Belgium

Belgium

The earliest airline in Belgium was Syndicat National pour l'Étude des Transports Aériens or SNETA for short. They began in 1919 and carried their first passengers to London in 1920. In 1923 they merged forming Societe Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Adrienne commonly called SABENA which became the national airline of Belgium. There are many great postcards from Sabena both company issues and others. You can find postcards from the 1920's into the modern era. There are company issued artist drawn cards as well as early aerial view cards. I grouped the earliest postcards together even if they were at an airport. The Airport section will begin with the DC-3 era.

Showing 1-40 of 1011864 visitsAlbum by Barry Hepsley

1920 Syndicat National pour l'Étude des Transports Aériens (SNETA)	SNETA Blériot Spad 33, O-BAHB. Shown flying over Rotterdam. SNETA had 5 of this aircraft.	SNETA Blériot Spad 33. A Real Photo postcard by Luchtfoto K.L.M. Writing on the back from a passenger who flew on this aircraft from Brussels to Amsterdam.	SNETA L.V.G. C VI, O-BOMA. Shows the aircraft and two passengers flying over the countryside. One of the passengers is standing up waving at the cameraman in the other plane!
SNETA L.V.G. C VI, O-BOMA. A rather plain back Real Photo postcard by an unknown local photographer.	SNETA Rumpler C IV, O-BREF A good view of the aircraft on the ground. SNETA had at least 10 of this aircraft.	SNETA Rumpler C IV, O-BREF Another Real Photo postcard with just lines on the back for the address. Unknown local photographer.	SNETA Rumpler C.IV, O-BRUN Great view of the aircraft over an unknown city. Shows 2 passengers in the open seats.
SNETA Rumpler C IV, O-BRUN Another Real Photo postcard by an unknown photographer. Some postcards like this may be the only photograph of a particular plane.	SNETA Lévy-Lepen - No. 1 Ligne Aérienne Roi Albert in Belgium Congo. The flight operations began on the Congo River on 1 July 1920.	SNETA Lévy-Lepen - No. 1 Interesting government printed postcard with a green 15-centiem stamp in the upper right.	SNETA Lévy-Lepen - No. 1 Ligne Aérienne Roi Albert in Belgium Congo. The flight operations lasted until 7 June 1922.
SNETA Lévy-Lepen - No. 1 Interesting government printed postcard with a red 30-centiem stamp in the upper right. The card was filled out but never mailed.	1923 Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne (Sabena)	Sabena Boma Airport. De Havilland DH. 50, O-BAHV. Passengers in front of their plane at the airport in the Congo, Africa.	Sabena Boma Airport. Congo, Africa. A sepia tone litho postcard made by Nels.
Sabena Handley Pge W8, O-BAHJ. Passengers getting ready to board at an unknown location. Used on the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Basel route.	Sabena A really nice Real Photo postcard by an unknown local photographer.	Sabena Handley Page W8B, O-BAHM. Ready for departure. Used on the London-Ostend-Brussels-Cologne route. Shown at the Croydon Aerodrome.	Sabena A Real Photo postcard printed in England by Surrey Flying Service (S.F.S.) with their number G 420.
Sabena Handley Page W8E, O-BAHT. 13 men posing for this photo including 2 in the windows of the aircraft.	Sabena A sepia litho postcard by Nels of Belgium. The card is postmarked 19 August 1925.	Sabena Farman Goliath, O-BLON. A great side view of the aircraft.	Sabena A Real Photo postcard made by K.L.M. in Rotterdam. They made a large number of Real Photo postcards for many different airlines besides their own.
Sabena Farman Goliath, O-BLON. Mechanics posing in front of the aircraft.	Sabena A sepia tone litho postcard made by Nels of Belgium. The card was mailed 31 July 1925.	Sabena Fokker F.VIIb/3m, OO-AGD. Great side view of the aircraft. OO-AGD was a Westland Wessex that was destroyed 8 December 1934. I can find no reference that calls OO-AGD a Fokker aircraft.	Sabena A sepia toned litho postcard made by Nels who was probably the main postcard printer in Belgium in the 1930's. Interesting postcard mailed from the International Fair in Brussels in 1935.
Sabena Fokker F.VIIb/3m, OO-AID. A close-up view of the aircraft. Writing on the back says Schipol Airport in Amsterdam.	Sabena A Real Photo postcard made by an unknown local photographer. Sabena started using these aircraft in 1927.	Sabena Fokker- F.VIIb/3m, OO-AIF. View of aircraft at the airport in Antwerp, Belgium.	Sabena Unknown maker of this Real Photo postcard. Special Antwerp Aviation Club cancels on back dated 30 August 1931.
Sabena Fokker F.VIIb-3m, OO-AIK. Good view of the aircraft on the ground at an unknown airport.	Sabena A Real Photo postcard made by an unknown local photographer. On back at the bottom are the initials WM.	Sabena Fokker F.VIIb/3m, OO-AIN. A good view of the aircraft in front of the terminal at Antwerp, Belgium.	Sabena A high quality sepia toned litho postcard made by Nels in Belgium. This one is No. 102. It is close to Real Photo quality.
Sabena Fokker F.VIIb/3m, OO-AIP. Great view of the aircraft at the Croydon Aerodrome in England.	Sabena A Real Photo postcard made in Britain for the Rohan et Cie, Book Stall, in the terminal at the Croydon Aerodrome. No. 26 on front.	Sabena Fokker F.VIIb/3m, OO-AIT. A good view of the aircraft in front of the terminal at the airport in Antwerp, Belgium.	Sabena Another sepia tone litho postcard made by Nels in Belgium.