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 Single European Sky", a set of proposals to strengthen the legislative basis for the Single European Sky. In July 2013, when the European commission called for all state subsidies for airports to end within 10 years, the ERA criticized the proposal, arguing that this decision will have a negative impact on the development of regional airlines and airports. In 2014, the ERA pledged for a hiatus of the European Union Emissions Trading System until a compromise with other international authorities could be reached. The European Regions Airline Association makes an annual regional "Airport of the Year" award, which in 2016