11/07/2001: Belgian Carrier Sabena Makes Its Last Flight

DALLAS — Today, in 2001, the Belgian flag carrier, Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne, or Sabena (SN), ceased operations. The final flight SN690, operated by an Airbus A340-300 (OO-SCZ), touched down in Brussels (BRU) from Abidjan (ABJ) via Cotonou (COO).

Sabena took to the air on July 1, 1923, with a flight from Brussels to London. The Belgian Government established the airline following the collapse of the previous national airline, NÉTA (Syndicat national pour l'étude des transports aériens).

African Connections

Belgians living in the Republic of Congo partially funded the airline. The French colony had lost its air services a year before and expected Sabena to fill the gap. So in 1925, SN commenced regular flights between BRU and various African countries.

This association with Africa continued throughout the carrier's turbulent history. Indeed, for many years, these routes were the only profitable side of the operation.

In 1990, SN was rebranded as Sabena, 'Belgian World Airlines.' A fleet renewal plan was implemented, and a new livery was introduced. However, the impact of the Gulf War and the European open-skies agreement hit the airline hard. The Belgian government looked at finding a partner to share the burden of managing the airline.

Swissair Partnership

In 1995, Swissair (SR) purchased 49% of Sabena as part of its "Hunter Strategy" expansion plans. A massive restructuring was set to turn around the ailing carrier. But SR was also struggling financially, with reports in 2000 estimating that both airlines were losing one million francs per day.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks were the final straw for both airlines. SR folded on October 2, 2001, while SN managed to limp for another month after filing for legal protection.

Featured image: A Sabena Airbus A310 seen in 1985.