Cameroon Airlines was an airline from Cameroon, serving as flag carrier of the country. Based in Douala, it operated scheduled services within Africa, as well as to Europe and the Middle East out of its hub at Douala International Airport, with a second network focus on Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport. The company was 96.43 percent state-owned, with the remaining shares having been held by Air France. It ceased operations in March 2008; its role as Cameroon's flag carrier was taken over by Camair-Co. The company slogan was, To serve you better.

History

Cameroon Airlines was founded in 1971 (it was operating as early as 1973) in an effort to create a national Cameroonian airline, as until then domestic and international flight operations at the airports in the country were mostly executed by multi-national Air Afrique. Scheduled flights between Douala and Yaoundé were launched on 1 November of that year with an initial fleet of two Boeing 737-200 aircraft. Shortly thereafter, international flights to Rome and Paris commenced using an ex-Air France Boeing 707, which was replaced by a larger and more modern Boeing 747-200 in 1981. (This aircraft remained in service with Cameroon Airlines until 2000 when it was severely damaged in Flight 070, see below.) Over the years, Cameroon Airlines was plagued by financial difficulties, which came along with a poor safety and maintenance record. On 16 September 2005, the airline was indefinitely banned by the French Civil Aviation Authority from operating its Paris route. In an effort to save the airline from bankruptcy, the Government of Cameroon signed an agreement with SN Airholding, the parent company of Brussels Airlines to ensure the future funding. The plans did not materialize, though. Instead, on 11 September 2006, the launch of Camair-Co as new national airline was announced. Cameroon Airlines stayed operational until March 2008, though flight operations had only taken place at irregular intervals over those final years.

Route network

During the 1970s

At that time, the Cameroon Airlines fleet consisted of two Boeing 737-200 and two Douglas DC-4 aircraft for short haul flights, as well as one Boeing 707-300 for long haul flights to Europe. Scheduled destinations included: CameroonAirlinesParisFrance.JPG as it appeared in 2010.]]

During the 1990s

Cameroon Airlines had scaled down the domestic route network in a cost-saving measure, relying on the larger sub-Saharan cities as well as some European destinations: Cameroon Airlines Boeing 737-300 Volpati.jpg at Charles de Gaulle Airport in 1998.]] Boeing 767-231(ER), Cameroon Airlines AN1072040.jpg of Cameroon Airlines at Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2001.]]

Fleet

Over the years, Cameroon Airlines operated the following aircraft types:

Accidents and incidents