Sabena Congo, caused thousands of Belgians to flee the country. The Belgian government commandeered Sabena's entire long haul fleet to get the refugees back to Europe. Independence also meant the end of the impressive regional network of routes that the airline had built up in the Congo since 1924. When the new republic began its own airline, Air Congo, in June 1961, Sabena held 30 percent of that airline's shares. The Douglas DC-6Bs remained in service with Sabena in the mid-1960s although they were no longer used on the airline's main routes. The Boeing 707s and Caravelles became the mainstay types
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