A few highlights of our journey
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MAF is born
- 1944 Murray Kendon proposes MAF concept
- 1945 MAF office opens in London, UK
- 1947 First aircraft dedicated (Miles Gemini)
- 1948 Gemini survey of Africa
- 1949 De Havilland Rapide purchased for Sudan
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Flights take off
- 1950 Sudan: first MAF regular flight operations commence
- 1953 First flights from Sudan into Ethiopia
- 1957 Sudan: single-engined Cessna 180 aircraft introduced
- 1958 Survey of south-western Ethiopia
- 1959 Kenya: MAF programme starts
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Operations expand throughout Africa
- 1960 Ethiopia: MAF programme starts
- 1964 Sudan: expulsion of missions and closure of MAF programme there after 14 years
- 1965 Chad survey
- 1966 Chad: MAF programme starts
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Struggles and blessings
- 1974 Ethiopia: six MAF aircraft now operating
- 1975 Chad: bitter persecution of the church
- 1976 Finnish Council of MAF formed
- 1977 Tanzania: MAF programme starts
- Ethiopia: Marxist government restrictions force closure of MAF's operations. Programme ends after 17 years
- Sudan: a respite in the civil war. MAF programme restarts
- 1978 MAF Netherlands formed
- 1979 Chad: fierce fighting and civil war in Chad forces MAF to fly its planes out of the country after 13 years
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A time of growth
- 1981 Chad: programme reopens
- 1982 FFM, later MAF Sweden, formed
- First European MAF conference held with representatives from Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and UK
- Tanzania now has six aircraft operating all over the vast country from five bases
- 1983 Sudan: after seven years of further operations (21 years in all in Sudan) programme closes due to government restrictions
- 1985 Chad famine
- 1986 MAF Norway formed
- 1987 Uganda: MAF programme starts
- 1988 Madagascar: MAF programme starts
- 1989 MAF Denmark formed
- MAF Europe Board officially constituted with representatives from Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and UK
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50 years of MAF
- 1990 Finland, Denmark and Norway join MAF Europe
- 1991 Namibia: MAF service initiated
- Mongolia surveyed
- 1992 Ethiopia: programme restarts
- MAF France and MAF Germany established
- 1993 MAF Europe now operating 30 aircraft and has over 80 family units overseas
- Relief operations with MEDAIR in northeast Somalia
- Kenya operating five aircraft
- Relief flights into Sudan from Kenya
- 1994 Rwanda crisis: MAF involved
- Tanzania now has 11 aircraft
- Rapid expansion in Ethiopia
- MAF Europe reconstituted. Appoints a separate Chief Executive to concentrate on overseas operations
- European national supporting groups, including UK, focus on gathering the necessary resources for the operations
- 1995 Rwanda crisis continues
- MAF 50th anniversary celebration meetings
- Ethiopia now operating five aircraft
- 1996 Rwanda crisis still continues
- Crisis in Zaire (now DRC)
- MAF Italy formed
- 1998 Opening of new Nairobi operations centre
- Ethiopia: flying stops again
- 1999 Ethiopia: Abyssinian Flight Services formed
- Substantial increase of flights into Sudan
- Funds provided for Caravan and hangar in Mongolia
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Help amid tsunamis and cyclones
- 2000 First flight in Mongolia
- Mozambique crisis
- 2001 Funds provided for Grand Caravan and operations centre for MAF South Africa
- 2002 Handover of Bangladesh operations from MAF Sweden to MAF Europe
- Further crisis in DRC
- 2003 Relief flights into Sudan from Uganda
- Evacuation of 1,700 people in DRC by MAF and AIM AIR
- Second Grand Caravan provided for South Africa
- MAF Europe and MAF Australia seeking closer collaboration
- 2004 MAF South Africa and MAF Europe working together
- 2005 MAF flights aid tsunami relief in Aceh, Indonesia
- 2006 New base established in Juba, Sudan
- MAF Europe reconstituted as MAF International, a new organisation responsible for co-ordinating MAF's operations and resources globally. MAF groups from Australia (including PNG and Arnhem Land), Canada, New Zealand and South Africa join as members
- 2007 First flight in Timor-Leste
- Massive cyclone Sidr devastates communities in southern Bangladesh. MAF provides support for relief and ongoing redevelopment work
- MAF rescues hundreds of people during post-election violence in Kenya
- 2008 First pilot family for 25 years arrives in Juba, southern Sudan
- Training base opens in South Africa
- MAF evacuates from Chad for four months following rebel advancement
- 2009 The first Kodiak 100 aircraft funded by MAF UK is delivered and deployed to Indonesia
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responding to today's needs
- 2010 MAF is central to the relief efforts in Haiti providing flights and logistical support following the devastating earthquake in January
- 2011 Southern Sudan votes to secede becoming officially independent on 9 July. MAF flights continue to provide support in South Sudan as well as responding to evacuation requests from areas of unrest.
As famine grips East Africa, MAF sees a surge in flying activity to bring relief workers and aid to the worst affected areas, particularly with regards to the soaring number of refugees escaping conflict and famine - 2012 New common MAF logo launched by all MAF groups worldwide
- 2013 MAF Malaysia Berhad incorporated, designating MAF as an NGO in Malaysia
- 2014 MAF groups re-established in the Philippines and Singapore for the purpose of resourcing MAF’s worldwide ministry.
- 2015 MAF begins flying in Liberia. MAF also sets up a helicopter co-ordination service to provide humanitarian assistance following two earthquakes.
