What Happened To Air Malawi? Advertisement: Once the flag carrier of the southeastern African nation of Malawi, Air Malawi collapsed in 2013. However, the airline had a long history before that, stretching far back into the 1960s. So what happened to Air Malawi? Air Malawi operated an interesting fleet over its five-decade run, including the Boeing 747SP and 737s. Photo: Aeroprints.com via Wikimedia Commons Roots Air Malawi was founded in 1964 as a subsidiary carrier of the erstwhile Central African Airways (CAA). CAA was the parent airline of several flag carriers under British rule in the continent and lasted until 1967. Air Malawi kicked off operations using a fleet of three de Havilland Canada DHC-2s and two DC-3s. All of these aircraft were leased from the CAA, which also provided the needed personnel and equipment to begin flying. The airline focused on domestic and regional routes during much of its existence.