Union Airways was the first South African commercial airline. It operated as an independent company for five years, from 1929 to 1934, before being taken over by the government as South African Airways. 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... South African Airways (SAA), using South African on their aircraft livery, is South Africas largest domestic and international airline company. ...

History

Union Airways were founded by Major Allister Miller, a World War I flying ace, who had recruited some 2000 South Africans for service in the Royal Air Force. The word "Union" referred to the official name of the country at that time: the Union of South Africa. Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Military dead: 4 million The First World War, also known as The Great War, The War to End All Wars, and World War I (abbreviated WWI) was... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

The company was financed by the Atlantic Refining Company, and supported by a small government subsidy. Its headquarters were initially at Fairview in Port Elizabeth, but they later moved to Stamford Hill in Durban. The corporate colours were red and yellow, and the logo was a shield depicting a stylised aircraft. Port Elizabeth is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′ S 25°36′ E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ... City motto: Debile Principium Melion Fortuna Sequetu (Latin: Better Fortune Follows A Difficult Beginning) Province KwaZulu-Natal Mayor Obed Mlaba Area  - % water 2,292 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 3,346,799 1,460/km² Established 1835 Time zone SAST (UTC+2) Calling code 031 edit...

Union Airways was primarily a mail carrier, but from 1930 it also transported passengers. 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

The fleet originally consisted of five DH60 Gipsy Moths. A Fokker Super Universal and two DH Puss Moths were added in 1930, but all three crashed during 1931, two of the crashes being fatal. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

To replace them, Union Airways acquired some Junkers from South West African Airways, which was owned by the Junkers corporation in Germany. In 1932, UA and SWAA amalgamated, although they continued to operate under their individual names. Later that year, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday with a flight in one of the Junkers. In 1933, Union Airways placed a Junkers at the disposal of deputy prime minister General Jan Smuts for an election tour. 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... George Bernard Shaw (George) Bernard Shaw[1] (July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950) was an Irish-British playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 and the Academy Award in 1938 for Pygmalion. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jan Smuts Jan Christian Smuts, OM, CH (May 24, 1870 – September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African and Commonwealth statesman and military leader. ...

The South African government bought Union Airways in 1934, and renamed it South African Airways. 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

References

• Illsley, J.W. (2003). In Southern Skies.
• Reader's Digest (1980). South Africa's Yesterdays.