The following is a list of government-owned airlines. The practice of government ownership of airlines, particularly flag carrier airlines, occurs in many countries. The following is a list of both airlines currently owned by a government, and former government-owned airlines.
Current government-owned airlines Airline Country Stake Aeroflot Russian Federation 73.8% Aerogaviota Cuba 100% Aerolíneas Argentinas Argentina 100% Afriqiyah Airways Libya 100% Air Algérie Algeria 100% Air Astana Kazakhstan 51% AirBorneo Malaysia 100% Sarawak Government Air Botswana Botswana 100% Air Calédonie New Caledonia (France) 52.45% Air Cambodia Cambodia51%Air Canada Canada 6.4% Air China China 53.46% Air Congo DR Congo 51% Air Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast 58% Air Djibouti Djibouti Djibouti Government minor shareholder Air France France 28.6% (through the Air France–KLM holding company). Dutch state has a 9.3% stake Air Greenland (Greenlandair) Greenland 100% Air Kiribati Kiribati 100% Air Koryo North Korea 100% Air Macau Macau66.9% Air China (majority shareholder - Chinese government)5% (minority shareholder - government of Macau)"Directory: World Airlines", Flight International 10 April 2007, p. 46. Air Madagascar Madagascar Air Mauritius Mauritius Air Montenegro Montenegro 100% Air New Zealand New Zealand 52%https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/investor-centre-frequently-asked-questions Air Niugini Papua New Guinea 60% Air Serbia Serbia100% Air Seychelles Seychelles100% Air Tanzania Tanzania100% Air Zimbabwe Zimbabwe100% AirBaltic Latvia 80% Aircalin New Caledonia100%Alliance Air (India) India100% Ariana Afghan Airlines Afghanistan 100%Arkaim Russia Asman Airlines Kyrgyzstan Aurigny Guernsey100% Azerbaijan Airlines Azerbaijan 100% Bahamasair Bahamas 100%Belavia Belarus 100% Biman Bangladesh Airlines BangladeshAt least 51% Boliviana de Aviación Bolivia100% Caribbean Airlines Trinidad and Tobago 87% Jamaica 13% Cathay Pacific Hong Kong 6% Cayman Airways Cayman Islands 100%CEIBA Intercontinental Equatorial Guinea China Airlines Republic of China 31.05% China Aviation Development Foundation (CADF)8.64% National Development Fund (NDF) Congo Airways DR Congo 100% Conviasa Venezuela 100% Croatia Airlines Croatia 100% Cubana de Aviación Cuba 100% Druk Air Bhutan 100% Dubai Royal Air Wing Government of Dubai (UAE) 100% EgyptAir Egypt 100% Emirates Government of Dubai (UAE) 100% Eritrean Airlines Eritrea 80% Eritrean government20% Ethiopia Airlines (Ethiopian government) Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopia 100% Etihad Airways Government of Abu Dhabi (UAE) 100% Fiji Airways Fiji 52% Finnair Finland55.8% Flydubai Government of Dubai (UAE) 100% Garuda Indonesia Indonesia 60.54%Gulf Air Bahrain Heli Air Monaco Monaco 100%https://www.heliairmonaco.com/en/about/the-company.html,30 Iran Air Iran60% Iraqi Airways Iraq100% ITA Airways Italy 59% KM Malta Airlines Malta 100% KLM Netherlands 9.3% (through the Air France–KLM holding company). French state has a 28.6% stake Kuwait Airways Kuwait 100% LADE Argentina 100% LAM Mozambique Airlines Mozambique 100% Lao Airlines Laos 100% Libyan Airlines Libya 100% LOT Polish Airlines Poland 100%Luxair Luxembourg74.98% Malaysia Airlines Malaysia 100% Mandarin Airlines Taiwan Fully owned subsidiary of Taiwan's China Airlines Mexicana de Aviación Mexico 100% MIAT Mongolian Airlines Mongolia Middle East Airlines Lebanon 100% Myanmar National Airlines Myanmar 100% Myanmar Airways International Myanmar Nauru Airlines Nauru Nepal Airlines Nepal Oman Air Oman Philippine Airlines Philippines Qatar Airways Qatar Qatar Amiri Flight Qatar Qatar Executive Qatar RAM Cargo Morocco Régie Malagache Madagascar Riyadh Air Saudi Arabia 100% Rossiya Russia Royal Air Maroc Morocco 100% Royal Brunei Airlines Brunei Royal Jordanian Jordan 100% RwandAir Rwanda Satena Colombia 100% Saudia Saudi Arabia 100% Singapore Airlines Singapore55.53% Solomon Airlines Solomon Islands100% SriLankan Airlines Sri Lanka99.11% Sudan Airways Sudan 79.00% Surinam Airways Suriname 100% Syrian Air Syria100% TAAG Angola Airlines Angola 90.00% TAP Portugal Portugal 97.75% (91.8% directly owned by the government and the remaining 8.2% owned by the TAP Group, where the government has a total share of 72.5%) TAROM Romania 97.22% Thai Airways International Thailand 51.00% Tunisair TunisiaTurkish Airlines Turkey49.12% Turkmenistan Airlines Turkmenistan Uganda Airlines Uganda 100% Uzbekistan Airways Uzbekistan 100% Vietnam Airlines Vietnam86.10% Yemenia Yemen 51.00%
List of former government-owned airlines This is a list of airlines which were formerly government owned. They have since been privatized or have ceased operations.
AirlineCountryEnd ofgovernmentownershipFateAdria Airways Slovenia2019BankruptAer Lingus Ireland2015Ryanair & Government held shares sold to IAGAlbanian Airlines Albania1995Austrian Airlines Austria2009Armenian Airlines Armenia2003Aero Caribbean Cuba2015Merged into Cubana Aeroflot-Cargo Russian Federation2010Merged with AeroflotAeroméxico Mexico2007PrivatizedAerotaxi Cuba2009Ceased operationsAir Bissau Guinea-Bissau1998LiquidatedAir Burundi Burundi2009Ceased operationsAir Gabon Gabon2006BankruptAir Guinée Guinea1992Privatized 1992, dissolved 2002Air India India2021PrivatizedAir Ivoire Ivory Coast2011Ceased operationsAir Jamaica Jamaica2011Sold to Caribbean Airlines 2011, ceased operations 2015Air Liberia Liberia1990Ceased tradingAir Malawi Malawi2013Voluntary liquidationAir Mali (1960-89) Mali1989Shut downAir Niger Niger1993Ceased operationsAir Rwanda Rwanda2002Taken over by and rebranded to RwandAirAir Sénégal International Senegal2009Operations suspendedAir Vanuatu Vanuatu2024Ceased tradingQantas pounces on Vanuatu as its flag carrier flounders Australian Aviation 23 May 2024Air Zaïre Zaire1995BankruptAlitalia Italy2021Bankrupt and rebranded to ITA AirwaysBerkut Air Kazakhstan2011RebrandedBritish Airways United Kingdom1987PrivatisedCabo Verde Airlines Cabo Verde2019PrivatizedCameroon Airlines Cameroon2008Ceased operationsCyprus Airways (1947–2015) Cyprus2015BankruptcyCzech Airlines Czech Republic2024Shut downDonavia Russia2016Merged with Rossiya AirlinesEcuato Guineana Equatorial Guinea~ 2007UnknownEurocypria Airlines Cyprus2010BankruptcyGambia Airways Gambia1996BankruptGambia International Airlines2007Shut downGhana Airways Ghana2004Ceased operationsGuine Bissau Airlines Guinea Bissau2003Iberia (airline) Spain2001PrivatizedIndian Airlines India2011Ceased operations (Merged with Air India)Japan Airlines Japan1987PrivatizedKorean Air South Korea1969PrivatizedLAN Chile Chile1994PrivatizedLina Congo Republic of Congo2002DissolvedLufthansa Germany1994Privatized Malév Hungarian Airlines Hungary2012Ceased operationsMerpati Nusantara Airlines Indonesia2014Ceased operations Nordica Estonia 2019Privatized, then Ceased operations in 2024Norfolk Air/ Norfolk Island, Australia2011Ceased operationsNorOntair/ Ontario, Canada1996Ceased operations"NorOntair to cease flying 29 March". The Globe and Mail, 16 January 1996. Olympic Airlines Greece2009Shut downPakistan International Airlines Pakistan2026PrivatizedQantas Australia1992PrivatizedRoyal Swazi National Airways Eswatini1999Ceased operationsSierra National Airlines Sierra Leone2004Ceased operationsScandinavian Airlines (SAS) Denmark Sweden Norway2001Since 2001, +50% stocks are publicly traded. The Norwegian government confirmed it sold its stake in 2018.In 2024, the Norwegian government once again received a stake, when SAS used stocks to repay part of a 2020 loan.Government stakes remain: 14.24% (Danish government)2.1% (Norwegian government)14.82% (Swedish government)South Africa Express South Africa2020LiquidatedSouth African Airways South Africa2022PrivatizedKenya Airways Kenya1996Government owns minority stake (48.9%)TAME Ecuador2020LiquidatedTANS Perú Peru2006Shut downToumaï Air Tchad Chad2012Ceased operationsUganda Airlines (1976-2001) Uganda2001Liquidated Ukraine International Airlines Ukraine2011PrivatizedUkrainian Cargo Airways Ukraine2009Shut downVarig Brazil1999 Royal Tongan Airlines Tonga 2004Zambia Airways Zambia1994Ceased operations
See also Flag carrier Government-owned corporation List of airlines List of government-owned companies
References