Air Afrique was founded as a joint venture between Air France and UAT (17% each) and Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Dahomey (now Benin), Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) (6% each).
Air Afrique began a steady decline in the early 1980s, yet many years later the company was still considered the most reputable carrier in West Africa, and even one of the top five airlines of Africa. Mismanagement, corruption, and the downturn in the aviation industry after the 11 September 2001 attacks led the airline to a crisis that ended with its liquidation in early 2002.
