Yesterday's Airlines
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Links
  • My Fleets
    • My Hobby Room >
      • The Old Hobby Room
    • US Trunk Fleets >
      • My American Airlines Fleet
      • My Braniff Intnl Fleet
      • My Continental Fleet
      • My Delta Air Lines Fleet
      • My Eastern Air Lines Fleet
      • My National Airlines Fleet
      • My Northeast / Capital Fleet
      • My Northwest Airlines Fleet
      • My Pan Am Fleet
      • My TWA Fleet
      • My United Airlines Fleet
      • My Western Airlines Fleet
    • US Local Service Fleets >
      • My Frontier Airlines Fleet
      • My Hughes Airwest Fleet
      • My Ozark Airlines Fleet
      • My Republic Airlines Fleet
      • My Texas Int Fleet
    • US Other Fleets >
      • My Alaska Airlines Fleet
      • My Hawaiian / Aloha Fleet
      • My PSA Fleet
      • My Flying Tigers Fleet
      • My World Airways Fleet
    • UK Fleets >
      • My BEA Fleet >
        • BEA / BA Fleet Video
      • My BOAC Fleet >
        • BOAC Fleet Video
      • My British Airways Fleet
    • China Fleets
    • Russian Fleet >
      • Russian Fleet Video
    • Fleet Videos >
      • US Trunk Airlines
    • Aviation Stickers >
      • ATR Stickers
      • A300 Stickers
      • DC-9 Stickers
      • DC-10 Stickers
  • Aviation Blogs
    • Airline History Blog
    • Model Blog
  • Airline Dev
    • CANADA >
      • Canadian Mainline
      • Canadian Charters & LCCs
      • Canadian Regionals
    • CHINA >
      • The Big Three
      • Hainan Airlines Group
      • Other Chinese Airlines
    • MEXICO >
      • 1921-1988: Duopoly to a monopoly
      • 1988-2005: Competition arrives
      • 2005-2011: Low cost in Mexico
      • 2011-2014: Strength to strength
    • RUSSIA >
      • Aeroflot Group
      • S7 Airlines & AiRUnion
      • Other Russian Airlines
    • SOUTH AFRICA
    • UNITED KINGDOM >
      • BA Genealogy Pt1
      • BA Genealogy Pt2
      • BA Genealogy Pt3
      • BUIA & BUAF Genealogies
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt1
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt2
      • BEA Liveries 1946-1974
      • BOAC Liveries 1939-1974
      • BA Liveries 1974-2015
    • UNITED STATES >
      • Trunk & Local Service Airlines >
        • American / TWA Genealogy
        • Delta / Northwest Genealogy
        • United / Continental Genealogy
        • Braniff / Eastern / US Airways Genealogy
      • Territorial Airlines
      • Intra-State Airlines
      • Supplemental Airlines
      • Deregulation Startups 1
      • Deregulation Startups 2
      • Trunk Airline Livery Changes 1959-1980
  • Airports
    • Dowse National Airport >
      • Gallery 1: Chicago c.1966
      • Gallery 2: Miami c.1970
    • Wright Field Municipal >
      • Wright Field Video Tour
    • Xin Long International
    • Imogenia Intnl 1/600 Scale
    • Real Airport Histories >
      • Albany International
      • Dallas Love Field
      • Rochester International Pt1
      • Rochester International Pt2
      • San Francisco - 1927-1959
      • San Francisco - 1959-1978
      • San Francisco - 1978-2015
      • San Jose International
      • San Jose International Pt2
  • Mould Reviews
    • Airbus >
      • Airbus A300
      • Airbus A310
      • Airbus A320
      • Airbus A330-200/300
      • Airbus A330-200F
    • Boeing >
      • Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser
      • Boeing 707-120/138/720
      • Boeing 707-320/420
      • Boeing 727-100
      • Boeing 727-200
      • Boeing 737-100/200
      • Boeing 737-300/400/500
      • Boeing 737NG
      • Boeing 747-100/200
      • Boeing 747SP
      • Boeing 757-200
      • Boeing 767-200
      • Boeing 767-300
      • Boeing 777-200
    • British >
      • BAC One-Eleven 200-500
      • BAE-146 / Avro RJ-85-100
      • De Havilland DH-106 Comet
      • Hawker Siddeley Trident
      • Shorts 360
      • Vickers VC10
      • Vickers Viscount
    • Douglas >
      • Douglas DC-3 / C-47
      • Douglas DC-6
      • Douglas DC-7
      • Douglas DC-7C
      • Douglas DC-8-10-50
      • Douglas DC-8-60s/70s
      • Douglas DC-9
      • McDonnell Douglas DC-10
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-11
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-80
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-90
    • Lockheed >
      • Lockheed Constellation
      • Lockheed Super Connie
      • Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
      • Lockheed L-188 Electra
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 1
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 500
    • Other >
      • Convair CV-240-580
      • Convair CV-880/990
      • Curtiss C-46
      • Fairchild F-27 / Fokker F27
      • Fairchild-Hiller FH-227
      • SE 210 Caravelle
    • Russian >
      • Ilyushin IL-62
      • Ilyushin IL-86/IL-96
      • Tupolev TU-154B-2/M
  • Real As It Gets
    • Real As It Gets - 1/200
    • Real As It Gets - Africa
    • Real As It Gets - Asia
    • Real As It Gets - China
    • Real As It Gets - Europe
    • Real As It Gets - Middle East
    • Real As It Gets - N America
    • Real As It Gets - Oceania
    • Real As It Gets - Russia
    • Real As It Gets - S America

Air Madagascar Pt1: The Traveller's Guide

2/11/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and a biodiversity hotspot like no other. Since the end of WW2 aircraft operations from the island have gradually spread their wings, even as the nation has gone through its fair share of turbulence. In part 1 we take a look at the airline's development through to 1979. Incidentally the logo of Air Madagascar depicts the Traveler's Palm which got its name because of the reservoir of pure water at the bottom of each leaf stalk and its alleged ability to guide travellers by aligning itself east-west.
Air Madagascar can trace its routes back to 1947 when the French airline TAI setup Société Nationale Malgache de Transports Aériens to feed its and Air France's own routes to what was then French Madagascar. The fleet during the 1950s consisted of a pair (later three) of DC-3s and 6 Dragon Rapides. Throughout the 1950s the island drifted peacefully towards independence with the Malagasy Republic being setup in October 1958 and full independence in June 1960.
In April 1961 Air Madagascar was reorganised as MADAIR (though that name was short-lived due to the comic properties of the title and Air Madagascar was readopted on October 14, 1962). Long haul services began shortly afterwards in October using a DC-7 leased from TAI to connect Antananarivo with Paris via Djibouti. The rest of the airline's fleet consisted of 4 DC-3s and still 6 Dragon Rapides. The domestic network included services to around 58 points in Madagascar. Majority ownership at this time was still with Air France (44%) and TAI (36%), with the government owning only 20%.
Throughout the First Republic (1960-72) Madagascar continued to have strong ties to its former colonial master France. This manifested itself in continued strong support from French airlines even after the Madagascan government increased its share of ownership to 30.44% in May 1963. In August 1963 Jacques Alexandre, formerly of Air Afrique, tookover general manager duties and regional services to the Comores Islands began using ex Air France DC-4s (5R-MAD and MAE), which had been delivered in January and March. Further DC-4s would join throughout the 1960s and though 5R-MAD was written off in July 1967 killing 42 the other 5 all served into the early-mid 1970s.
Air Madagascar really entered the international stage in July 1964 after an agreement was reached with Air France to lease one of its 707-328s to operate the Paris via Djibouti route. The aircraft, F-BHSK, wore Air Madagascar colours  (note the small hawk and palm logo on the lower forward fuselage) but was operated with an Air France crew (basically a wet-lease). This continued until April 1967 when the turbojet was replaced by another ex-Air France 707, but this time a turbofan 328B, which had been on lease to Air Afrique as TU-TXI, and later M, for about a year.
The aircraft didn't take up its Madagascan registry 5R-MFK until July 1973. By then the 707 routes were a thrice weekly connection to Paris via Djibouti and either Rome or Marseille as well as a much shorter Antananarivo-Mauritius-St Denis service. The route map throughout the 1970s stayed stable with the only addition being the substitution of Nairobi for one of the Djibouti stopovers.


Regional routes operated by the DC-4s in the 1960s included Reunion, Comores and Johannesburg. By 1968 the fleet consisted of 1 707-328B, 2 DC-4s, 6 DC-3s and a single Nord 262 (fitted out as an executive model), 3 Dragon Rapides, 2 Beech 18s and various Pipers. Another DC-4 arrived that year to replace the crashed 5R-MAD but a step-change in capability didn't occur until September 1969 when the airline's first 737-200 (5R-MFA 'Boina') was delivered. Initially the aircraft's utilisation was shared with SAA (who also undertook its maintenance). Flown out to Johannesburg on a Saturday it returned to Madagsacar on a Thursday. It did however allow regional routes to Dar es Salaam and Nairobi to be opened up and replaced DC-4s on some domestic services in 1972. Gradually the 737 tookover DC-4 routes to places like the Comores and in December 1972 a sistership, 5R-MFB 'Sambirano', arrived.


Until 1971 DC-3s were still the mainstay of the domestic fleet but in that year the acquisition of 4 DHC-6 Twin Otters enabled four of the Daks to be transferred to the military. The fleet in 1974 consisted of 1 707-328B, 2 737-200s, 3 DC-4s, 1 DC-3, 1 Nord 262, 5 DHC-6s and a variety of smaller Piper twins.

Right: Air Madagascar's hawk and travelers palm logo
Picture
The 1970s was not a happy time in Madagascar. The pro-French administration of President Philibert Tsiranana was overthrown in 1972 by a militay coup. In the next three years there were a series of military leaders (one of whom was assassinated). There was a political alignment with a socialist-marxist doctrine and the Eastern-Bloc which allied to fallout from the 1973 oil crisis caused the collapse of the nation's economy. The Second Republic (1975-93) faced bankruptcy in 1979 and was forced to accept anti-corruption and free market conditions set by the IMF and World Bank before it was bailed out. Services to South Africa were suspended due to Apartheid however the international bailout did allow Air Madagascar to re-equip. This re-equipment included HS-748s but more importantly renewal of long-haul services with a single massive widebody.
The airline's single 707 was returned to Air France where she became F-BLLB. By 1983 she was with Libyan Arab Airlines where she became 5A-DLT. At the end of 1986 her last operator was ZAS Airlines of Egypt as SU-DAJ but after only six months she was stored at Davis Monthan Air Force Base for use in the KC-135 spares programme.

We'll continue the airline's story in part 2.
1 Comment
BWI-ROCman
4/11/2015 06:18:20 am

Fascinating history. Given that Madagascar is an island, it had to be especially important to get workable air travel. The Aeroclassics Air Madagascar 707 sits barely a foot from my left elbow in the 70's section at my desk. A terrific model.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm Richard Stretton: a fan of classic airliners and airlines who enjoys exploring their history through my collection of die-cast airliners. If you enjoy the site please donate whatever you can to help keep it running:


    RSS Feed


    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    2015 Review
    2016 Review
    2017 Review
    Aeroclassics
    African Airlines
    Airbus A300
    Airbus A310
    Airbus A319
    Airbus A320
    Airbus A321
    Airbus A330
    Airbus A340
    Airbus A350
    Airbus A380
    Air China
    Airlines Of Africa
    Airlines Of Asia
    Airlines Of Australasia
    Airlines Of C America
    Airlines Of Canada
    Airlines Of China
    Airlines Of Europe
    Airlines Of Middle East
    Airlines Of Russia
    Airlines Of S America
    Airlines Of The UK
    Airlines Of The USA
    Alaska Airlines
    Aloha Airlines
    American Airlines
    America West Airlines
    Antonov AN-124
    Apollo
    ATR-72
    Aurora Models
    BAC One-Eleven
    Big Bird
    Blue Box
    Boeing 707
    Boeing 717
    Boeing 720
    Boeing 727
    Boeing 737
    Boeing 747
    Boeing 757
    Boeing 767
    Boeing 777
    Boeing 787
    Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser
    Braniff International
    Bristol Britannia
    British Aerospace BAE-146
    British Airways
    British European (BEA)
    Canadair C-4 North Star
    Capital Airlines
    Cathay Pacific
    Central American Airlines
    Chicago & Southern
    China Eastern
    China Southern
    Concorde
    Continental Airlines
    Convair 240
    Convair 440
    Convair 580
    Convair 880
    Convair 990
    Curtiss C-46 Commando
    Delta Air Lines
    DH-106 Comet 4
    Douglas DC-3
    Douglas DC-4
    Douglas DC-6
    Douglas DC-7
    Douglas DC-7C
    Douglas DC-8
    Douglas DC-9
    Dragon Wings
    Eastern Air Lines
    Embraer 190
    Embraer ERJ-145
    Fairchild F-27
    Fairchild FH-227
    Fokker 50
    Fokker F100
    Fokker F27
    Fokker F28
    Freighters
    Gemini Jets
    Handley Page Herald
    Herpa
    HS-748
    HS Trident
    Ilyushin IL-62
    Ilyushin IL-76
    Ilyushin IL-86
    Ilyushin IL-96
    JC Wings
    Jet X
    Jet-X
    Lockheed Constellation
    Lockheed Hercules
    Lockheed L-1011 Tristar
    Lockheed L-188 Electra
    Lufthansa
    MD-11
    MD-80
    MD-90
    MDD DC-10
    NAMC YS-11
    National Airlines
    Northwest Airlines
    Oceania Airlines
    Pan Am
    Panda Models
    Phoenix Models
    SE-210 Caravelle
    Shorts-360
    Trans-world-airlines-twa
    Trans-world-airlines-twa
    Tupolev TU-144
    Tupolev TU-154
    United Airlines
    USAir
    Vickers VC10
    Vickers Viscount
    Western Airlines
    Witty Wings

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Links
  • My Fleets
    • My Hobby Room >
      • The Old Hobby Room
    • US Trunk Fleets >
      • My American Airlines Fleet
      • My Braniff Intnl Fleet
      • My Continental Fleet
      • My Delta Air Lines Fleet
      • My Eastern Air Lines Fleet
      • My National Airlines Fleet
      • My Northeast / Capital Fleet
      • My Northwest Airlines Fleet
      • My Pan Am Fleet
      • My TWA Fleet
      • My United Airlines Fleet
      • My Western Airlines Fleet
    • US Local Service Fleets >
      • My Frontier Airlines Fleet
      • My Hughes Airwest Fleet
      • My Ozark Airlines Fleet
      • My Republic Airlines Fleet
      • My Texas Int Fleet
    • US Other Fleets >
      • My Alaska Airlines Fleet
      • My Hawaiian / Aloha Fleet
      • My PSA Fleet
      • My Flying Tigers Fleet
      • My World Airways Fleet
    • UK Fleets >
      • My BEA Fleet >
        • BEA / BA Fleet Video
      • My BOAC Fleet >
        • BOAC Fleet Video
      • My British Airways Fleet
    • China Fleets
    • Russian Fleet >
      • Russian Fleet Video
    • Fleet Videos >
      • US Trunk Airlines
    • Aviation Stickers >
      • ATR Stickers
      • A300 Stickers
      • DC-9 Stickers
      • DC-10 Stickers
  • Aviation Blogs
    • Airline History Blog
    • Model Blog
  • Airline Dev
    • CANADA >
      • Canadian Mainline
      • Canadian Charters & LCCs
      • Canadian Regionals
    • CHINA >
      • The Big Three
      • Hainan Airlines Group
      • Other Chinese Airlines
    • MEXICO >
      • 1921-1988: Duopoly to a monopoly
      • 1988-2005: Competition arrives
      • 2005-2011: Low cost in Mexico
      • 2011-2014: Strength to strength
    • RUSSIA >
      • Aeroflot Group
      • S7 Airlines & AiRUnion
      • Other Russian Airlines
    • SOUTH AFRICA
    • UNITED KINGDOM >
      • BA Genealogy Pt1
      • BA Genealogy Pt2
      • BA Genealogy Pt3
      • BUIA & BUAF Genealogies
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt1
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt2
      • BEA Liveries 1946-1974
      • BOAC Liveries 1939-1974
      • BA Liveries 1974-2015
    • UNITED STATES >
      • Trunk & Local Service Airlines >
        • American / TWA Genealogy
        • Delta / Northwest Genealogy
        • United / Continental Genealogy
        • Braniff / Eastern / US Airways Genealogy
      • Territorial Airlines
      • Intra-State Airlines
      • Supplemental Airlines
      • Deregulation Startups 1
      • Deregulation Startups 2
      • Trunk Airline Livery Changes 1959-1980
  • Airports
    • Dowse National Airport >
      • Gallery 1: Chicago c.1966
      • Gallery 2: Miami c.1970
    • Wright Field Municipal >
      • Wright Field Video Tour
    • Xin Long International
    • Imogenia Intnl 1/600 Scale
    • Real Airport Histories >
      • Albany International
      • Dallas Love Field
      • Rochester International Pt1
      • Rochester International Pt2
      • San Francisco - 1927-1959
      • San Francisco - 1959-1978
      • San Francisco - 1978-2015
      • San Jose International
      • San Jose International Pt2
  • Mould Reviews
    • Airbus >
      • Airbus A300
      • Airbus A310
      • Airbus A320
      • Airbus A330-200/300
      • Airbus A330-200F
    • Boeing >
      • Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser
      • Boeing 707-120/138/720
      • Boeing 707-320/420
      • Boeing 727-100
      • Boeing 727-200
      • Boeing 737-100/200
      • Boeing 737-300/400/500
      • Boeing 737NG
      • Boeing 747-100/200
      • Boeing 747SP
      • Boeing 757-200
      • Boeing 767-200
      • Boeing 767-300
      • Boeing 777-200
    • British >
      • BAC One-Eleven 200-500
      • BAE-146 / Avro RJ-85-100
      • De Havilland DH-106 Comet
      • Hawker Siddeley Trident
      • Shorts 360
      • Vickers VC10
      • Vickers Viscount
    • Douglas >
      • Douglas DC-3 / C-47
      • Douglas DC-6
      • Douglas DC-7
      • Douglas DC-7C
      • Douglas DC-8-10-50
      • Douglas DC-8-60s/70s
      • Douglas DC-9
      • McDonnell Douglas DC-10
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-11
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-80
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-90
    • Lockheed >
      • Lockheed Constellation
      • Lockheed Super Connie
      • Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
      • Lockheed L-188 Electra
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 1
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 500
    • Other >
      • Convair CV-240-580
      • Convair CV-880/990
      • Curtiss C-46
      • Fairchild F-27 / Fokker F27
      • Fairchild-Hiller FH-227
      • SE 210 Caravelle
    • Russian >
      • Ilyushin IL-62
      • Ilyushin IL-86/IL-96
      • Tupolev TU-154B-2/M
  • Real As It Gets
    • Real As It Gets - 1/200
    • Real As It Gets - Africa
    • Real As It Gets - Asia
    • Real As It Gets - China
    • Real As It Gets - Europe
    • Real As It Gets - Middle East
    • Real As It Gets - N America
    • Real As It Gets - Oceania
    • Real As It Gets - Russia
    • Real As It Gets - S America
✕