Defunct flag carriers
 

So the list of defunct (post WW-II) national flag carriers grows with the demise of Alitalia last week.

That list now also includes:
Malev
Cyprus Airways
SABENA
Swissair
VIASA
PLUNA
AeroPeru
LAB
LAP/LAPSA

Not sure if VARIG and Mexicana count

Any missing?

Excluding airlines where someone else picked up the bones and resumed operations under the same name and IATA code, and airlines where a divided country was reunified (e.g., Air VietNam, Interflug), or a once-unified country or multi-nation airlines was split apart (e.g., JAT, CSA, MSA)

Polynesian Airlines (IATA code PH) came into existence in 1959 and went through a few restructurings (Polynesian Blue in 2005, Virgin Samoa in 2011) before being closed down by the Samoan government in 2017 … it was later reincarnated as Samoa Airways which now uses the IATA code OL

this article in Yesterday’s Airlines has some photos of the PH 737 delivered from Boeing in 1981 and an ex-Ansett jet that they acquired on lease a few years later; I had flights on both of them (for certification of the Performance Data Computer System installation) that year

Arguably, Pan Am and TWA.

Canadian Pacific (which I’m a bit surprised that YVR Cockroach didn’t mention) and Olympic would probably qualify as well

Learn something new everyday. Can't say I've ever heard of the airline.

That is true. de facto. Would VARIG and Mexicana count in that case? More so the former, I would imagine.

I always thought TCA/Air Canada was the national flag carrier with CP routes it served as a passenger steamship company (at least for the Pacific). I wasn't sure about Olympic. Is the relation between the two Olympics (Airways/Airlines and Air) akin to that between Swissair and Swiss?

Hi,

Balkan Bulgarian Airlines?

British Caledonian?

Regards

TBS

Estonian Air

UTA. We loved their LAX/PPT service

I think both were the flag carriers for their respective countries.

Additionally:

Air Ceylon was the flag carrier prior to AirLanka/SriLankan Airlines
Royal Air Cambodge (Cambodia)

JAT was JAT until it became Air Serbia in 2013 so only the branding change from Jugoslovenski Aerotransport (JU).

I guess I should ask the question as to what is the (and who's) definition of flag carrier is. Seems to differ (considerably) depending on source.

South African has been doing its best to join your list for a decade or so.

Yes, I thought it had recently failed but evidently not. I guess MAS can be added to this list, and Philippine and perhaps Thai too.

As for the definition of a flag carrier, I always think of them being partially owned by their governments at some point. Here’s the Wikipedia page for flag carrier.

I think the ZA government has bought up about 250% of SAA by now.