The oldest commercial airline in the world still operating continuously under its original founding name is Koninklijke Luchtvaartmaatschappij, widely recognized internationally as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Established in the Netherlands on October 7, 1919, the carrier operated its inaugural historic scheduled flight shortly thereafter in 1920. Although it partnered with Air France in a major corporate merger to form Air France-KLM, the iconic KLM brand name and founding heritage continue to be actively preserved. Other early pioneer carriers, such as Avianca in Colombia and Qantas in Australia, also hold multi-decade historic legacies originating shortly after World War I.