbabwe | Rhodesia | U.K. | 1980 | Air Zimbabwe | 1980 |
More Information
Items in the exhibit are housed at Northwestern University’s Transportation Library and the Herskovits Library of African Studies. Email transportationlibrary@northwestern.edu or africana@northwestern.edu with questions, or to schedule an appointment.