East African Airways
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| Founded | 1 January 1946 | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 1946 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 1977 | ||||||
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| Headquarters | Nairobi, Kenya | ||||||
East African Airways Corporation, more commonly known as East African Airways, was an airline jointly run by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It was set up on 1 January 1946, starting operations the same year. The airline was headquartered in the Sadler House in Nairobi, Kenya. The corporation was dissolved in 1977 amid deteriorated relations among the three countries.
In 1943, during the Conference of Governors of Britain's East African Territory that was attended by government officials, aviation and railroad experts, businessmen and BOAC officials, a committee that sought for the handling of airline services following the end of Second World War was set up. Present at the meeting was Philip Mitchell representing Uganda, who was the only governor interested in aviation that could also provide his expertise after an airport in Kampala was established by him. It was believed by the governors that the promotion and control of civil aviation should be run by a single enterprise; this entity would provide feeder flights, connect intermediate points along the trunk lines and operate local traffic and charter services. A £18,000–50,000 annual budget would be required. There were two different recommendations from the committee regarding the future company's fleet: 13 six-seater aircraft or nine six-seater machines and five Dragon Rapides. No actions were taken until the War was over. Routes in the region were operated by BOAC using DH.89 equipment.
A draft proposal for the creation of the airline was made public in June 1945. The aims had changed a bit since 1943, but the needs for the formation of the company were almost intact. The enterprise that was about to be set up should link England with South Africa via Cairo, Khartoum and Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia, should provide another trunk, yet slower, service departing from Nairobi to the south, should establish a link between East and West Africa via the Belgian Congo, should run feeder flights that connected with all the previous services, and charter operations should be undertaken as well. On 30 October 1945, the act that called for the creation of the East African Air Transport Authority, the organism that among other things would create East African Airways (EAA), was signed. With an initial £50,000 capital, ownership of the company was split between Kenya (67.7%), Uganda (22.6%), Tanganyika (9%) and Zanzibar (0.7%). BOAC provided management and technical expertise, and it was also hired to operate six Dragon Rapides. Sir Charles Lockhart was the first chairman of the corporation.
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