Tchadia Airlines, the national airline of Chad in North Central Africa, has been placed into liquidation after three years of successive annual losses.
The decision was made following a general meeting of stockholders held in July 2022, where the carrier’s “decline in equity in 2019, 2020 and 2021” was discussed, according to local media reports. This, alongside a “lack of prospects for financial recovery, added to the financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic” resulted in the final blow for the airline.
With this outcome, Chad no longer has a national carrier.
Operating out of N’Djamena International Airport, Tchadia Airlines launched operations in October 2018, with a fleet of two Bombardier Dash Q400, and operated domestic and regional routes to destinations in Chad, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Nigeria, Niger and Sudan.
The airline was the result of a partnership between the Government of Chad (with a 51% stake) and Ethiopian Airlines (with a 49% stake).
Over the last 10 years, Ethiopian Airlines (EA) has been widely involved in supporting African governments to relaunch their national carriers by entering equity partnerships. Through these partnerships, which result in the ownership of equity stakes in airlines, EA’s airline network combines to serve South, South-East, Central and West and East Africa.
However, Tchadia’s exit is similar to that of Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines, one of EA’s African airline partners. Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines, which was registered and based in Maputo, Mozambique announced the suspension of its flight services in May 2021 due to the drop in travel demand, and the economic woes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.