Sabena Sabena livery, in which a lighter blue was used and the titles on the fuselage were in a more modern style. In June 1986 the first of two Boeing 747-300 aircraft joined the fleet, eventually replacing the older 747-100s. In an advertisement in "National Geographic" June 1982 (volume 161, no. 6) Sabena prided itself with a superior inflight service. "And unlike most European airlines Sabena still offers First Class service within Europe and all the way through." This advertisement also stated that "Sabena flies to 76 destinations on 4 continents" and used the slogan "belgian world airlines". In 1989 Sabena
Air Zaïre utilise its traffic rights and operate international flights. Sabena, which was partnered with Swissair and South African investors, and was initially offered a controlling 51% stake, purchased a 49.5% stake for a reported BFr100 million; the government would hold the controlling 50.5% stake. The airline was reorganised into Lignes Aériennes Congolaises, which began flights in 1997. Air Zaïre Air Zaïre was the national airline of Zaire. Its head office was located on the grounds of N'djili Airport in Kinshasa. "Air Congo" was originally formed in June 1961 as the national airline of the Congolese Republic, with Sabena providing both technical