Come fly with me – the Arab world and the golden age of air travel – The National

Come fly with me – the Arab world and the golden age of air travel – The National

Airlines like Emirates and Etihad are often said to have inspired a second golden age of air travel with new standards of passenger comfort.

But what of the original “golden age”, when flying meant wearing your best clothes, enjoying a three-course meal and perhaps relaxing with a fine cigar?

This was the 1950s and ‘60s, when long-distance travel to exotic destinations was for the privileged few, and before budget airlines brought flying to the masses.