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
Mount Cook Airline Mount Cook Airline Mount Cook Airline, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand, is a regional airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Formerly part of the Mount Cook Group, it now operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand. The airline operates the ATR 72-500 and ATR 72-600 aircraft, and all its aircraft wear the Air New Zealand livery. Its main base is Christchurch International Airport. The airline was established and started operations in 1920 at Timaru by Rodolph Lysaght Wigley, who in 1906 had driven the first motor car to The Hermitage. Wigley bought five