Last month marked the end of an era when CSA Czech Airlines closed up shop and converted into a holdings company for SmartWings. Before the closure, it was the fifth oldest airline on Earth still standing.
Founded in 1923, the airline had been operating for over a century.
Which airline takes Czech’s place as the fifth oldest airline still in business? We highlight the top 5 oldest airlines in operation.
5th Oldest Airline – Finnair
Author: Masakatsu Ukon (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Starting with the name Aero, Finnair began services in September 1923. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the air carrier has been a pioneer to connect Europe with North America and Asia.
Following World War II, Finland made Finnair its official flag carrier. Business rapidly picked up for the air carrier when the country hosted the 1952 Olympics, serving over 100,000 passengers in a year.
In the 70s and 80s, the company became the first in Western Europe to manage flights to Thailand and Japan. Finnair today serves over 10 million passengers yearly and plans to go carbon neutral by the mid 2040s.
4th Oldest Airline – Aeroflot
The official flag carrier of Russia, this air carrier was key for revolutionizing air travel for the nation. Founded on 17 March, 1923, the airline managed to assemble an impressive fleet of over 5,000 domestic aircraft in its first five years in business. During this time, the air carrier was known as Dobroflot.
The company would manage thousands of domestic and International flights. Aeroflot enjoyed a thriving business during the Cold War, increasing its yearly passenger count to over 36 million passengers by 1964. This Moscow-based airline was considered the world’s largest at this point.
As the U.S.S.R. dissolved, the company restructured and downsized in order to continue its long-term success. Aeroflot recorded over 45 million customers in 2023.
3rd Oldest Airline – Qantas
Standing for “Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services”, Qantas is considered one of the largest international airlines today. The airline currently serves over 45 million passengers yearly.
Founded in November 1920, the airline started out as a government-funded operation in Australia that would offer air tours and air delivery services. In 1926, Qantas became the first airline to provide air transportation for doctors with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
As air travel needs evolved in the 1950s, so did Qantas. With its first Boeing 707, it became the third airline to fly across the Pacific with a route from Sydney to San Francisco, California.
2nd Oldest Airline – Avianca
Starting in December 1919, Avianca is the flag carrier of Columbia. Originally named the Sociedad Columbo-Alemana de Transporte Aereo (SCADTA), the airline was a pioneer in connecting Central America with the Caribbean via air travel.
To kick off the latter half of the 20th century, the airline made waves by connecting South America to Europe with Trans-Atlantic flights to and from Rome, Italy, Lisbon, Portugal, and Paris, France.
In 2009, Avianca acquired El Salvador airline Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano (TACA). This merger made the air carrier the largest in Latin America. Today, the air carrier flies over 30 million yearly passengers.
1st Oldest Airline – KLM
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) translates to “Royal Dutch Airlines” in Dutch. The oldest standing air carrier in the world first opened its doors on 7 October 1919.
Founded by Dutch aviator Albert Plesman, the airline quickly connected Europe with flights from Amsterdam, Netherlands to both London, England and Copenhagen, Denmark.
After shaky business through World War II, KLM made history by being the first Europe-based air carrier to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to New York.
Today, KLM is part of a merger with Air France, with both companies still operating and branding independently. The two airlines combined serve over 65 million passengers per year.
