Established on 1 February 1934. The Union of South Africa acquired all assets and liabilities of a private airline, Union Airways, and absorbed it into a new national airline - South African Airways. It began charter service that year to many parts of South AFrica, exapanding slowy throughout Africa for its first ten years. In 1946 it began using a converted Avro bomber for service to London. In 1961 SAA introduced B707 service to London and other points in Europe In 1973 the airline began service to the Far East.