The interflight was a national airline of the GDR. It existed from 1958 to 1991.

Establishment and initial years

The national airline interflight was created on 18 September 1958 as a limited company (GmbH).

A goal was with priority the execution of need air traffic (so-called charter traffic). Thus developed beside German Lufthansa of the GDR (DLH) - which the regular transport service dedicated itself with priority - a second airline in the GDR. The creation of this airline was particularly by both political and economically led argument with the Federal Republic of Germany justified by then dominant political conditions. West German Lufthansa, that had acquired the trade mark and the flag in September 1954 from the bankrupt's estate of liquidated Lufthansa, prevented attempts of German Lufthansa of the GDR to become in international organizations member. Also the air traffic abroad western became ever more difficult for the DLH of the GDR, since overflight/flyover and Landerrechte were not only reduced granted or. Under these circumstances the establishment of a second airline seemed to offer a way out. Those was operated however from the outset interflight in personnel union with the DLH the GDR.

Emphasis was in the initial years the air traffic to the twice annually taking place Leipziger fair. Since those did not have interflight own aircraft, machines of German Lufthansa (DLH of the GDR) were used. Initially one changed lacquer finish and inscription, later provided one the machines only with an additional Logo.

Beginning of the sixties was intensified the arguments over the use of the name "„Lufthansa "“between the airlines of the Federal Republic and the GDR. Of Lufthansa (west) before the higher restaurant court a process exerted in September 1963 one exposed to the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade, after transport minister had suggested Kramer liquidating German Lufthansa of the GDR. Airplanes, airfields and distance rights of German Lufthansa of the GDR turned into to the interflight, which took over thereby also the regular transport service and only airline of the GDR became.

Last interflight boss at GDR times was lieutenant general Dr. Klaus Henkes (* 29 July 1929; "† 7." March 2003), at the same time one the deputy of the Minister for traffic.

Development of the range traffic flight

International route network

Emphasis were in the initial years the airline connections into the socialist countries. Thus Moscow (with intermediate stop in Vilnius), Warsaw, Prague, Budapest and Sofia, in addition, Belgrade and Tirana were approached. Were used with priority Ilyushin IL-14, which was supplemented by Ilyushin IL-18 approaching starting from 1960. With this sample then also direct flights (without intermediate stop) were possible to Moscow.

Since the aircraft construction in the GDR and concomitantly the development of the first German jet airliner Baade BB-152 were stopped in the year 1961, this sample was not used, as originally planned. The main load of the air traffic was carried in the sixties of Ilyushin IL-18. Apart from air targets in the European socialist countries a goal in the Near East and North Africa were approached, in addition, in Asia.

The jet age began for the interflight with the introduction Tupolev TU-134, a twin-jet short and medium-haul aircraft, in the year 1968. This sample was finally still up to the end the interflight in the use and implemented the last flight from Vienna to In addition, the TU-134 served the intra-European short and medium ranges, to flights into the Near East and to North Africa was used. The high operating cost resulting from the high fuel consumption was characteristic for the TU-134 - and many other Soviet airplanes -. In the eighties the employment was ever more limited by economically not restorable corrosion damages, but particularly abroad western through with this type of aircraft not noise protection editions which can be fulfilled.

With the introduction Ilyushin IL-62 began the use of jet aircraft on long-distance. The separation of the IL-18 used so far shortened the travel times substantially and permitted a to some extent economical enterprise to Viet Nam, Cuba and Sierra Leone. Up to the introduction of the airbus A310 the IL-62 was the most economical model the interflight. The introduction of the IL-62 was overshadowed by the disaster of the DM-SEA with king Wusterhausen on 14 August 1972, with which all passengers and crew members found death.

Starting from center of the seventies certain emphasis in the routing crystallized. Beside the lines into the socialist countries, here also to Cuba and Viet Nam, air targets in the Near East were served with priority and in North Africa. In addition, the air traffic to Scandinavia, Austria and Belgium developed. Beside that politically small aircraft passenger arising in the GDR proved here however restrictions of overflight/flyover over Nato states cause as hinderlich. The German domestic border could not be flown over in the line air traffic because of reservations of the western allied ones, in the fair air traffic in the eighties occasional exceptions was only permitted.

In the eighties in as much a crisisful situation occurred as the used airplane samples before the background of rising oil prices were to be operated ever more uneconomically, planned or unplanned their use border reached and the developing noise protection editions for the enterprise were not sufficient into Western European countries any longer. The aircraft industry of the Soviet Union was not however accordingly modern before beginning of the nineties in a the position, to supply reliable and economical airplane samples. Further no Non stop flight could be accomplished to Cuba with the airplanes of Soviet design. This had to the consequence that during the necessary intermediate stop in Canada now and then passengers decided to the republic escape instead of to a far flight to Cuba.

The airbus company offered - by the switching of Franz Josef bunch - in this phase the supply of the airbus to 310. The offer was favoured by appearing the chance to open also the markets of other socialist states for airbus.

The airbus airplanes developed further after the demands the interflight (range among other things increased) to the GDR were supplied with to 1989. A component of the contract was also the training of the crews in France and/or the Federal Republic of Germany and a maintenance agreement with Lufthansa (west). With the model airbus A310 was available the interflight a modern airplane, which was to be operated substantially more economically and substantially better power ratings and a clearly increased comfort for the passengers had.

A characteristic was the employment of Antonov An-26 of the NVA in the line air traffic after Lwiw. The flights served the exchange of the personnel assigned with the building of the "“natural gas route of the friendship"”.

Inland route network

The route network taken over by German Lufthansa was first invariably continued to operate just like the air taxi service.

In the regular transport service Barth (only summer air traffic) were approached, Dresden, Leipzig and Erfurt with Ilyushin IL-14, Karl Marx city (Chemnitz) with Antonov An-2.

With inlet Antonov An-24 starting from 1967 the inland distances were changed over to this sample. Since the airport Karl Marx city was not removed, the regular line air traffic had to be stopped here. But the airport herring village was added temporarily in the summer air traffic.

First the domestic air traffic developed quite satisfyingly, then 1969 over 250.000 passengers were carried. But also the mass motorizing and the introduction of the city high-speed traffic of the German National Railroad using slowly in the GDR led soon to a noticeable decrease of the passenger numbers. In addition it came that those was to be operated Antonov An-24 not economically. This led finally 1975 for adjustment the domestic air traffic. The airports Erfurt, Leipzig and Dresden were used however further for the international regular transport service.

Charter flight traffic

Apart from the line air traffic those constantly accomplishes interflight charter flights. On the one hand in the summer months the main vacation goals of the at the black sea were approached, particularly offered on the other hand charter flights for the inhabitants of Berlin west.

So-called "„solidarity flights "“the interflight were likewise completed as charter flights. After the introduction of the Let L-410 was tried to offer this sample as business rice airplane financially strong western customers.

For auxiliary employments in Ethiopia and Mosambique of the interflight of airplane of the type Antonov An-26 of the NVA were taken over and in - partial more provisionally - interflight painting used.

Interflight charter system of travel and trade ltd. was created 1996 as a tour operator and flew eight years long aircraft passengers under the slogan "“vacation for everyone"” with various charter flight companies. The predominant part of the guests was carried in the last years with the Onur air. In May 2004 the enterprise went due to the low prices from competitors into bankruptcy.

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