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
Business class airline effort to financially survive before being shut down as an individually certificated independent airline by its new Republic Airways Holdings owners Of major, flag, legacy, national, network, mainline or non-mainline airline carriers. Business class airline A business class airline was an airline concept which emerged during the mid-first decade of the 21st century involving a number of airlines that operated all-business class service. Currently, only one all business class airline, La Compagnie, which was founded in 2013, provides an all business class service between Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Newark Liberty International Airport. Service is currently provided using