The term "flag carrier" is a legacy of the time when countries established state-owned airline

companies. Governments then took the lead due to the high capital costs of establishing and running
airlines. The heavily regulated aviation industry also meant aviation rights are often negotiated
between governments, denying airlines the right to an open market. These Bilateral Air Transport
Agreements similar to the Bermuda I and Bermuda II agreements specify rights awardable only to
locally registered airlines, forcing some governments to jump-start airlines to avoid being
disadvantaged in the face of foreign competition. Some countries also establish flag carriers for
nationalist reasons, or to aid the country's economy, particularly in the area of tourism.
In many cases, governments would directly assist in the growth of their flag carriers typically through
subsidies and other fiscal incentives. The establishment of competitors in the form of other locally
registered airlines may be prohibited, or heavily regulated to avoid direct competition. Even where
privately-run airlines may be allowed to be established, the flag carriers may still be accorded
priority, especially in the apportionment of aviation rights to local or international markets. In the
United States, for example, funding for international travel is restricted to "US flag air carriers" under
the Fly America Act, however, this coincidental terminology should not be confused with traditional
flag carriers.[citation needed]
In the last decade, however, many of these airlines have since been corporatized as a public company
or a state-owned enterprise, or completely privatized. The aviation industry has also been gradually
deregulated and liberalized, permitting greater Freedoms of the air particularly in the United States
and in the European Union with the signing of the Open Skies agreement. This has rendered the
designation of "flag carriers" less important than it was in the past.
The term is also used loosely to refer to any dominant or major airline sized carrier in a country, or in
reference to a mainline carrier with a history of a state sponsored legacy of airline service, even long
after their privatization.
List of flag-carrying airlines
The chart below lists airlines considered to be a "flag carrier", either by designation as a national
airlines either officially or based on history and whether it is state-owned.
Country or Region

Airline

Designated State-owned

Afghanistan

Ariana Afghan Airlines

Yes

Majority

Albania

Albanian Airlines

Yes

No

Andorra

AeroKing Andorra

Yes

Joint-Venture between Eagle

Aviation Espaa and TAP
Portugal

Algeria

Air Algrie

Yes

Minority

Angola

TAAG Angola Airlines

Yes

Full

land Islands

Air land

Argentina

Aerolneas Argentinas

Yes

Full

Armenia

Armavia

Yes

No

Australia

Qantas

Yes

No

Austria

Austrian Airlines

Yes

No

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Airlines

Yes

Full

Bahamas

Bahamasair

Yes

Full

Gulf Air

Yes

Full

Bahrain Air

Yes

Bangladesh

Biman Bangladesh Airlines

Yes

Full

Barbados

LIAT

No

No

Belarus

Belavia

Yes

Full

Belgium

Brussels Airlines

Yes

No

Belize

Maya Island Air

No

No

Benin

Benin Golf Air

Yes

No

Bhutan

Drukair

Yes

Full

Bolivia

AeroSur

Yes

Minority (48%)

B&H Airlines

Yes

50.93%

Botswana

Air Botswana

Yes

Full

Brazil

TAM Airlines

Yes

No

Brunei

Royal Brunei Airlines

Yes

Full

Bulgaria

Bulgaria Air

Yes

No

Burkina Faso

Air Burkina

Yes

Majority

Burundi

Air Burundi

Yes

Full

Bahrain

Bosnia and
Herzegovina

Cambodia

Cambodia Angkor Air

Yes

Majority

Canada

Air Canada

Yes

No (privatized in 1988)

Cape Verde

TACV Cabo Verde Airlines

Yes

Full

Cayman Islands

Cayman Airways

Yes

Chad

Touma Air Tchad

Chile

LAN Airlines

China (mainland) Air China

Colombia

Avianca

Comoros

Air Comores International

Republic of the
Congo

No (privatized in 1989)
Yes

Majority

Yes

No

Trans Air Congo

Democratic
Hewa Bora Airways
Republic of the Congo
Costa Rica

Lacsa (now part of TACA)

Cte d'Ivoire

Air Ivoire

Croatia

Croatia Airlines

Yes

Majority

Cuba

Cubana de Aviacin

Yes

Full

Cyprus

Cyprus Airways

Yes

Majority

Czech Republic

Czech Airlines

Yes

Full

Denmark

Scandinavian Airlines System

Yes

Joint-Venture

Djibouti

Air Djibouti
No

No

Yes

Full

Dominican
Republic

PAWA Dominicana

Ecuador

TAME

Egypt

EgyptAir

El Salvador

TACA

Equatorial Guinea Ecuato Guineana

Eritrea

Eritrean Airlines

Yes

Full

Estonia

Estonian Air

Yes

Minority

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Airlines

Yes

Full

Faroe Islands

Atlantic Airways

Fiji

Air Pacific

Finland

Finnair

Yes

Majority

France

Air France

No

Minority

French Guiana

Air Guyane

Yes

French Polynesia Air Tahiti Nui

Yes

Gabon

Gabon Airlines

Gambia

Gambia International Airlines

Yes

Georgia

Georgian Airways

Yes

No

Guernsey

Aurigny Air Services

Yes

Full

Germany

Lufthansa

Yes

No

Ghana

Ghana International Airlines

Yes

Greece

Olympic Air

No

Greenland

Air Greenland

Yes

Guadeloupe

Air Carabes

Guatemala

Aviateca (now part of TACA)

Guinea

Air Guinee Express

Yes

Guyana

Caribbean Airlines

No

Haiti

Tortug' Air

Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific

Yes

No

No

Dragonair

No

No (wholly-owned subsidiary
of Cathay Pacific)

Hungary

Malv Hungarian Airlines

Yes

Majority

Iceland

Icelandair

Yes

No

Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia

Yes

Full

Air India

Yes

Full

Indian (Merged with Air India on July

Yes
15, 2007)

Full

Iran

Iran Air

Yes

Full

Iraq

Iraqi Airways

Yes

Full

Ireland

Aer Lingus

Yes

Minority (28%)

Israel

El Al

Yes

Minority (30%)

Italy

Alitalia - Compagnia Aerea Italiana

Yes

No (privatised in 2009)

Jamaica

Caribbean Airlines

Yes

Minority (14%)

Japan

Japan Airlines

Yes

No

Jordan

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Yes

Minority (19%)

Kazakhstan

Air Astana

Yes

51%

Kenya

Kenya Airways

Yes

Minority (23%)

Kiribati

Air Kiribati

Yes

North Korea

Air Koryo

Yes

Full

South Korea

Korean Air

Yes

No (privatized in 1969)

Kosovo

Kosova Airlines

Kuwait

Kuwait Airways

Yes

Full

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Airlines

Yes

Majority

Laos

Lao Airlines

Yes

Full

India

Latvia

Air Baltic

Yes

Majority

Lebanon

Middle East Airlines

Yes

Full

Liberia

Air Liberia

Yes

Libya

Libyan Arab Airlines

Yes

Luxembourg

Luxair

Yes

Minority

Macau

Air Macau

Yes

Minority

Madagascar

Air Madagascar

Yes

Majority

Malawi

Air Malawi

Yes

Full

Malaysia

Malaysia Airlines

Yes

Minority

Maldives

Maldivian

Yes

Full

Mali

Air Mali International

Yes

No

Malta

Air Malta

Yes

Majority

Marshall Islands

Air Marshall Islands

Yes

Full

Martinique

Air Carabes

Yes

No

Mauritania

Mauritania Airways

Mauritius

Air Mauritius

Mexico

Aeromexico

Moldova

Air Moldova

Yes

Mongolia

MIAT Mongolian Airlines

Yes

Montenegro

Montenegro Airlines

Yes

Montserrat

Air Montserrat

Morocco

Royal Air Maroc

Yes

Mozambique

Linhas Areas de Moambique

Yes

Myanmar

Myanmar Airways International

Yes

Minority
Yes

Minority

Yes

Namibia

Air Namibia

Yes

Nauru

Our Airline

Yes

Nepal Airlines

Yes

KLM

Yes

No

Majority

Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands
Antilles

Dutch Antilles Express

New Caledonia

Aircalin

New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Yes

Nicaragua

NICA (now part of TACA)

Yes

Nigeria

Air Nigeria

Yes

Norfolk Island

Norfolk Air

Norway

Scandinavian Airlines System

Yes

Minority

Oman

Oman Air

Yes

Majority (82.4%)

Pakistan

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Yes

Majority (87%)

Palestinian Airlines

Full

Palestinian
Authority
Panama
Papua New
Guinea

Copa Airlines

No
Full

Yes

No

Air Niugini

Paraguay

Lineas Aereas Paraguayas (now TAM

Airlines (Paraguay) part of TAM
Airlines)

Minority (5%)

Peru

LAN Per

No

Philippines

Philippine Airlines

Yes

Joint-Venture

Poland

LOT Polish Airlines

Yes

Majority (67.97%)

Portugal

TAP Portugal

Yes

Full

Qatar

Qatar Airways

Yes

50%

Runion

Air Austral

Romania

TAROM

Yes

Majority (95%)

Rossiya

Yes

Full

Aeroflot

Yes

51.17%

Rwanda

RwandAir

Yes

Samoa

Polynesian Blue

Yes

49%

Full

Russia

Saint Pierre and

Miquelon

Air Saint-Pierre

So Tom and
Prncipe

STP Airways

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Airlines

Yes

Senegal

Air Sngal International

Yes

Serbia

Jat Airways

Yes

Seychelles

Air Seychelles

Yes

Sierra Leone

Sierra National Airlines

Yes

Singapore

Singapore Airlines

Yes

Majority (54.5%)

Slovakia

Danube Wings

No

No

Slovenia

Adria Airways

Solomon Islands

Solomon Airlines

Yes

Somalia

Somali Airlines

Yes

South Africa

South African Airways

Yes

Spain

Iberia

Yes

Sri Lanka

SriLankan Airlines

Yes

Sudan

Sudan Airways

Yes

Suriname

Surinam Airways

Yes

Full

Minority (50%)

Sweden

Scandinavian Airlines System

Swaziland

Royal Swazi National Airways

Switzerland
Syria

Yes

Joint-Venture

Swiss International Air Lines

Yes

No

Syrian Air

Yes

Full

No

Majority (54%)

Republic of China
China Airlines
(Taiwan)
Tajikistan

Tajik Air

Yes

Tanzania

Air Tanzania

Yes

Thailand

Thai Airways International

Yes

Togo

Air Togo

Yes

Caribbean Airlines

Yes

Tunisia

Tunisair

Yes

Turkey

Turkish Airlines

Yes

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan Airlines

Yes

Trinidad and
Tobago

Turks and Caicos

Air Turks and Caicos
Islands

Majority (53%)

Majority (84%)

Majority

Yes

Air Uganda

Yes

Ukraine International Airlines

Yes

Aerosvit Airlines

Yes

Etihad Airways

Yes

Yes

Emirates

Yes

Yes

Air Arabia

Yes

Minority (45%)

RAK Airways

Yes

United Kingdom

British Airways

Yes

United States

No official flag carrier

Uganda

Majority

Ukraine

United Arab
Emirates

No (privatised in 1987)

Uruguay

PLUNA

Yes

Minority (25%)

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Airways

Yes

Majority

Vanuatu

Air Vanuatu

Yes

Venezuela

Conviasa

Yes

Full

Vietnam

Vietnam Airlines

Yes

Full

Yemen

Yemenia

Yes

Zimbabwe

Air Zimbabwe

Yes