| 1928 |
Start of Night Flights Between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires by Jean Mermoz. |
| 1928 |
Signing of Postal Contracts with Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. |
| 1929 |
Jean Mermoz and Henri Guillaumet Open the Argentina-Chile Line. |
| 1929 |
Aéropostale Signs an Exclusivity Contract for Mail Transport with the Venezuelan Government.
The decree affecting its application became effective only in 1930. |
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| 1930 |
First Entirely Aerial Postal Link from Paris to Santiago.
Mermoz (as pilot), Dabry (as navigator) and Gimié (as radio controller) flew aboard the Laté 28 hydroplane Comte-de-la-Vaulx. |
| 1930 |
Henri Guillaumet in Tragic Accident in the Andes. |
| 1930 |
Monopoly on Stopovers in Portuguese Territory.
Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont signed an agreement with the Portuguese government granting Aéropostale the monopoly on stopovers and flights for the entire Portuguese territory, including the Azores, gateway to the North Atlantic. The Azores concession allowed Aéropostale to sign an operating agreement with PanAmerican Airways and Imperial Airways for the Europe-North America line. Aéropostale's collapse, however, stopped Bouilloux-Lafont from seeing his dream come true. |
| 1931 |
The End of a Dream.
Aéropostale's 15,000 kilometres of air routes required an enormous investment to maintain and improve its existing infrastructure, and the company was not immune to the worldwide economic crisis.
Financial share
A 1,000-franc share of the bankrupted Aéropostale. On March 31, 1931, the courts ordered Aéropostale's assets to be liquidated.
Courtesy of Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Le Bourget
Aéropostale filed for bankruptcy and went into liquidation after a court order on March 31. The line continued, but was reduced to Paris-Santiago and a few connections with North Africa. |
| 1932 |
Didier Daurat Resigns from Office as Operations Manager; As a Symbol of Solidarity, Saint-Exupéry Ends His South American Adventure. |
| 1933 |
Aéropostale Merges with Airlines Exploitation Central Company - SCELA.
Aéropostale merged with four other major companies: Air Union, la Société générale de transports aériens Farman, CIDNA and Air Orient. |
| 1933 |
SCELA Becomes Air France.
Air France poster
Reproduction of an Air France poster. Early in 1933, five French airline companies merged to create Air France: Compagnie générale aéropostale, Air Orient, Air Union, CIDNA, and Société générale des transports aériens Farman.
Courtesy of National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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