Aviation Trivia: Top 5 Oldest Airlines in World - KLM, Qantas and More

Meet the top 5 oldest airlines of the world that are still operational today with origins in different parts of the world; The list includes names like Qantas, American Airlines, and more.

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The business of transporting people through air transport, though seemingly young, has been around for a long time. There are multiple airlines in the world that have been operating for decades. To add a reference, the first scheduled flight by airlines carrying passengers was in 1914, a time when the world was to enter the chaos of World War I. However, the aviation industry in India is relatively young, with the oldest airline being Air India which started in 1932. But here we have focused on the oldest airline in the world. Hence, here is the list of the top 10 oldest airlines around the world.

KLM

KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) is recognised as the oldest airline in the world that continues to serve in its original name, Established in October 1919; the airline took its first flight in May 1920 between London and Amsterdam. However, the Dutch flag carrier began its long-haul service in 1924 with the first flight to Jakarta (earlier known as Batavia). Being an airline of the early 20th century, the airline survived World War II and is now operating under a partnership as Air France-KLM group.

Qantas

Australian carrier Qantas holds its name among the oldest airlines in the world, with its foundations dating back to November 1920. The widely known name Qantas of the carrier is an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, which began its scheduled services in 1922 as a government mail contract and later began passenger services in 1924. However, the airline only began its international services ten years later, in 1934 in collaboration with Imperial Airways (now British Airways) as Qantas Empire Airways. 

The history and ownership of the airline changed after the second world war, after which it was nationalised and was later developed to begin its jet services in 1959 with a Boeing 707. The airline again faced a rough patch during the Covid-19 pandemic. Though, the airline aims for further development with its Project Sunrise.

Aeroflot

Aeroflot, an airline with Russian origins, was conceived in July 1923. The airline was originally named Dobrolet when it began its flight operations. However, after multiple changes and partnerships of oragnisations the airline got its current name. Like many other airlines that began life in the 20th century, the carrier survived a world war. However, this was not all, after the fall of the Soviet Union the airline faced another wave of changes.

After the airline was divided into several businesses, Aeroflot concentrated on operating international routes out of Moscow. In the 2000s, this altered once more when Aeroflot engaged in more open competition. Although it is a small fraction of what it once was, it is still Russia's largest airline. In its current operations, the airline employs 370 aircraft.

Delta Airlines

Huff Daland Dusters is the name that Delta Airlines initially had when it used to be a crop dusting company in Georgia in March 1925. The airline transformed and began its passenger services in 1929. After this, the airline went through multiple mergers for its growth and expansion. In 1972, Delta and Northeast Airlines combined, assuming control of the majority of Pan Am's European routes. In 2008, it once more merged with Northwest Airlines.

American Airlines has a complicated history behind its decades of operations. The oldest airline, American Airways, dates back to 1927 when a number of airlines merged to operate under a single name in the 1930s. Businessman C.R. Smith served as the airline's first CEO after E.L. Cord acquired American Airways and changed its name to American Airlines in 1934. After this, the airline went through multiple mergers and acquisitions to get to its current position with the latest of the mergers with US Airways in 2013.