Central African Airways

Central African Airways

Salisbury

Central African Airways Corporation was formed on 1st June, 1946 under the joint ownership of the Governments of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It was the national airline of the Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland.

The airline provided a comprehensive service within Central Africa, up north to Dar-es-Salaam and Nairobi, south to Johannesburg, east to Beira and Lourenco Marques, and west to Elizabethville. It also provided a twice-weekly coach service to London known as the Zambezi Service.

In 1951, the airline began it’s Airways Letter Service.

When the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved in 1963, Zambia Airways and Air Malawi were founded as wholly owned subsidiaries of Central African Airways, taking over the route network in the respective countries.

In 1965, Air Rhodesia was founded as a third CAA subsidiary. Thenceforth, only the prestigious international flights from Salisbury to London and Johannesburg were operated under the Central African Airways brand. In 1967, Zambia Airways, Air Malawi and Air Rhodesia decided to become independent of each other, and CAA was disestablished.

Events

1956

• 1956.07.20 – First Flight between London, Central and South Africa by Rhodesian Viscounts 
• 1956.05.28 – First Flight of Vickers Viscount (Salisbury – Ndola)

1955

• 1955.04.01 – First Airways Letter Service

1954

• 1954.11.07 – First Direct Air-Mail (Durban – Ndola – Lusaka)
• 1954.04.03 – First Direct Air-Mail (Salisbury – Durban)

1953

• 1953.04.04 – Zambezi London Service (Coach Fares)

1951

• 1951.08.10 – First Direct Air-Mail (Salisbury – Bulawayo – Lourenco Marques) 

1950

• 1950.04.01 – First Direct Airmail (Johannesburg – Salisbury – Blantyre – Dar-es-Salaam)

Letter Cards

• Type I – For Fast Flights Over South East & Central Africa

Postcards

• John Waddington Ltd: Central African Airways – Type I

Stamp Releases

• 1966 – 20th Anniversary of Central African Airways

References

• Journal of the Rhodesian Study Circle No.50
• Journal of the Rhodesian Study Circle No.122
• Journal of the Rhodesian Study Circle No.124

Contributors

• Keith Harrop
• Terrence Devine