Air Centrafrique

Air Centrafrique was the flag carrier of the Central African Republic from 1966 to the late 1970s. The company operated domestic services. It had its headquarters in Bangui.[1]

Air Centrafrique
Founded1966 (1966)
Commenced operations1967 (1967)
Ceased operationsLate 1970s
HeadquartersBangui, Central African Republic

History
An Air Centrafrique Sud Aviation Caravelle at Le Bourget Airport in 1972.

The carrier was formed as Compagnie Centre Africaine Air Bangui in 1966 in association with Air Afrique and Union de Transports Aériens (UTA),[2][3] with the latter providing management and technical assistance.[4] It was conceived to provide feeder services to Air Afrique.[4] Operations started in early 1967, linking Bangui with Berberati[nb 1] using Douglas DC-3 aircraft.[2][3] In July 1967 (1967-07), a Beech 95 Baron was acquired for flying new routes to Bakouma and Bangassou.[4]

One DC-3 and one Beech Baron made up the aircraft park at March 1970 (1970-03).[6] Gaining flag carrier status, the company was renamed Air Centrafrique in mid-1971 following reorganisation after the government attempted to withdraw from the Air Afrique consortium earlier that year.[7]

The launching of Air Centrafrique as an independent airline was one of the moves of the proclaimed Emperor Bokassa I that indebted the country, to the point that banks began to refuse loans to the state in the same year.[8] Following the rupture with Air Afrique, agreements were signed with Zaire, Congo and Chad for Air Centrafrique to fly to those destinations.[9] On 1973-2-13, Bokassa issued a decree suspending operations of Air Centrafrique, due to a conflict with French navigation staff.[10]

By March 1975 (1975-03), passenger scheduled services to Bangui, Bambari, Bangassou, Birao, Bouar, Bria, Carnot, M'Boki, Ouadda and Zemio were operated; seasonal flights were also undertaken during the safari hunting period.[11] A Caravelle 3 entered the fleet in the late 1970s.[4][nb 2]

The airline ceased operations between 1978 and 1979.[nb 3] The collapse of Air Centrafrique, along with other debacles of the Bokassa legacy, contributed to undermining the prestige of the Central African Republic internationally.[13]

Destinations

Following is a list of destinations served by Air Centrafrique all through its history:

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Central African RepublicBakoumaBakouma Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicBambariBambari Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicBangassouBangassou Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicBanguiBangui M'Poko International AirportHub[11]
Central African RepublicBatangafoBatangafo Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicBiraoBirao Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicBossembeleBossembélé Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicBouarBouar Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicBoucaBouca Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicBriaBria Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicCarnotCarnot Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicKoumbalaKoumala Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicNdeleN'Délé Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicOboM'Boki Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicOuaddaOuadda Airport—[11]
Central African RepublicRafaiRafaï Airport—[7]
Central African RepublicZemioZemio Airport—[11]

Fleet

Air Centrafrique operated the following aircraft throughout its history:

See also

Notes
  1. It was also informed that the first services flown by the company linked Bangui with Birao.[5]
  2. An aircraft of the type was included in the airline's fleet in 1972.[7]
  3. Air Centrafrique appeared in the World airline directory compilation published by Flight International in April 1978 (1978-04),[1] but the entry was removed from that directory in April 1979 (1979-04).[12] It is assumed that the carrier ceased operations at some time within that period.

References
  1. "World airline directory – Air Centrafrique". Flight International. 113 (3605): 1127. 22 April 1978. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.
  2. "World airline survey – Compagnie Centre Africaine Air Bangui". Flight International. 95 (3135): 568. 10 April 1969. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013.
  3. "World airline survey – Compagnie Centre Africaine Air Bangui". Flight International. 93 (3083): 529. 11 April 1968. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013.
  4. Guttery (1998), p. 33.
  5. "World airline survey – Compagnie Centre Africaine Air Bangui". Flight International. 91 (3031): 565. 13 April 1967. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013.
  6. "World airlines 1970 – Compagnie Centre Africaine Air Bangui". Flight International. 97 (3184): 478. 26 March 1970. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.
  7. "World airlines – Air Centrafrique". Flight International. 101 (3296): 8. 18 May 1972. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013.
  8. Titley, E. Brian. Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University press, 2002. p. 69
  9. Červenka, Zdenek. Land-Locked Countries of Africa. Uppsala: Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, 1973. p. 151
  10. Année africaine. Éditions A. Pedone., 1974. p. 410
  11. "World airline directory – Air Centrafrique". Flight International. 108 (3445): 465. 20 March 1975. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013.
  12. "World airline directory – Air Burundi to Air Charter". Flight International. 115 (3658): 1333. 28 April 1979. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.
  13. Decalo, Samuel (1998). Psychoses of power: African personal dictatorships. Gainesville, Fla: Florida Academic Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-890357-02-3.
  14. "World airline directory – Air Centrafrique". Flight International. 111 (3552): 926. 9 April 1977. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013.

Bibliography
  • Guttery, Ben R. (1998). Encyclopedia of African Airlines. Jefferson, North Carolina 28640: Mc Farland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0495-7.CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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