Chapters: Air Mali, Wien Air Alaska, Puno Airlines, Jet 24, Jetair, Sunbird Aviation. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 27. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Societe Nationale Air Mali, or Air Mali as it was most commonly known, was the former national airline of the Republic of Mali. In June 1960, the Federal Assemnly of the newly independent Mali Federation voted to set up a new national airline to be known as Air Mali. Societe Nationale Air Mali was founded by the Malian government on 27 October 1960 with the intent of becoming the newly independent country's national airline. When the airline was founded, the legislation under which the airline was setup gave the airline exclusive rights on domestic flights, and international flights from the country to the outside world. The company which was founded with start up capital of CFA50,000,000, was given the right to sell up to 45% of its shares to private investors, however, very few were sold. Technical assistance was provided to the airline by the Soviet airline Aeroflot, which also provided equipment for the airline to begin operations. The British government donated three ex-British European Airways Douglas DC-3s, which the British purchased for GBP70,000. The airline began flight operations in 1961, but initially only operated executive services for government officials from Bamako to various administratives centres around the country, and joined the International Air Transport Association in July 1961. The first domestic route which was taken over from Air France was one which linked Bamako to Gao on the River Niger, the once capital of the Songhai Empire. Prior to taking over the flight, Air France operated a weekly service with Douglas DC-4 equipment, and once flights were inaugurated by Air Mali, service was increased to ...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=2579071