Editing Ariana Afghan Airlines (section)

===Early years===
[[File:Stamp of Afghanistan - 1965 - Colnect 483160 - Douglas DC 3 and Emblem.jpeg|thumb|left|Postage stamp of Afghanistan from 1965 commemorating the 10th anniversary of Ariana. The logo features an Afghan [[swallow]] bird and a blue field representing precious [[lapis lazuli]] stones; it was personally designed by the then King of Afghanistan, [[Zahir Shah]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.flyariana.com/Corp/history | title=History }}</ref>]]
The airline was set up on 27 January 1955.<ref name="Addendum"/> It was established as ''Aryana Airlines'' with the assistance of ''Indamer Co. Ltd.'', which initially held a 49% stake, and the government of Afghanistan owned the balance.<ref name="Flight1957"/> At the beginning, services were operated to [[Bahrain]], [[India]], [[Iran]], and [[Lebanon]], with a fleet of three [[Douglas DC-3]]s.<ref name="Flight1957"/> In 1957, [[Pan American World Airways]] became the minor shareholder of the airline when it took over the 49% interest from Indamer.<ref name="Flight1960"/> Domestic scheduled services started the same year.<ref name="Flight1960"/> By {{start date|1960|4}}, a fleet of three [[DC-3]]s was being used for linking Kabul with [[Amritsar]], [[Delhi]], [[Jeddah]], and [[Karachi]], as well as with some points within Afghanistan, while a single [[DC-4]] operated the Kabul–Kandahar–[[Tehran]]–[[Damascus]]–[[Beirut]]–[[Ankara]]–[[Prague]]–[[Frankfurt]] service, the so-called "Marco Polo" route.<ref name="Flight1960"/> In the early 1960s, {{US$|1100000|1960|round=-6|link=yes}} from [[United States|US]] aid to Afghanistan was used to capitalise the company.<ref name="Flight1960-27"/>

By {{start date|1970|3}}, the airline had 650 employees. At this time, the fleet comprised one [[Boeing 727-100C]], one [[CV-440]], one DC-3 and two Douglas DC-6s that worked on routes serving the [[Middle East]], India, [[Pakistan]], the [[USSR]], and [[Istanbul]], Frankfurt, and [[London]].<ref name="FI1970-472" /> Domestic services were then operated by ''[[Bakhtar Alwatana]]'', which was established by the government in 1967 for this purpose.<ref name="FI1988-54"/>

[[File:Ariana Afghan Airlines DC-10-30 YA-LAS 1980-8-10.png|thumb|An Ariana Afghan Airlines [[DC-10-30]] on approach to [[London Heathrow Airport]] in 1980. Throughout its history, the airline operated a single aircraft of the type that was sold in the mid-1980s, following the [[Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]].<ref name="USSR forced Ariana DC-10 sale"/>]]
The carrier's first [[widebody aircraft]], a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]], entered the fleet in early {{start date|1979|10}}.<ref name="FI1979-1262"/> By {{start date|1985|3}}, the aircraft fleet consisted of the DC-10 and two [[Boeing 727|Boeing 727-100C]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|title=World airline directory – Ariana Afghan Airlines |journal=[[Flight International]] |date=30 March 1985 |page=55 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1985/1985%20-%200915.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111132035/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1985/1985%20-%200915.html |archive-date=11 November 2012 |access-date=18 August 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref> In the mid-1980s, during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], the carrier was forced to sell the DC-10 to [[British Caledonian]], as the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]s wanted the carrier to fly the [[Tupolev Tu-154]] as a replacement.<ref name="USSR forced Ariana DC-10 sale"/> In {{start date|1985|10}}, Ariana was taken over by [[Bakhtar Afghan Airlines]], which became the country's new [[flag carrier|national airline]].<ref name="FI1988-54"/><ref name="FI1987-5"/> In 1986, ''Bakhtar'' ordered two [[Tupolev Tu-154M]]s;<ref name="FI1986-6"/> the airline took possession of these aircraft in {{start date|1987|4}}.<ref name="FI1987-5"/> In {{start date|1988|2}}, ''Bakhtar'' was merged back into ''Ariana'', thus creating an airline which could serve both short and long haul routes.<ref name="FI1989-58"/>{{additional citation needed|date=August 2012}}