Burundi Airlines
Burundi Airlines is a state-owned national airline of Burundi, to function as the national carrier of the East African country and successor to the defunct Air Burundi. The government of Burundi owns 92 percent of the new airline's stock. Burundi Airlines was formally established on 4 February 2021.
Overview
The new airline is a merger of the defunct Air Burundi, which ceased operations in 2009, and SOBUGEA, a Burundian government-owned company responsible for ground handling and airport maintenance. The new combined entity owns 92 percent of Burundi Airlines stock. The remaining 8 percent shareholding is split between a Belgian company and the state-owned insurance company Societe d'Assurances du Burundi.Ownership
The table below illustrates the shareholding in the stock of Burundi Airlines, as of February 2021.| Rank | Name of owner | Domicile | Percentage ownership |
| 1 | Government of Burundi | Burundi | 92.0 |
| 2 | Company Affiliated With SABENA | Belgium | 4.0 |
| 3 | Société d’Assurances du Burundi (Socabu) | Burundi | 4.0 |
| Total | 100.0 |
History
The former national carrier, Air Burundi was established in 1971, began operations in 1975 and ceased operations in 2009. As part of previous attempts at revival of Air Burundi, the matter came up for discussion during a Cabinet of Burundi meeting on 26 May 2020.When the matter came up again in a cabinet meeting on 28 December 2020, the decision was made to merge Air Burundi assets with those of SOBUGEA to constitute the government's 92 percent contribution to the new Burundi Airlines. Other shareholders include the state-owned insurer, Société d’Assurances du Burundi and the estate of the defunct Belgian airline, SABENA.