Aviation and the oldest Airlines

[Jopa79]

The 1920's. A Junkers plane here owned by one of the oldest airlines still active today.

An airline is a company or an enterprise which delivers mail and cargo, transports passengers by air. Usually airlines own their fleets by themselves, but renting it is also common.

The question is, may you name some of the oldest airlines still active (change in the airline's name doesn't affect) today? Do you have a story why a certain airline ceased to exist? How did people react when the aviation and the airlines were established - madness or a real sense step?

Furthermore, why certain airlines expanded their industry, becoming as national or multinational banks and moneylenders? Or do you have a similar story to tell?

Points for those whom can tell which airline and a plane is pictured in the photo.

 

[Wootles]

Points for those whom can tell which airline and a plane is pictured in the photo.

Finnair? I was thinking about KLM first (old, still operational and trade relations with Germany), but it seems the plane is outfitted with skies which only makes sense in a country with pretty harsh winters.

 

[Jopa79]

Finnair?

Almost, but not quite.

 

[elektrizikekswerk]

A fairly old airline operated a fairly old plane until quite recently (2018).

I'm talking about Junkers Ju 52/3m D-AQUI.
I don't have any personal connection to this but it's quite impressive that this plane (which was the first plane enlisted as moving monument) was active from 1936 to 2018 (with some smaller pauses in between and one greater from '62 to '70). The last (and first) operator was Lufthansa, originally founded in 1926.

The time for this plane in active duty is over - most likely forever. While in routine maintenance some defects were found which couldn't be repaired without extensive re-engineering of some needed parts/tools and it was deemed likely that such things would happen more often. So it was decided "She belongs to a museum."

Picture from before 1940 as LN-DAH for Det Norske Luftfartsselskap (DNL):

The same plane in 2010:

Wikipedia article only in German - or at least no English direct link: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_52/3m_D-AQUI

 

[Jopa79]

A fairly old airline operated a fairly old plane until quite recently (2018).

I'm talking about Junkers Ju 52/3m D-AQUI.
I don't have any personal connection to this but it's quite impressive that this plane (which was the first plane enlisted as moving monument) was active from 1936 to 2018 (with some smaller pauses in between and one greater from '62 to '70). The last (and first) operator was Lufthansa, originally founded in 1926.

The time for this plane in active duty is over - most likely forever. While in routine maintenance some defects were found which couldn't be repaired without extensive re-engineering of some needed parts/tools and it was deemed likely that such things would happen more often. So it was decided "She belongs to a museum."

Picture from before 1940 as LN-DAH for Det Norske Luftfartsselskap (DNL):

The same plane in 2010:

Wikipedia article only in German - or at least no English direct link: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_52/3m_D-AQUI

Earned the retirement, I would say.

An other short story and a record of Junkers Ju 52 passenger plane is the incident of Aero O/Y’s plane, Kaleva-OH-ALL.

During the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States, Kaleva was shot down in peace-time while en route Tallinn-Helsinki. There’s no clear motive, but probably the diplomatic mail carried on Kaleva was the justification. As well, in the past there has been speculation that a part of the Estonian gold reserves would had been transported on Kaleva, also it was shortly assumed that the Estonian President, Konstantin Päts was trying to flee the country and the Soviets.

In anyway, a Soviet submarine arrived at the crash site, seized and captured over 100 kg of the diplomatic mail salvaged by Estonian fishermen first at the crash site. The two-man crew and seven diplomats were killed with no survivors. Despite the searching during past decades the wreck of Kaleva remains undiscovered.