Air Mali (1960–1985)
Encyclopedia
Société Nationale Air Mali, or Air Mali as it was most commonly known, was the former national airline of the Republic of Mali. It had its head office in Bamako
.
voted to set up a new national airline to be known as Air Mali. Société Nationale Air Mali was founded by the Malian government on 27 October 1960 with the intent of becoming the newly independent country's national airline. When the airline was founded, the legislation under which the airline was setup gave the airline exclusive rights
on domestic flights, and international flights from the country to the outside world. The company which was founded with start up capital of CFA
50,000,000, was given the right to sell up to 45% of its shares to private investors, however, very few were sold.
Technical assistance was provided to the airline by the Soviet airline Aeroflot
, which also provided equipment for the airline to begin operations. The British government
donated three ex-British European Airways
Douglas DC-3
s, which the British purchased for GBP70,000. The airline began flight operations in 1961, but initially only operated executive services for government officials from Bamako
to various administratives centres around the country, and joined the International Air Transport Association
in July 1961. The first domestic route which was taken over from Air France
was one which linked Bamako to Gao
on the River Niger, the once capital of the Songhai Empire
. Prior to taking over the flight, Air France operated a weekly service with Douglas DC-4
equipment, and once flights were inaugurated by Air Mali, service was increased to twice-weekly with Douglas DC-3 equipment.
On 20 March 1961, a contract was signed in Moscow
for the supply of a number of Ilyushin Il-18
, Ilyushin Il-14
, Antonov An-2
and Mil Mi-2
helicopters. The two Il-18s were delivered in August 1961, and with them Air Mali began and expanded its international network to include Paris
, Casablanca
and Marseille
. The aircraft were initially flown with Soviet crews whilst African crews were trained in their operations. The airline began flights to Ghana
in December 1961, and regional destinations, some inherited from Union Aéromaritime de Transport
, included Monrovia
, Abidjan
, Accra
, Douala
, Brazzaville
, Dakar
and Conakry
, utilising the Il-14s and DC-3s.
Air Mali was the first airline to provide service to many Malian cities which had previously not received air services. The airline's domestic network was for the most part unprofitable, however, this was subsidised by profits the airline made on its regional and international networks. On 5 November 1966, an Il-14 on a flight from Minsk
to Bamako via Zagreb
and Marseille
after undergoing maintenance, crashed in the Cayolle Pass in the French Alps
near Nice. The crash which occurred above the commune
of Entraunes
killed all seven crew members on board. The Bamako-Accra route which was suspended at the time of the 1966 coup in Ghana was restarted in 1967, and on 14 September of the same year Aviaexport announced the signing of a deal with Air Mali for the supply of two Antonov An-24
, which when delivered were operated on domestic and regional routes, such as Bamako
-Mopti
-Goundam
-Timbouctou-Gao-Niamey
. The airline was forced to seek a replacement for the Il-18s by the end of the 1960s, as the turboprops had become to expensive to operate and maintain
.
The airline's first jet aircraft
, a Boeing 727-100C was acquired in 1971 to enable the airline to service longer-range international routes to Paris, Marseille and Casablanca. The 727 was joined not long after by a Boeing 737-100 for use on medium-range regional routes in Africa
. By the late 1970s, the airlines' international route network had grown to include Freetown
, Brazzaville
, Ouagadougou
and Niamey
, and the fleet included two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
s, one Antonov An-24, one Ilyushin Il-18 and one Boeing 727-100. On 11 August 1974, an Il-18 on a charter flight from Bamako to Mecca
via Niamey and Kano
, was forced to divert to Ouagadougou due to bad weather in Niamey. An apparent navigational error occurred, and the flight crew circled the wrong city, leading the aircraft to run out of fuel. An attempted emergency nighttime landing was attempted on the road from Ouagadougou to Niamey, near the village of Linoghin, however, the aircraft crashed killing 47 of the 60 occupants on board.
On 21 June 1983 a Twin Otter of the airline crashed at Niela killing all seven occupants of the aircraft. On 22 February 1985, the An-24 on a scheduled flight from Timbouctou to Bamako experienced an engine explosion upon takeoff from Timbuktu Airport
, leading the crews to attempt to return to the airport for an emergency landing
, however, the aircraft crashed before reaching the airport, killing fifty of the fifty-one occupants of the aircraft, whilst a single passenger, a Malian, survived. Following this accident, and also because of large debts the airline had incurred, the government forced the airline to close down, with its operations being taken over by Malitas in 1989.
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
.
History
In June 1960, the Federal Assemnly of the newly independent Mali FederationMali Federation
The Mali Federation was a country in West Africa. It was formed by a union between Senegal and the Sudanese Republic...
voted to set up a new national airline to be known as Air Mali. Société Nationale Air Mali was founded by the Malian government on 27 October 1960 with the intent of becoming the newly independent country's national airline. When the airline was founded, the legislation under which the airline was setup gave the airline exclusive rights
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on domestic flights, and international flights from the country to the outside world. The company which was founded with start up capital of CFA
CFA franc
The CFA franc is the name of two currencies used in Africa which are guaranteed by the French treasury. The two CFA franc currencies are the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc...
50,000,000, was given the right to sell up to 45% of its shares to private investors, however, very few were sold.
Technical assistance was provided to the airline by the Soviet airline Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
, which also provided equipment for the airline to begin operations. The British government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
donated three ex-British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s, which the British purchased for GBP70,000. The airline began flight operations in 1961, but initially only operated executive services for government officials from Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
to various administratives centres around the country, and joined the International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
in July 1961. The first domestic route which was taken over from Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
was one which linked Bamako to Gao
Gao
Gao is a town in eastern Mali on the River Niger lying ESE of Timbuktu. Situated on the left bank of the river at the junction with the Tilemsi valley, it is the capital of the Gao Region and had a population of 86,663 in 2009....
on the River Niger, the once capital of the Songhai Empire
Songhai Empire
The Songhai Empire, also known as the Songhay Empire, was a state located in western Africa. From the early 15th to the late 16th century, Songhai was one of the largest Islamic empires in history. This empire bore the same name as its leading ethnic group, the Songhai. Its capital was the city...
. Prior to taking over the flight, Air France operated a weekly service with Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
equipment, and once flights were inaugurated by Air Mali, service was increased to twice-weekly with Douglas DC-3 equipment.
On 20 March 1961, a contract was signed in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
for the supply of a number of Ilyushin Il-18
Ilyushin Il-18
The Ilyushin Il-18 is a large turboprop airliner that became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era as well as one of the most popular and durable, having first flown in 1957 and still in use over 50 years later. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades...
, Ilyushin Il-14
Ilyushin Il-14
The Ilyushin Il-14 was a Soviet twin-engine commercial and military personnel and cargo transport aircraft that first flew in 1950, and entered service in 1954. Il-14 was also manufactured in East Germany by VVB Flugzeugbau, in Czechoslovakia as the Avia 14, and in China under the Chinese...
, Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2
The Antonov An-2 is a single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed in the USSR in 1946...
and Mil Mi-2
Mil Mi-2
The Mil Mi-2 is a small, lightly armored transport helicopter that could also provide close air support when armed with 57 mm rockets and a 23 mm cannon.-Design and development:...
helicopters. The two Il-18s were delivered in August 1961, and with them Air Mali began and expanded its international network to include Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
and Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. The aircraft were initially flown with Soviet crews whilst African crews were trained in their operations. The airline began flights to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
in December 1961, and regional destinations, some inherited from Union Aéromaritime de Transport
Union Aéromaritime de Transport
Union Aéromaritime de Transport was a French airline. It had its head office in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.In addition, on 26 December 1958 a DC-6 of UAT crashed in Salisbury, Rhodesia ....
, included Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
, Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Douala
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
, Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
, Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
and Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, utilising the Il-14s and DC-3s.
Air Mali was the first airline to provide service to many Malian cities which had previously not received air services. The airline's domestic network was for the most part unprofitable, however, this was subsidised by profits the airline made on its regional and international networks. On 5 November 1966, an Il-14 on a flight from Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
to Bamako via Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
after undergoing maintenance, crashed in the Cayolle Pass in the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
near Nice. The crash which occurred above the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Entraunes
Entraunes
Entraunes is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Location:Entraunes lies 110 km northwest of Nice where the Var flows into the Mediterranean. It lies in the northwest corner of Alpes-Maritimes next to the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence...
killed all seven crew members on board. The Bamako-Accra route which was suspended at the time of the 1966 coup in Ghana was restarted in 1967, and on 14 September of the same year Aviaexport announced the signing of a deal with Air Mali for the supply of two Antonov An-24
Antonov An-24
The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:...
, which when delivered were operated on domestic and regional routes, such as Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
-Mopti
Mopti
Mopti is a city at the confluence of the Niger and the Bani in Mali, between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes: the New Town, the Old Town and Medina Coura. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".-History:The city of Mopti derives its name from...
-Goundam
Goundam
Goundam is a commune and town in north central Mali, in the Tombouctou Region. It is the capital of Goundam Cercle, one of five subdivisions of the Region. In the 2009 census the commune had a population of 16,253...
-Timbouctou-Gao-Niamey
Niamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
. The airline was forced to seek a replacement for the Il-18s by the end of the 1960s, as the turboprops had become to expensive to operate and maintain
Aircraft maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component.Maintenance includes the installation or removal of a component from an aircraft or aircraft subassembly, but does not include:...
.
The airline's first jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, a Boeing 727-100C was acquired in 1971 to enable the airline to service longer-range international routes to Paris, Marseille and Casablanca. The 727 was joined not long after by a Boeing 737-100 for use on medium-range regional routes in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. By the late 1970s, the airlines' international route network had grown to include Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
, Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
and Niamey
Niamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
, and the fleet included two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
s, one Antonov An-24, one Ilyushin Il-18 and one Boeing 727-100. On 11 August 1974, an Il-18 on a charter flight from Bamako to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
via Niamey and Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
, was forced to divert to Ouagadougou due to bad weather in Niamey. An apparent navigational error occurred, and the flight crew circled the wrong city, leading the aircraft to run out of fuel. An attempted emergency nighttime landing was attempted on the road from Ouagadougou to Niamey, near the village of Linoghin, however, the aircraft crashed killing 47 of the 60 occupants on board.
On 21 June 1983 a Twin Otter of the airline crashed at Niela killing all seven occupants of the aircraft. On 22 February 1985, the An-24 on a scheduled flight from Timbouctou to Bamako experienced an engine explosion upon takeoff from Timbuktu Airport
Timbuktu Airport
Timbuktu Airport is an airport in Timbuktu, Mali opened on April 15, 1961....
, leading the crews to attempt to return to the airport for an emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
, however, the aircraft crashed before reaching the airport, killing fifty of the fifty-one occupants of the aircraft, whilst a single passenger, a Malian, survived. Following this accident, and also because of large debts the airline had incurred, the government forced the airline to close down, with its operations being taken over by Malitas in 1989.