Historical eventMarch 261979

Interflug

An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport during a rejected takeoff, killing 10.

Everything on March 26Original source

In context

When
Monday, March 26 197947 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: 1958-09-18 – 1991-05-01.

What happened

History Founding years An Ilyushin Il-14 at Schönefeld airport in 1961, when the terminal building was under construction Main article: 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 occupation of Germany , all aircraft in the country were seized and the airline was liquidated. In 1954, a West German company acquired the Lufthansa trademark. In 1955,

Legacy Following the liquidation, a group of former Interflug employees acquired five of the company's Ilyushin Il-18 airliners and set up 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. All employees were fired. [ 1 ]

Interflug GmbH was the national airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1991. Based in East Berlin, it operated scheduled and chartered flights to European and intercontinental destinations out of its hub at Berlin Schönefeld Airport, focusing on Comecon countries. Interflug also had significant crop dusting operations. Following German reunification, the company was liquidated in 1992.

March 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1979Interflug
  2. 1997Heaven's Gate (religious group)
  3. 1997Rancho Santa Fe, California
  4. 1998Algerian Civil War
  5. 1999Jack Kevorkian
  6. 2005Taiwan
  7. 2009Tesla Model S
  8. 2010ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772)
  9. 2010Torpedo
  10. 20172017–2018 Russian protests
  11. 2024Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)

Also in 1979

  • March 14Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600 crashes at Doha International Airport, killing 45 people.
  • September 13Venda (Bantustan)South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
  • September 14Nur Muhammad TarakiAfghan president Nur Muhammad Taraki (pictured) was overthrown and later killed on the orders of Hafizullah Amin, who succeeded him.
  • September 16East Germany balloon escapeEight people escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a home-made hot air balloon.
  • September 16The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang released their first single, Rapper's Delight.
  • May 25Disappearance of Etan PatzSix-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on his way to school in New York City, and later became one of the first missing children to have his…
  • May 25O'Hare International AirportDuring takeoff from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, an engine detached from American Airlines Flight 191, causing a crash that k…
  • May 25John SpenkelinkJohn Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroductio…

Everything we record for 1979 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Interflug”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/interflug-1979-march-26, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Interflug happen?

March 26 1979 — 47 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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