Sabena Boeing 747s with four-engined Airbus A340. After the liberalisation of the airline industry throughout Europe and the economic consequences of the Gulf War, the Belgian government, the main shareholder of the company, realized that Sabena had little chance of surviving on its own in this very competitive market, and began searching for a suitable partner. Sabena remained in a poor financial state, and year after year the Belgian government had to cover losses, however, it was however prevented from providing new funds due to EU State Aid rules. Around 1987, SAS tried to merge with the carrier, but the merger
European Regions Airline Association European Regions Airline Association The European Regions Airline Association is the principal trade association representing intra-European regional airlines. It represents 52 airlines and 139 service providers (2017). The European Regions Airline Association was founded as the European Regional Airlines Association in 1980, by a small number of what were then known as "commuter airlines". The association is registered as a limited company in England & Wales. In the 2000s, the line between low-cost airlines serving regional airports close to high-traffic areas and actual regional airlines became blurry, and the scope of ERA's potential members grew much bigger. The congestion of