By 1933, a total of 33 male, and one female, pilots had graduated from
Egypt's School of Aviation. At the same time, the Ministry of
Transportation had established the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority,
the mission of which would be to oversee air navigation and the
country's newly established airports. In 1932, Egypt's first airline -
Misr Airwork - was established, named after the Misr Bank, which took an
85 per cent participation in the airline. Following the formation of the
United Arab Republic by Egypt and Syria in 1958, Misrair was renamed
United Arab Airlines (UAA). Syrian Airways merged with UAA, which took
over all routes and the equipment of the Syrian carrier. In the
meantime, UAA had ordered its first jet aircraft (Comets). The
association with Syria was ended in 1960, when the Syrian government
established Syrian Arab Airways. In October 1971, following Egypt's
changing its name to Arab Republic of Egypt, UAA was renamed Egyptair.
This wonderfully illustrated book explores the fascinating history of
Africa's oldest airline, against the everchanging geopolitical climate.
