The Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens was a pioneering French airline established 20 March 1919 and operating until merged with Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes to form Air Union on 1 January 1923. Headquartered at 3, Rue d'Anjou, Paris, CGEA operated passenger flights from Le Bourget Paris to London's Croydon Aerodrome and also to Lausanne, eventually adding Geneva service in late October 1921. They flew Farman F.60 Goliath aircraft, a design converted from an earlier bomber into a luxury cabin aircraft. They also purchased a ten-passenger Vickers Vimy Commercial, also a converted bomber design.

Accidents and incidents

Innovation

CGEA's chief pilot René Labouchère together with Raoul Badin defined the first IFR control panel in 1922, which they called the "Contrôleur de vol Badin" (en: Badin flight controller). The following year it was made mandatory equipment on all transport flights.