Milestones in MAF's history
70 years of faith-adventures flying to crazy bush airstrips isn't without its highlights! Here are some of them.
1940s - 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
1950s - 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
1960s - 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
1970s - 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
1980s - 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
1990s - 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
2000s - 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
2010s - 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