Sabena airliners which were augmented and later replaced by Douglas DC-6Bs. The DC-4s also restarted the airline's traditional route to the Belgian Congo. Sabena was the first airline to introduce transatlantic schedules from the north of England, when one of its DC-6Bs inaugurated the Brussels-Manchester-New York route on 28 October 1953. The Convair 240 was introduced in 1949 to partially replace the DC-3s that until then had flown most European services. As of 1956, improved Convair 440 "Metropolitan" twins began replacing the Convair 240 twins and were used successfully well into the 1960s between European regional destinations. In 1957, the long-range
Turkmenistan Airlines Turkmenistan Airlines Turkmenistan Airlines () is the flag carrier airline of Turkmenistan, headquartered in Ashgabat. It operates domestic and international passenger and cargo services mainly from its hub at Ashgabat International Airport. The State national service Turkmenistan Airlines was founded on 4 May 1992. In 1992, Turkmenistan Airlines became the first airline in the former Soviet Union to purchase a Boeing 737-300. In April 1993, Turkmenistan became a full member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The first flight on a cargo aircraft IL-76 was completed April 19, 1993 from Ashgabat-Brest. From 2001, the airline phased out its Soviet-era