The beginning
Belgian interest for the aviation arrived early. Many private builders began to create aeroplanes from the beginning of the Century. Belgian Military
Air Force was created in 1910. King Albert I himself was fond of new techniques and his government then still ready to support initiatives helping the
development of the aviation.
The quick and surprising progresses of the aerial weapon in the Ist WW pushed some pioneers to launch a national air company. One year after the
end of the war, the SNETA (Société Nationale pour l'Etude des Transports Aériens) came to life. The beginnings were "heroics", the first planes
being mainly ex-war-machines, souvenirs of the conflict as some De Havilland DH-9 which desserved London, Amsterdam or Paris, taking off from
Haren airfield, the then airfield of Brussels.
But Belgian territory was not limited to Europe... At that time it was extended to the colony on African soil: the Belgian Congo. The liaisons were
mainly maritime and it took many weeks to travel from Antwerp to Goma and Léopoldville! The plane was, without doubt, the future for the liaison
Europe/ Africa. In 1920, using a few seaplanes (as the triplace Levy-Lepen), the LARA (Ligne Aérienne du Roi Albert) could assure internal liaisons
in the Colony, covering the important distance between Léopoldville and Stanleyville by flying over Congo river.
Devlopment of the national airline
A tri-engined Fokker F VIIb/3m of Sabena photographed at Haren in the early 30's.
All those attempts (SNETA & LARA) were concretized when, on 23 May 1923, SABENA (Société Aérienne Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation
Aérienne) was born. The capital of the company was in the hands of both private interests and the state. The new airline expended quickly, each year
new liaisons being created:
1924: to Switzerland (Brussels-Strasbourg-Basel).
1925: using a Handley-Page W 8, the crew Edmond THIEFFRY (one of the greater Belgian aces of Ist WW), Léopold ROGER (co-pilot) and
Joseph "Jef" DE BRUYCKER (engineer) made the first daring flight between Brussels and Léopoldville (in 51 days ... but only 75
flight-hours!).
1926: Brussels was linked to London.
1927: first regular flight in the Belgian Congo: from Boma to Elisabethville via Léopoldville.
1928 and 1929: Germany, the ex-enemy, saw the Belgian civilian planes at Köln (Cologne), Düsseldorf and Hamburg.
1931: first flight to Copenhague.
1932: Berlin.
1935: Lille (France) and Stockholm were the new landing places. At that time, King Leopold III (another Belgian sovereign interested in new
tecnics) had married the Swedish princess Astrid and Sweden was nearly a part of Belgium in the heart of many inhabitants of that country.
That year, a regular flight Brussels/Léopoldville war inaugurated, the first Fokker F-VII receiving very normally the honour name "Edmond
THIEFFRY".
1937: Prague.
1938: Vienna... and so on ....
Belgium is a little country but Sabena started liaisons between Brussels and Antwerp. A more uncommon service was the weekend flight
between
Brussels, Antwerp and Knokke permitting to businessmen to rejoin their families for the Friday evening. The return trip on the Monday permitted to
be at the office at 9 O'clock.
The material followed the civil aviation development. The Belgian national company bought the best planes for the period. The time of using
ex-military planes was closed. In the Sabena, flew the Dutch Fokker F VII, the Italian SM S-73 and S-83, the German Ju 52 (very useful in the harsh
conditions of the colony!), the American DC-3,.... Some of these machines were locally produced by SABCA (Société Belge de Construction
Aéronautique) under license.
Sabena ordered nine Junkers Ju 52/3mge in 1936. OO-AGV as shown here at Haren, was the second Ju 52 delivered to Sabena.
The end of the growing
The beginning of 2nd WW stopped the activities of Sabena. In the phoney war, the civilian planes were mainly painted in orange wearing in great
black letters the word "Belgique-België" proving that those planes were neutral. By chance, there were no incidents from September 39 to 9 May 40.
However, operations were limited, Belgium being surrounded by belligerents. For example, the Terminus of the Congo road was temporally moved
from Brussels to Marseilles.
On 10 May 1940, the Belgian airfields were bombed but, excepted a few planes, the Sabena machines could "escape" to Hendon. After a very
surprising contract with the Sabena attaché in London, the transport planes (with their crews!) were "hired" to the RAF and included in British
Squadrons (as 24 Sq.).
Sabena DC-3-227B seen at Shoreham in May 1940.
Later that same month it entered service with No 24 Squadron RAF.
They flew mainly supply missions from England to the mainland, some being destroyed by the german Flak or fighters, civilian crewmen being killed
or captured. A mission to Merville on 23 May turned into disaster, when three Sabena planes (two Savoia and one DC-3) were lost. Many crewmen
decided then to "desert" and operate for the Belgian military schools evacuated in French Marocco. Those crews continued to fly after Belgian
armistice (28 May 40) but had to stop all activities after the Fall of France (18 June 1940). The still-flying planes were therefore parted between the
victors, the Italians receiving the Savoia, the Germans at least a DC-3. That American plane survived the war as the personal plane of General
CHRISTIANSEN (who, for the anecdote, was in 1918 a well-known pilot in the German airbase of Zeebrugge, on the Belgian coast).
But, in the Colony, the planes still in service continued to operate for the Allied cause, Belgian Congo having rejoined Great Britain and the
Commonwealth. So, regular flights existed between Léopoldville and London (via Lisbonne). For the anecdote, Sabena inherited from some Ju52's of
British origins, their previous operators finding too dangerous to continue to operate German aircraft in Europe. Fokker FVII were still used until the
arrival of more modern hardware in the form of a few Lockheed Lodestars.
After 2nd WW
On 10 July 1945, a Lodestar coming from Congo in the Sabena livery landed on Haren airfield after five years of hostility. All had to be rebuilt. To
recruit crewmen, it was asked to pilots who served in the war in the RAF or the SAAF to become civilian pilots. It was a difficult choice for many of
them who did not want to become "truck drivers" but those who decide to come back to civilian life(as, e.g., A. GENDEBIEN, G.
HALLEUX, J.
ESTER, G. JASPIS, ....) did never regret their decision.
A Sabena Douglas DC-7C being prepared at Melsbroek.
IInd WW saw too devlopment of the airplanes and the beginning of the "jet age". Sabena started operation on the Atlantic with DC-4 followed by
DC-6, liaisons with Belgian Congo were also improved... Others commuters planes (Convair 440, Dove, Heron Bristol 170,...) were bought by the
Belgian Company which developped its liaisons in Europe, in the Congo and all over the world. Haren airfield became to tiny and the new national
Belgian airport was built and developed at Brussels-Evere. During the Korea war, some Sabena planes took part in the air-bridge from Europe to
Asia carrying troops and cargo loads under contracts of the USAF.
In the fifties, Sabena was also of the first company to operate helicopters for liaison from town to town from Brussels to Paris and Köln in Germany.
In Brussels the Sikorsky S59 operated from the centre of the town.
The Brussels' World exhibition in 1958 signified new challenges for Sabena. Belgium build a new airport in Zaventem, still know as the Brussels
national airport. Sabena ordered Boeing 707's and leased Lockheed Constellations to carry the thousands of visitors coming in Brussels.
The 707's were extensively used during the troubles following the Congo independence in 1960 to evacuate Europeans from the country. It will not be
the last time since, all crisis in the new independent country will signify the mobilisation of the Sabena for humanitarian flights until the end of the
eighties.
All along the last thirties years, new types entered service with what was then called the Belgian World airline: Caravelle, Boeing 727, 737, 747. The
technical department of Sabena acquired some expertise maintaining the company fleet. Some other company contracted Sabena to maintain their
fleet. It was the start of a new success story. Sabena technical Dept maintained ans still maintain and upgrade the Hercules fleet of the Belgian air
force based on the other side of of the Zaventem airport in Melsbroek.
Today
After a very pleasant period, the crisis of the 70's hitted the Sabena as many aerial civilian companies. In the 60's and 70's, choices had to be made
and, following responsibles, some mistakes were made. True or not? It is easy to judge that after the facts... As too many Western Europe companies,
Sabena lost money and had to find new ways.
The recent links with Swissair was one of the possible solutions to take on the
new millennium, but unfortunately Sabena could not avoid bankruptcy and this
also meant that one of the oldest airline companies in the world disappeared as
actor in this very turbulent business
