List of government-owned airlines

The following is a list of government-owned airlines. The practice of government ownership of airlines, particularly flag carrier airlines, occurs in many countries. The following is a list of both airlines currently owned by a government, and former government-owned airlines.

Current government-owned airlines

Airline Country Stake
Aeroflot Russian Federation As of July 2025: 73.8%[1]
Aerogaviota Cuba 100%
Aerolíneas Argentinas Argentina As of December 2014: 100%[2]
Afriqiyah Airways Libya 100%[3]
Air Algérie Algeria As of December 2013: 100%[4]
Air Astana Kazakhstan 51%
Air Botswana Botswana 100%
Air Calédonie New Caledonia (France) 52.45%
Air Cambodia Cambodia 51%
Air Canada Canada 6.4%
Air China China 53.46%[5]
Air Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast As of April 2017: 58%[6]
Air Djibouti Djibouti Djibouti Government minor shareholder[7]
Air France France 28.6% (through the Air France–KLM holding company). Dutch state has a 9.3% stake[8]
Air Greenland (Greenlandair) Greenland 100%[9]
Air Kiribati Kiribati 100%[10]
Air Koryo North Korea 100%
Air Macau Macau 66.9% Air China (majority shareholder - Chinese government)
5% (minority shareholder - government of Macau)[11]
Air Madagascar Madagascar
Air Mauritius Mauritius
Air New Zealand New Zealand As of March 2020: 52%[12]
Air Niugini Papua New Guinea 60%[11]
Air Serbia Serbia 100%[13]
Air Seychelles Seychelles 100%
Air Tanzania Tanzania 100%
Air Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 100%[14]
AirBaltic Latvia 80%
Aircalin New Caledonia 100%
Alliance Air (India) India 100%
Ariana Afghan Airlines Afghanistan 100%
Arkaim Russia
Aurigny Guernsey 100%
Azerbaijan Airlines Azerbaijan 100%
Bahamasair Bahamas 100%
Belavia Belarus 100%
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Bangladesh At least 51%
Boliviana de Aviación Bolivia 100%
Caribbean Airlines Trinidad and Tobago 100%
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong 6%
Cayman Airways Cayman Islands 100%
CEIBA Intercontinental Equatorial Guinea [15][16]
China Airlines Republic of China 31.05% China Aviation Development Foundation (CADF)
8.64% National Development Fund (NDF)[17]
Conviasa Venezuela 100%
Croatia Airlines Croatia 100%
Cubana de Aviación Cuba 100%
Druk Air Bhutan 100%
Dubai Royal Air Wing Government of Dubai (UAE) 100%
EgyptAir Egypt 100%
Emirates Government of Dubai (UAE) 100%
Eritrean Airlines Eritrea 80% Eritrean government
20% Ethiopia Airlines (Ethiopian government)
Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopia 100%
Etihad Airways Government of Abu Dhabi (UAE) 100%
Fiji Airways Fiji 52%
Finnair Finland 55.8%
Flydubai Government of Dubai (UAE) 100%
Garuda Indonesia Indonesia 60.54%
Gulf Air Bahrain
Heli Air Monaco Monaco 100%[18]
Iran Air Iran 60%
Iraqi Airways Iraq 100%
ITA Airways Italy 100%[19]
KM Malta Airlines Malta 100%
KLM Netherlands 9.3% (through the Air France–KLM holding company).
French state has a 28.6% stake[20]
Kuwait Airways Kuwait 100%
LADE Argentina 100%
LAM Mozambique Airlines Mozambique 100%
Lao Airlines Laos 100%
Libyan Airlines Libya 100%
LOT Polish Airlines Poland 100%[21]
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia 100%[22]
Mandarin Airlines Taiwan Fully owned subsidiary of Taiwan's China Airlines
Mexicana de Aviación Mexico
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Mongolia
Middle East Airlines Lebanon 100%
Myanmar National Airlines Myanmar 100%
Myanmar Airways International Myanmar
Nauru Airlines Nauru
Nepal Airlines Nepal
Nordica Estonia
Oman Air Oman
Pakistan International Airlines Pakistan
Philippine Airlines Philippines
Qatar Airways Qatar
Qatar Amiri Flight Qatar
Qatar Executive Qatar
RAM Cargo Morocco
Régie Malagache Madagascar
Riyadh Air Saudi Arabia 100%[23]
Rossiya Russia
Royal Air Maroc Morocco
Royal Brunei Airlines Brunei
Royal Jordanian Jordan
RwandAir Rwanda
Satena Colombia
Saudia Saudi Arabia
Singapore Airlines Singapore 55.53%[24]
Solomon Airlines Solomon Islands 100%[25]
SriLankan Airlines Sri Lanka 99.11%[26]
Sudan Airways Sudan 79.00%[27]
Surinam Airways Suriname 100%[28]
Syrian Air Syria 100%
TAAG Angola Airlines Angola 90.00%[29]
TAP Portugal Portugal 97.75% (91.8% directly owned by the government and the remaining 8.2% owned by the TAP Group, where the government has a total share of 72.5%)[30]
TAROM Romania 97.22%[31]
Thai Airways International Thailand 51.00%[32]
Tunisair Tunisia [33][34]
Turkmenistan Airlines Turkmenistan
Uganda Airlines Uganda 100%[35]
Uzbekistan Airways Uzbekistan
Vietnam Airlines Vietnam 86.10%[36]
Yemenia Yemen 51.00%[37]

List of former government-owned airlines

This is a list of airlines which were formerly government owned. They have since been privatized or have ceased operations.

Airline Country End of
government
ownership 		Fate
Adria Airways Slovenia 2019 Bankrupt
Aer Lingus Ireland 2015 Ryanair & Government held shares sold to IAG
Albanian Airlines Albania 1995
Austrian Airlines Austria 2009
Armenian Airlines Armenia 2003
Aero Caribbean Cuba 2015 Merged into Cubana[38]
Aeroflot-Cargo Russian Federation 2010 Merged with Aeroflot
Aeroméxico Mexico 2007 Privatized
Aerotaxi Cuba 2009 Ceased operations
Air Bissau Guinea-Bissau 1998 Liquidated[39]
Air Burundi Burundi 2009 Ceased operations[40]
Air Gabon Gabon 2006 Bankrupt
Air Guinée Guinea 1992 Privatized 1992, dissolved 2002
Air India India 2021 Privatized
Air Ivoire Ivory Coast 2011 Ceased operations
Air Jamaica Jamaica 2011 Sold to Caribbean Airlines 2011, ceased operations 2015
Air Liberia Liberia 1990 Ceased trading
Air Malawi Malawi 2013 Voluntary liquidation
Air Mali (1960-89) Mali 1989 Shut down[41]
Air Niger Niger 1993 Ceased operations[42]
Air Rwanda Rwanda 2002 Taken over by and rebranded to RwandAir
Air Sénégal International Senegal 2009 Operations suspended[43]
Air Vanuatu Vanuatu 2024 Ceased trading[44]
Air Zaïre Zaire 1995 Bankrupt[45]
Alitalia Italy 2021 Bankrupt and rebranded to ITA Airways[46]
Berkut Air Kazakhstan 2011 Rebranded
British Airways United Kingdom 1987 Privatised[47]
Cabo Verde Airlines Cabo Verde 2019 Privatized[48]
Cameroon Airlines Cameroon 2008 Ceased operations
Cyprus Airways (1947–2015) Cyprus 2015 Bankruptcy
Czech Airlines Czech Republic 2024 Shut down
Donavia Russia 2016 Merged with Rossiya Airlines
Ecuato Guineana Equatorial Guinea ~ 2007 Unknown
Eurocypria Airlines Cyprus 2010 Bankruptcy[49]
Gambia International Airlines Gambia 2007 Shut down
Ghana Airways Ghana 2004 Ceased operations
Guine Bissau Airlines Guinea Bissau 2003
Iberia (airline) Spain 2001 Privatized
Indian Airlines India 2011 Ceased operations
Japan Airlines Japan 1987 Privatized[50]
LAN Chile Chile 1994 Privatized
Lina Congo Republic of Congo 2002 Dissolved
Lufthansa Germany 1994 Privatized[51]
Merpati Nusantara Airlines Indonesia 2014 Ceased operations
Norfolk Air / Norfolk Island, Australia 2011 Ceased operations[52]
NorOntair / Ontario, Canada 1996 Ceased operations[53]
Olympic Airlines Greece 2009 Shut down
Qantas Australia 1992 Privatized[54]
Royal Swazi National Airways Eswatini 1999 Ceased operations
Sierra National Airlines Sierra Leone 2004 Ceased operations[55]
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Denmark
Sweden
Norway 		2001 Since 2001, +50% stocks are publicly traded. The Norwegian government confirmed it sold its stake in 2018.[56]
In 2024, the Norwegian government once again received a stake, when SAS used stocks to repay part of a 2020 loan.[57]
Government stakes remain:

14.24% (Danish government)[58]
2.1% (Norwegian government)[57]
14.82% (Swedish government)[58]

South Africa Express South Africa 2020 Liquidated[59]
South African Airways South Africa 2022 Privatized
Kenya Airways Kenya 1996 Government owns minority stake (48.9%)[60]
TAME Ecuador 2020 Liquidated[61]
TANS Perú Peru 2006 Shut down[62]
Toumaï Air Tchad Chad 2012 Ceased operations[63]
Turkish Airlines Turkey 2006 Privatized[64]
Uganda Airlines (1976-2001) Uganda 2001 Liquidated[65]
Ukraine International Airlines Ukraine 2011 Privatized
Ukrainian Cargo Airways Ukraine 2009 Shut down[66]
Varig Brazil 1999
Royal Tongan Airlines Tonga 2004
Zambia Airways Zambia 1994 Ceased operations[67]

See also

References

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