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.
History
The carrier was formed as Compagnie Centre Africaine Air Bangui in 1966 in association with Air Afrique and Union de Transports Aériens (UTA), with the latter providing management and technical assistance. It was conceived to provide feeder services to Air Afrique. Operations started in early 1967, linking Bangui with Berberati using Douglas DC-3 aircraft. In , a Beech 95 Baron was acquired for flying new routes to Bakouma and Bangassou.
One DC-3 and one Beech Baron made up the airline's aircraft lineup at . 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.
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.Titley, E. Brian. Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University press, 2002. p. 69 Following the rupture with Air Afrique, agreements were signed with Zaire, Congo and Chad for Air Centrafrique to fly to those destinations.Červenka, Zdenek. Land-Locked Countries of Africa. Uppsala: Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, 1973. p. 151 On 13 February 1973, Bokassa issued a decree suspending operations of Air Centrafrique, due to a conflict with French navigation staff.Année africaine. Éditions A. Pedone., 1974. p. 410
By , 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. A Caravelle 3 entered the fleet in the late 1970s.
The airline ceased operations between 1978 and 1979. The collapse of Air Centrafrique, along with other debacles of the Bokassa legacy, contributed to undermining the prestige of the Central African Republic internationally.
Destinations Following is a list of destinations served by Air Centrafrique all through its history: CountryCityAirportNotesRefsCentral African RepublicBakoumaBakouma Airport—Central African RepublicBambariBambari Airport—Central African RepublicBangassouBangassou Airport—Central African RepublicBanguiBangui M'Poko International AirportCentral African RepublicBatangafoBatangafo Airport—Central African RepublicBiraoBirao Airport—Central African RepublicBossembeleBossembélé Airport—Central African RepublicBouarBouar Airport—Central African RepublicBoucaBouca Airport—Central African RepublicBriaBria Airport—Central African RepublicCarnotCarnot Airport—Central African RepublicKoumbalaKoumala Airport—Central African RepublicNdeleN'Délé Airport—Central African RepublicOboM'Boki Airport—Central African RepublicOuaddaOuadda Airport—Central African RepublicRafaiRafaï Airport—Central African RepublicZemioZemio Airport—
Fleet Air Centrafrique operated the following aircraft throughout its history: Beech Baron Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-4 DC-8-55 Sud Aviation Caravelle III
See also List of defunct airlines of the Central African Republic Transport in the Central African Republic
Notes
References
Bibliography