Editing Interflug

{{Short description|Defunct airline of East Germany (1958–1991)}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline          = INTERFLUG Gesellschaft für internationalen Flugverkehr m.b.H.
| logo             = Interflug.svg
| logo_size        = 250
| IATA             = IF
| ICAO             = IFL
| callsign         = INTERFLUG
| founded          = {{start date|1958|09|18|df=yes}}
| commenced        = {{start date|1963|09|01|df=yes}}
| ceased           = {{end date|1991|04|30|df=yes}}
| hubs             = [[Berlin Schönefeld Airport]]
| secondary_hubs   = 
| focus_cities     = 
| frequent_flyer   = 
| lounge           = 
| alliance         = 
| subsidiaries     = 
| fleet_size       = 
| destinations     = 
| parent           = 
| company_slogan   = 
| headquarters     = [[Schönefeld]], [[Brandenburg]], [[East Germany]]
| key_people       = 
| website          = 
}}

'''Interflug [[Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung|GmbH]]''' ({{langx|de|INTERFLUG Gesellschaft für internationalen Flugverkehr m.b.H.}}; {{IPA|de|ˈɪntɐfluːk|}}){{refn|Although it was [[State-owned enterprise|state-owned]], Interflug was not organized as a [[Volkseigener Betrieb|VEB]].|group=note}} was the [[national airline]] of [[East Germany]] (officially the “German Democratic Republic”) from 1963 to 1991. Based in [[East Berlin]], it operated scheduled and chartered flights to European and intercontinental destinations out of its [[airline hub|hub]] at [[Berlin Schönefeld Airport]], focusing on [[Comecon]] countries. Interflug also had significant [[Aerial application|crop dusting]] operations. Following [[German reunification]], the company was liquidated.

==History==
===Founding years===
[[File:Bundesarchiv DH 2 Bild-F-04180, Berlin-Schönefeld, Flughafenbau, Il14.jpg|thumb|right|An [[Ilyushin Il-14]] of Interflug at Schönefeld Airport in 1961, when the terminal building was under construction]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-K1027-0032, Berlin, Hochhaus, Interflug.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Interflug office ''Haus des Reisens'' near [[Alexanderplatz]] in central East Berlin, 1971]]
{{main|Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany)}}
Until 1945, [[Deutsche Luft Hansa]] had served as German [[flag carrier]]. Following the end of [[World War II]] and the subsequent [[Allied-occupied Germany|allied occupation of Germany]], all aircraft in the country were seized and the airline was liquidated. In 1954, [[Lufthansa|a West German company]] acquired the ''Lufthansa'' trademark. In 1955, [[Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany)|Deutsche Lufthansa]] was founded as a rival East German flag carrier. It soon became obvious that the East German airline would likely lose a lawsuit over the use of the ''Lufthansa'' branding. As a result, Interflug was set up on 18 September 1958 as a "backup" company, initially intended to complement the East German aviation industry by operating chartered flights. In 1963, the East German Lufthansa was liquidated, officially due to poor profitability (though this step foreclosed the imminent stripping of the ''Lufthansa'' name). Its staff, aircraft fleet, and route network were transferred to Interflug, which henceforth served as the East German flag carrier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Breiler|first=Klaus|title=Das große Buch der Interflug|year=2007|publisher=Das Neue|location=Berlin|isbn=978-3-360-01904-2|language=de}}</ref><ref name=Erfurth>{{cite book|last=Erfurth|first=Helmut|title=Das große Buch der DDR-Luftfahrt|year=2004|publisher=GeraMond|location=Munich|isbn=3-7654-7216-6|language=de}}</ref>

===East German national airline===
As a state-owned airline, Interflug and its approximately 8,000 employees were under the control of the [[National Defence Council (East Germany)|National Defense Council]], in supreme command of the East German armed forces. The majority of Interflug pilots were [[Military reserve force|reserve officers]] of the [[National People's Army]] (and as such were required to be members of the [[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|Socialist Unity Party]]), and its aircraft could be requisitioned for military purposes at any time.<ref name=faz>{{cite journal|last=Kern|first=Ingolf|title=50 Jahre Interflug: Was von der DDR-Staatsfluggesellschaft blieb|journal=[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]|date=23 June 2008|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/reise/nah/50-jahre-interflug-was-von-der-ddr-staatsfluggesellschaft-blieb-1547977.html|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de}}</ref> [[Klaus Henkes]], who became General Director of the airline in 1978, had previously served as General of the [[Air Forces of the National People's Army|East German Air Force]].<ref name=tsp>{{cite journal|last=Rosen|first=Björn|title=50 Jahre Interflug: Linientreu|journal=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|date=21 September 2008|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/geschichte/50-jahre-interflug-linientreu/1328946.html|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de}}</ref> Applicants for flight attendant jobs had to be approved of by the [[Stasi]], which assessed their ''political reliability'', in an attempt to minimize espionage and [[defection]] to Western countries. Interflug crews who associated with employees of airlines from non-socialist countries risked suspension. Each flight crew was assigned a [[Political officer (military)|political officer]] who gave political lectures during flights.<ref name="tsp"/>

The airline's route network and fleet of Soviet-built aircraft grew significantly in the 1960s. The [[Ilyushin Il-18]] [[turboprop]] airliner became the workhorse of Interflug's [[Flight length|short-haul]] flights during that period. The company had been the intended primary operator of the [[Baade 152]], an early [[jet age|jet airliner]] constructed in East Germany.<ref>{{cite journal|title=East Germany and the BB.152|journal=[[Flightglobal|Flight]]|date=27 March 1959|page=426|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%200863.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> Its development never went beyond the prototype phase and was abandoned in 1961. In 1969, the [[Tupolev Tu-134]] was introduced, the first jet airliner operated by Interflug, used on European routes. The long-range [[Ilyushin Il-62|Il-62]] joined the fleet in 1971. That same year, the number of Interflug passengers reached 1 million. At its peak, Interflug flew to destinations such as [[Havana]], [[Cuba]], [[Singapore]] and [[Conakry]], [[Guinea]].<ref name="spiegel72">{{cite journal |date=21 August 1972 |title=Stotterndes Geheul |trans-title=Stuttering Howling |url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=42872065&aref=image035/E0543/PPM-SP197203500590059.pdf&thumb=false |url-status=dead |journal=[[Der Spiegel]] |language=de |pages=58–59 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105174337/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=42872065&aref=image035%2FE0543%2FPPM-SP197203500590059.pdf&thumb=false |archive-date=5 November 2013 |access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>

As a result of the [[1970s energy crisis]] and increasing fuel prices, Interflug gradually dismantled its domestic route network. The last scheduled domestic flight, to transport prisoners from East Berlin to [[Erfurt]], took place in April 1980.<ref name=spiegel80>{{cite journal|title=Idyllische Ruhe|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=28 April 1980|page=123|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14329950&aref=image036/2006/06/16/cq-sp198001801230123.pdf&thumb=false|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212010621/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14329950&aref=image036%2F2006%2F06%2F16%2Fcq-sp198001801230123.pdf&thumb=false|archive-date=12 December 2013}}</ref>

===Late 1980s and German reunification===
During the 1980s, Interflug's aging fleet caused increasing difficulties: [[fuel efficiency]] was inferior to that of contemporary western airliners, and [[Aircraft noise pollution|noise pollution]] regulations meant the airline had to pay higher [[landing fee]]s and was even banned from operating at some airports.<ref name="tsp"/> With some exceptions,{{refn|Romanian airlines [[TAROM]] and [[LAR Romanian Airlines|LAR]]}} Western-built airliners (most notably those produced by [[Boeing]], [[McDonnell Douglas]], and [[Airbus]]) could not be delivered to [[Soviet bloc]] countries because of the [[CoCom]] embargo. Following a deal between Boeing and [[LOT Polish Airlines]] for the purchase of six [[Boeing 767]] aircraft, and in order to acknowledge the [[Perestroika]] movement, commercial airliners were exempted from the trade embargo in 1988. [[Malév Hungarian Airlines]] also bought Boeing aircraft in 1988, and later that year, Interflug placed an order for three [[Airbus A310]] long-haul aircraft, worth [[Deutsche Mark|DM]] 420 million.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Zwei Airbus-Jets für die DDR|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=2 May 1988|page=130|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13527367&aref=image036/2006/05/15/cq-sp198801801300130.pdf&thumb=false|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205101150/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13527367&aref=image036%2F2006%2F05%2F15%2Fcq-sp198801801300130.pdf&thumb=false|archive-date=5 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=spiegelJune88>{{cite journal|title=Sehr, sehr hoher Preis|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=25 June 1988|pages=75–76|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13529894&aref=image036/2006/05/15/cq-sp198802600750076.pdf&thumb=false|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205160451/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13529894&aref=image036%2F2006%2F05%2F15%2Fcq-sp198802600750076.pdf&thumb=false|archive-date=5 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Airbus Sale to East|journal=[[The New York Times]]|date=25 June 1988|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/25/business/company-news-airbus-sale-to-east.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> The deal was secured with the support of [[Franz Josef Strauss]], then Minister-President of Bavaria, chairman of the Airbus supervisory board and responsible for West German loans to East Germany.

The first Airbus A310 was delivered to Interflug on 26 June 1989.<ref name=airfleets>{{cite web|title=Interflug fleet details|url=http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Interflug.htm|publisher=airfleets.net|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> The East German crews for the new aircraft type were trained in West Germany; aircraft maintenance was also performed there. The A310 enabled non-stop flights to [[Cuba]] (flights had previously required a fuel stop at [[Gander International Airport]] in Canada).<ref name="faz"/>

Following the [[fall of the Berlin Wall]] on 9 November 1989 and the subsequent political upheaval in East Germany, several airlines expressed interest in buying parts of the highly unprofitable company to secure a share of the German air traffic market, especially in Berlin.<ref name="tsp"/> In early March 1990, [[Lufthansa]] signed a [[letter of intent]] to acquire 26 percent of Interflug,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Lufthansa Buying Stake in Interflug|journal=[[The New York Times]]|date=9 March 1990|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7DD123BF93AA35750C0A966958260&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FS%2FStocks%20and%20Bonds|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> but the offer was blocked by Germany's [[Federal Cartel Office]].<ref name=nytFeb91>{{cite journal|title=East German Airline Closed|newspaper=The New York Times |date=9 February 1991|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/09/business/company-news-east-german-airline-closed.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> Plans for a [[takeover]] by [[British Airways]]<ref>{{cite journal|last=Prokesch|first=Steven|title=Airline is Pursuing 2 Hubs on Continent|journal=[[The New York Times]]|date=18 December 1990|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/18/business/airline-is-pursuing-2-hubs-on-continent.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> did not materialize either (the UK airline instead founded [[DBA (airline)|Deutsche BA]] in 1992). On 1 July 1990, Interflug became a member of the [[International Air Transport Association]] (IATA).<ref>{{cite journal|title=East German Air Move|journal=[[The New York Times]]|date=22 May 1990|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/business/east-german-air-move.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>

As a consequence of [[German reunification]] on 3 October 1990, Interflug came under the administration of the ''[[Treuhandanstalt]]'', along with all other East German state property. As no buyers could be found, the liquidation of Interflug, which had 2,900 employees and 20 aircraft at the time, was announced on 7 February 1991.<ref name="nytFeb91"/>  The airline was then dismantled. The last commercial flight (on the Berlin-[[Vienna]]-Berlin route, using a Tu-134) took place on 30 April 1991.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Mit einer Tupolev ging die Interflug-Ära zu Bruch|journal=[[Die Welt]]|date=30 April 2011|url=https://www.welt.de/kultur/article13292097/Mit-einer-Tupolew-ging-die-Interflug-Aera-zu-Bruch.html|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Following the liquidation, a group of former Interflug employees acquired five of the company's [[Ilyushin Il-18]] airliners and set up [[Berline (airline)|Il-18 Air Cargo]], which soon became known as ''Berline'', operating chartered cargo and leisure flights out of Schönefeld Airport. The company went bankrupt and ceased operations in 1994.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Küken nach Teheran|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=23 December 1991|pages=101–103|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13492356.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>

The three Airbus A310 purchased by Interflug in 1988 were handed over by the ''Treuhandanstalt'' to the Federal Republic of Germany and became part of the [[German Air Force]],<ref>{{cite web|title=German Air Force fleet details|url=http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/German%20Air%20Force.htm|publisher=airfleets.net|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> used for [[Air transports of heads of state and government|VIP transport]] of high-ranking politicians like the [[President of Germany|German president]] or [[Chancellor of Germany|chancellor]].

Several former Interflug aircraft have been preserved in different places in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|title=Übersichtstabelle zum Verbleib aller Maschinen|url=http://www.if-interflug.de/Deutsch/Flotte/Verbleib/gesamt.html#Alle|publisher=if-interflug.de|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118224733/http://www.if-interflug.de/Deutsch/Flotte/Verbleib/gesamt.html#Alle|archive-date=18 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Route network==
[[File:Tupolev Tu-134 DM-SCZ Interflug AMS 11.09.77 edited-2.jpg|thumb|Interflug [[Tupolev Tu-134]] at [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol|Amsterdam Airport]] in 1977]]
[[File:Ilyushin Il-18 (DDR-STO).jpg|thumb|right|Interflug [[Ilyushin Il-18]] during chartered service at [[Gatwick Airport]], United Kingdom, 1985]]
[[File:Interflug Ilyushin Il-62 Bidini.jpg|thumb|Interflug [[Ilyushin Il-62]] at [[Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport]], 1988]]
[[File:Interflug Airbus A310-300 Manteufel.jpg|thumb|Interflug [[Airbus A310]] at Schönefeld Airport, 1990]]
As the national airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1991, Interflug operated scheduled passenger flights to the following destinations.{{refn|This list does not include chartered flights to holiday destinations or to airports in West Germany for the annual [[Leipzig Trade Fair]], nor cargo operations.|group=note}}

{{inc-transport|date=February 2013}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:88%;"
|+
|-
!City
!State
!Airport
!Commenced
!Ceased
|-
|[[Tirana]]
|[[Albania]]
|[[Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza|Tirana Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable">{{cite web|title=International timetable|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/if1/if63/|publisher=[[Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany)|Deutsche Lufthansa]]|access-date=19 September 2013|location=timetableimages.com|date=1 April 1963}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Algiers]]
|[[Algeria]]
|[[Houari Boumediene Airport|Maison Blanche Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable">{{cite web|title=Leipzig Fair timetable|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/if67/|publisher=Interflug|access-date=19 September 2013|location=timetableimages.com|date=3 March 1967}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Vienna]]
|[[Austria]]
|[[Vienna International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1970<ref name="spiegel72"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap">{{cite web|title=1991 routemap|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/i-gj/if9103xi.jpg|publisher=Interflug|access-date=19 September 2013|location=timetableimages.com}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dhaka]]
|[[Bangladesh]]
|[[Tejgaon Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline">{{cite web |last1=Liu |first1=Jim |title=Archive: INTERFLUG W77/78 network |url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/261626/archive-interflug-w7778-network/ |website=Routesonline |access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Brussels]]
|Belgium
|[[Brussels Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name=SXF83>{{cite web|title=Airlines and Aircraft Serving Berlin-Schönefeld Effective July 1, 1983|url=http://www.departedflights.com/SXF83intro.html|publisher=departedflights.com|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Burgas]]
|[[Bulgaria]]
|[[Burgas Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
|
|-
|[[Sofia]]
|Bulgaria
|[[Sofia Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]
|Bulgaria
|[[Varna Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Beijing]]
|China
|[[Beijing Capital International Airport]]
| align=center | 1989<ref name="tsp"/><ref name="spiegelJune88"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Havana]]
|[[Cuba]]
|[[José Martí International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1975<ref name="spiegel80"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Larnaca]]
|[[Cyprus]]
|[[Larnaca International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Nicosia]]
|Cyprus
|[[Nicosia International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1974
|-
|[[Bratislava]]
|[[Czechoslovakia]]
|[[M. R. Štefánik Airport|Bratislava Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1973<ref name="Routesonline"/>
|
|-
|[[Poprad]]
|Czechoslovakia
|[[Poprad-Tatry Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
|
|-
|[[Prague]]
|Czechoslovakia
|[[Prague Václav Havel Airport|Ruzyně Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Copenhagen]]
|[[Denmark]]
|[[Copenhagen Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1970<ref name="spiegel72"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Cairo]]
|[[Egypt]]
|[[Cairo International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Helsinki]]
|[[Finland]]
|[[Helsinki Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Barth, Germany|Barth]]
|[[East Germany]]
|[[Stralsund Barth Airport|Barth Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1964 timetable">{{cite web|title=Timetable: 1 April-31 October 1964|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/if1/if64/|publisher=Interflug|access-date=19 September 2013|location=timetableimages.com}}</ref>
| align=center | 1977<ref name="spiegel80"/>
|-
|[[East Berlin]]
|East Germany
|[[Berlin Schönefeld Airport|Schönefeld Airport]] '''(hub)'''
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Dresden]]
|East Germany
|[[Dresden Airport|Klotzsche Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1964 timetable"/><br />1990<ref name="nytSep90">{{cite journal|title=Travel Advisory: Two Germanys Expand Ties|journal=[[The New York Times]]|date=2 September 1990|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/02/travel/travel-advisory-350290.html|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
| align=center | ca. 1978<ref name="Routesonline"/><br />1991
|-
|[[Erfurt]]
|East Germany
|[[Erfurt-Weimar Airport|Erfurt Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1964 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1980<ref name="spiegel80"/>
|-
|[[Heringsdorf, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|Heringsdorf]]
|East Germany
|[[Heringsdorf Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1964 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1979<ref name="spiegel80"/>
|-
|[[Leipzig]]
|East Germany
|[[Leipzig/Halle Airport|Schkeuditz Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Cologne]]
|[[West Germany]]
|[[Cologne Bonn Airport]]
| align=center | 1990<ref name="nytSep90"/>
| align=center | 
|-
|[[Düsseldorf]]
|West Germany
|[[Düsseldorf Airport]]
| align=center | 1989<ref name="faz"/>
| align=center | 
|-
|[[Hamburg]]
|West Germany
|[[Hamburg Airport]]
| align=center | 1990<ref name="nytSep90"/>
| align=center | 
|-
|[[Athens]]
|[[Greece]]
|[[Ellinikon International Airport]]
| align=center | 1979<ref name=spiegel81>{{cite journal|title=Volkseigener Köder|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14346538&aref=image036/2006/06/16/cq-sp198103900740076.pdf&thumb=false|date=17 December 1981|pages=74–76|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212013455/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14346538&aref=image036%2F2006%2F06%2F16%2Fcq-sp198103900740076.pdf&thumb=false|archive-date=12 December 2013}}</ref>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Conakry]]
|[[Guinea]]
|[[Conakry International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable"/>
|
|-
|[[Budapest]]
|Hungary
|[[Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport|Ferihegy Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
|
|-
|[[Baghdad]]
|[[Iraq]]
|[[Saddam International Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
|
|-
|[[Tel Aviv]]
|[[Israel]]
|[[Ben Gurion Airport]]
| align=center | 
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Milan]]
|Italy
|[[Linate Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1980<ref name="spiegel81"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Rome]]
|Italy
|[[Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport|Fiumicino Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1980<ref name="spiegel81"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Beirut]]
|[[Lebanon]]
|[[Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport|Beirut International Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
|
|-
|[[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]]
|[[Libya]]
|[[Tripoli International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Bamako]]
|[[Mali]]
|
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable"/>
|
|-
|[[Valletta]]
|[[Malta]]
|[[Malta International Airport]]
| align=center | 
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Maputo]]
|[[Mozambique]]
|[[Maputo International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1975<ref name="spiegel80"/>
| align=center | 
|-
|[[Amsterdam]]
|Netherlands
|[[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Lagos]]
|[[Nigeria]]
|[[Murtala Muhammed International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
| align=center | ca. 1991
|-
|[[Karachi]]
|[[Pakistan]]
|[[Jinnah International Airport]]
|align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
|
|-
|[[Warsaw]]
|Poland
|[[Warsaw Chopin Airport|Okęcie Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Bucharest]]
|[[Romania]]
|[[Aurel Vlaicu International Airport|Băneasa Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Singapore]]
|Singapore
|[[Singapore Changi Airport]]
| align=center | 1988<ref name="tsp"/><ref name="spiegelJune88"/>
| align=center | 
|-
|[[Kyiv]]
|[[Soviet Union]]
|[[Boryspil International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
|
|-
|[[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]]
|Soviet Union
|[[Pulkovo Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Minsk]]
|Soviet Union
|[[Minsk National Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
|
|-
|[[Moscow]]
|Soviet Union
|[[Vnukovo International Airport|Vnukovo Airport]]<br />[[Sheremetyevo International Airport|Sheremetyevo Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Stockholm]]
|Sweden
|[[Stockholm Arlanda Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Damascus]]
|[[Syria]]
|[[Damascus International Airport|Damascus Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable"/>
|
|-
|[[Bangkok]]
|[[Thailand]]
|[[Don Mueang International Airport|Don Muang Airport]]
| align=center | 1989<ref name="tsp"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]]
|[[Tunisia]]
|[[Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport|Monastir Airport]]
| align=center | 
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Tunis]]
|Tunisia
|[[Tunis–Carthage International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Istanbul]]
|Turkey
|[[Istanbul Atatürk Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1977<ref name="Routesonline"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Dubai]]
|[[United Arab Emirates]]
|[[Dubai International Airport]]
| align=center | 
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Hanoi]]
|[[Vietnam]]
|[[Gia Lam Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1975
| align=center | 1978
|-
|[[Hanoi]]
|[[Vietnam]]
|[[Noi Bai International Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1978<ref name="spiegel80"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Belgrade]]
|[[Yugoslavia]]
|[[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport|Belgrade Airport]]
| align=center | 1963<ref name="1963 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|[[Ljubljana]]
|Yugoslavia
|[[Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport|Brnik Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
|
|-
|[[Split, Croatia|Split]]
|Yugoslavia
|[[Split Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1982<ref name="SXF83"/>
|
|-
|[[Zagreb]]
|Yugoslavia
|[[Zagreb Airport]]
| align=center | ca. 1966<ref name="1967 timetable"/>
| align=center | 1991<ref name="1991 routemap"/>
|-
|}

===Flights to Western countries===
[[File:Berlin-wall-map en.svg|thumb|right|A map showing the border crossings between West and East Berlin. The checkpoint at ''Waltersdorfer Chaussee'' could only be used by West Germans travelling to and from nearby Schönefeld Airport (click to enlarge).]]
As an East German state-owned company, Interflug had the important role of securing foreign currency reserves, as the [[East German mark]] was considered a [[Hard currency|weak currency]]. For most of its existence, Interflug was not a member of the [[International Air Transport Association]] (IATA), and could therefore significantly undercut the ticket prices of other European carriers.<ref name="spiegel81"/> From the 1970s, more effort was put into operating chartered flights to [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] and [[Black Sea]] holiday resorts, many of which specifically catered to West Germans (travel restrictions applied to East Germans). Starting in that period, Interflug gained traffic rights to several destinations in Western Europe.<ref name="spiegel72"/> All these flights could be booked at travel agencies in West Berlin and West Germany, which had signed sale contracts with Interflug. To simplify the transfer of passengers from West Berlin to and from Schönefeld Airport, a dedicated border crossing checkpoint was inaugurated at ''Waltersdorfer Chaussee'', and scheduled shuttle buses were operated from the Central Bus Terminal in the [[Westend (Berlin)|Westend]] locality.<ref name="spiegel81"/>

By the early 1980s, low Interflug ticket prices led to a severe decline in holiday flights at [[Berlin Tegel Airport]] in West Berlin. Pilots at [[Pan Am]], which had a hub at Tegel, reportedly considered operating flights to Greece without pay to allow the airline to compete with Interflug.<ref name="spiegel81"/>

Interflug signed an agreement with [[Turkish Airlines]] giving the two airlines exclusive rights to offer dedicated flights for Turkish ''[[Gastarbeiter]]'' to and from West Germany and West Berlin.<ref name="tsp"/> In the 1980s, Interflug set up a partnership with [[KLM]] for a joint operation on the East Berlin-[[Amsterdam]] route. Of the six weekly flights, two were operated by KLM's [[Fokker F28 Fellowship]]s, and four by Interflug's Tu-134s and Il-62s. As neither airline was allowed to cross the intra-German border,{{refn|The three [[West Berlin Air Corridor|air corridors]] crossing the border between East and West Germany could only be used by airlines of the [[Western Bloc|Western Allies]] (the United States, United Kingdom, and France) and by [[LOT Polish Airlines]].|group=note}} the KLM flights were routed via [[Denmark]], and Interflug used a southern routing over [[Czechoslovakia]].<ref name=spiegeljan86>{{cite journal|title=Dumm Da|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=13 January 1986|pages=30–31|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13516240&aref=image036/2006/06/12/cq-sp198600300300031.pdf&thumb=false|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212012033/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13516240&aref=image036%2F2006%2F06%2F12%2Fcq-sp198600300300031.pdf&thumb=false|archive-date=12 December 2013}}</ref>

During the annual [[Leipzig Trade Fair]], at that time considered the most important meeting place for businesspeople and politicians from both sides of the [[Iron Curtain]], Lufthansa and Interflug were granted special permits to operate flights between [[Leipzig]] and West Germany. In 1986, Lufthansa and Interflug applied for joint traffic rights for year-round scheduled intra-German flights over the Iron Curtain, which were initially rejected by the [[Western Bloc|Western Allies]] (likely due to concerns that their unique market position for flights to and from Berlin might be weakened),<ref>{{cite journal|title=Wirklich absurd|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=17 March 1986|page=59|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=13518082&aref=image036/2006/06/12/cq-sp198601200590059.pdf&thumb=false|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and only granted in August 1989. Interflug was then able to launch flights on the Leipzig-[[Düsseldorf]] route, while Lufthansa began serving the [[Frankfurt]]-Leipzig leg.<ref name="faz"/> In 1990, Interflug added flights from [[Dresden]] to [[Hamburg]] and [[Cologne]].<ref name="nytSep90"/>

==Fleet==
[[File:Iljuschin Il-14 Interflug DM-SAB Innenraum (02).JPG|thumb|right|Interior view of a preserved [[Ilyushin Il-14]] once operated by Interflug (2008).]]
Over the years, Interflug operated the following aircraft types on its commercial flights:{{refn|The list does not include aircraft (including helicopter) types operated for agricultural and military purposes by the East German state, some of which were painted in Interflug colors.|group=note}}<ref name="Erfurth"/><ref name="airfleets"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Profile for: Interflug|url=http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=operator&qstring=InterFlug&where=18762&luck=|publisher=Aero Transport Data Bank|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+
|-
!Aircraft
!Introduced
!Retired
|-
|align=left|[[Aero Ae-45]]
| 1956
| 1961
|-
|align=left|[[Airbus A310]]
| 1989
| 1991
|-
|align=left|[[Antonov An-2]]
| 1957
| 1962
|-
|align=left|[[Antonov An-24]]
| 1966
| 1975
|-
|align=left|[[Bombardier Dash 8|Dash 8-100]]{{refn|A single aircraft of the type had been leased from [[Tyrolean Airways]].|group=note}}
| 1990
| 1991
|-
|align=left|[[Let 410UVP]]
| 
| 1991
|-
|align=left|[[Ilyushin Il-14]]
| 1955
| 1967
|-
|align=left|[[Ilyushin Il-18]]
| 1961
| 1991
|-
|align=left|[[Ilyushin Il-62]]
| 1970
| 1991
|-
|align=left|[[Tupolev Tu-124]]
| 
| 
|-
|align=left|[[Tupolev Tu-134]]
| 1969
| 1991
|-
|align=left|[[Tupolev Tu-154M]]
| 
| 1991
|-
|}

==Accidents and incidents==
===Fatal===
*On 26 July 1964, an Interflug [[Antonov An-2]] ([[aircraft registration|registered]] DM-SKS) crashed near [[Magdeburg]]; the two occupants died.<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description of Interflug's 1964 Antonov crash|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19640726-0|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
*[[Interflug Flight 450]], the deadliest to date in Germany with 156 fatalities (and second-deadliest in the world at the time, only surpassed by [[All Nippon Airways Flight 58]]) occurred on 14 August 1972, when an Interflug [[Ilyushin Il-62]] (registered DM-SEA), then one of the world's largest passenger jets, crashed during an emergency landing attempt near Schönefeld Airport. The aircraft, registered DM-SEA, was the first Il-62 operated by Interflug. Shortly into the Berlin-[[Burgas]] flight, the aircrew encountered problems with the [[Elevator (aircraft)|elevators]] caused by a fire in the cargo bay, which destroyed part of the rear fuselage. The aircrew subsequently tried to return to the airport, ultimately sending the airplane into an uncontrolled descent.<ref name="spiegel72"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description of the Königs Wusterhausen disaster|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19720814-0|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
*On 1 September 1975, an Interflug [[Tupolev Tu-134]] (registered DM-SCD) [[Interflug Flight 1107|crashed]] during its approach into [[Leipzig/Halle Airport]]; 27 of the 34 people on board died (three crew and four passengers survived). The aircraft had been travelling from [[Stuttgart]], West Germany, to Leipzig (such flights were only operated during the [[Leipzig Trade Fair]]). It was later determined that the pilots had not properly checked the aircraft's altitude, leading to a descent below the [[Instrument landing system|glide slope]] and a collision with an antenna mast.<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description of the 1975 Interflug crash|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19750901-0|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
*On 26 March 1979, a cargo-configured Interflug [[Ilyushin Il-18]] (registered DM-STL) overshot the runway at [[Quatro de Fevereiro Airport|Luanda Airport]] in Angola following an engine failure during the take-off run. The aircraft [[1979 Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crash|broke up and erupted into flames]]; all ten people on board died.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790326-0 1979 crash at the Aviation Safety Network]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description of the 1979 Interflug crash|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790326-0|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
*On 17 June 1989, an Ilyushin Il-62 (registered DDR-SEW) operating [[Interflug Flight 102]] to Moscow overshot the runway during a take-off attempt at Schönefeld Airport and caught fire; 21 of the 103 passengers on board and one person on the ground died (all ten crew members survived). The accident started when a rudder jammed because of a locking tab that had been left in place during maintenance. When instructed to apply reverse thrust, the flight engineer mistakenly switched the engines off. Because the accident occurred on the anniversary of the [[East German uprising of 1953|1953 East German uprising]], the resulting [[Peaceful Revolution|tense atmosphere in the GDR]] initially led to suspicions of sabotage, delaying medical assistance to survivors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description of the 1989 Interflug crash|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19890617-2|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>

===Non-fatal===
*On 7 December 1963, an Interflug Ilyushin Il-14 (registered DM-SBL) belly-landed near Königsbrück following total electrical failure; all 33 on board survived.<ref>{{ASN accident|id=332987|title=DM-SBL|wikibase=yes}}</ref>
*On 22 November 1977, an Interflug Tu-134 (registered DM-SCM) on a flight from Moscow was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Schönefeld Airport. The aircraft, with 74 people aboard, crashed into the runway due to an excessive sink rate caused by faulty handling of the [[autopilot]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description of the 1977 Interflug crash|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19771122-1|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
*On 11 February 1991, Interflug's scheduled Berlin-Moscow flight was involved in a [[go-around]] incident at [[Sheremetyevo International Airport|Sheremetyevo Airport]]. The captain of the [[Airbus A310]] (registered D-AOAC) disagreed with the flight computer settings for the go-around, and the resulting opposite control inputs from the flight computer caused a total of four [[Stall (flight)|stalls]], including one that pitched the aircraft up to 88 degrees (nearly vertical). The pilots eventually recovered control and landed the aircraft. Taking place after the crash of an [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] during a [[Air France Flight 296Q|1988 demonstration flight]], the incident further demonstrated the danger of aircrews inadvertently or deliberately countermanding automatic safety protocols built into modern jetliners.<ref>{{cite web|title=Description of Interflug's 1991 Airbus incident|url=http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=147079|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=January 2015}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Black Box, Episode 1: Blaming the Pilot| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wp-Dbb2CO4|access-date=19 September 2013|location=youtube.com}}</ref>

===Criminal incidents===
*On 10 March 1970, a hijacking attempt occurred on an Interflug flight from East Berlin to [[Leipzig]]. Armed with pistols, a young husband and wife, Eckhard and Christel Wehage, demanded the pilot fly the [[Antonov An-24]] – which had 15 other passengers on board – to [[Hanover]] in [[West Germany]] to escape the [[Iron Curtain]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Description of the 1970 Interflug hijacking|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19700310-0|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> The pilot claimed not to have enough fuel, and the Wehages agreed to fly to [[Tempelhof Airport]] in [[West Berlin]]. The plane returned to Schönefeld Airport instead, leading the Wehages to kill themselves.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/1970-318,412,2.html |title=berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de Berlin Wall Memorial: Christel and Eckhard Wehage |access-date=2014-03-01 |archive-date=2017-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026110934/http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/1970-318,412,2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*A similar hijacking attempt failed during an Interflug flight from [[Erfurt]] to East Berlin on 30 January 1980.<ref>{{cite web|title=Description of the 1980 Interflug hijacking|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19800130-3|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|access-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> 
*On 20 December 1980, Interflug Flight 302 from East Berlin to [[Budapest]] was subjected to a bomb threat. En route, a handwritten note was discovered claiming a bomb was hidden on the Tupolev Tu-134 and would be triggered once the aircraft descended below {{Convert|600|m}}. The crew decided to divert to [[Poprad-Tatry Airport|Poprad]], a Czechoslovak airport located at an elevation of {{Convert|718|m}}. Upon landing a backpack was discovered which did not belong to any of the passengers. No information was released about its contents.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Bombe bei Interflug|journal=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=12 January 1981|page=17|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14316639&aref=image036/2006/06/16/cq-sp198100300170017.pdf&thumb=false|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927233215/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=14316639&aref=image036%2F2006%2F06%2F16%2Fcq-sp198100300170017.pdf&thumb=false|archive-date=27 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
*The East German TV series ''[[Treffpunkt Flughafen]]'' was produced between 1985 and 1986. In eight episodes, it deals with the fictional crew of an Interflug [[Ilyushin Il-62]], and their (often negative) experiences and adventures in foreign countries, which the average East German citizen could either not afford or was not allowed to travel to.<ref name="faz"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Treffpunkt Flughafen|url=http://www.mdr.de/damals/artikel87850.html|publisher=[[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk]]|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de}}</ref>
*The intentional landing of a former Interflug Ilyushin Il-62 on a {{Convert|900|m|adj=on}} long grass runway in [[Gollenberg]] on 23 October 1989 received widespread media attention. The aircraft, donated by the airline, was commanded by {{ill|Heinz-Dieter Kallbach|de}} and has been preserved there ever since to commemorate aviation pioneer [[Otto Lilienthal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ARD report commemorating the landing of an Interflug Il-62 in a field| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EP2fgosJ0A|location=youtube.com|access-date=19 September 2013|language=de}}</ref>

==InterCondor==
*After West and East Germany reunited, Interflug planned to start a [[joint-venture]] airline with [[Condor Flugdienst]] named InterCondor. InterCondor's fleet was to consist only of [[Boeing 757]]s. Unfortunately, due to the liquidation of Interflug in 1990, the project airline was abandoned.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.ddr-museum.de/de/museum/objektdatenbank/?inventarno=1003652 Ticket of Interflug]

{{Portal bar|East Germany|Germany|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of Germany}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Interflug| ]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of Germany]]
[[Category:Airlines of East Germany]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1958]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 1991]]
[[Category:Aviation history of Berlin]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in East Germany]]
[[Category:German companies disestablished in 1991]]
[[Category:German companies established in 1958]]