Sabena 1923 as the national carrier of Belgium. The airline was created by the Belgian government after its predecessor SNETA ("Syndicat national pour l'étude des transports aériens", National Syndicate for the Study of Aerial Transports) - formed in 1919 to pioneer commercial aviation in Belgium - ceased operations. Sabena operated its first commercial flight from Brussels to London (UK) on 1 July 1923, via Ostend. Services to Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Strasbourg (France) were launched on 1 April 1924. The Strasbourg service was extended to Basle (Switzerland) on 10 June 1924. Amsterdam (Netherlands) was added on 1 September 1924, and Hamburg (Germany)
Association of European Airlines Association of European Airlines The Association of European Airlines (AEA) was a trade body that brought together 22 major airlines, and was the voice of the European airline industry for over 60 years. It shut down in the end of 2016. AEA worked in partnership with the institutions of the European Union and other stakeholders in the value chain, to ensure the sustainable growth of the European airline industry in a global context. Upon its demise in 2016, AEA Member Airlines carried over 300 million passengers and 4.5 million tonnes of cargo and provided direct employment to 270,000 people. They