Air Algérie

Air Algérie is one of those airlines you do not see in Germany every day – and that is exactly why it is worth a look. The Algerian flag carrier mainly links North Africa with France, but also flies to Frankfurt, Berlin, Geneva, Basel and Vienna. The fleet is more colorful than you might expect at first glance: Boeing 737s from two generations, Airbus A330s old and new, ATR turboprops and even a Hercules for cargo. Here you will learn how to place the airline and which types are especially worth catching.

Air Algérie at a glance

Air Algérie is Algeria’s state-owned airline, headquartered and hubbed in Algiers. Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG) is the most important base, and a second focus is in Oran (ORN) in the west of the country. From there the airline serves a network of domestic routes, European connections and destinations in Africa and the Middle East.

The history goes back to the French colonial era. In 1947 the Compagnie Générale de Transports Aériens (CGTA) began operations, at first flying charters to Europe. In 1953 it merged with Compagnie Air Transport, a company with ties to Air France – creating CGTA Air Algérie. It bet early on the French Caravelle: the first aircraft was delivered in January 1960.

After Algeria’s independence in 1962 the state gradually took control: 51 percent in 1963, and in 1972, with the purchase of the remaining shares from Air France, the whole airline. Since then Air Algérie has been fully state-owned.

Codes and callsign

• IATA code AH: appears in the flight number, on the display board and on the ticket.
• ICAO code DAH: appears in the flight plan filed with air traffic control and is shown to you on many trackers.
• Callsign AIR ALGERIE: this is how the crew calls in on the radio.

Do not confuse the IATA code AH with a country code – IATA and ICAO codes are pure airline identifiers and do not automatically reveal the country of origin. Why there are two code systems in the first place is explained in the article IATA and ICAO codes explained. And how flight number and callsign relate is covered in Callsign vs. flight number.

The fleet: Boeing, Airbus and ATR

Unlike many European network airlines, Air Algérie relies on a mix of Boeing and Airbus. According to publicly available fleet overviews (as of August 2025) and the deliveries since then, the fleet comprises around 60 aircraft. The exact numbers are changing quickly right now, because new jets are arriving and leased aircraft are rotating – so the table mainly shows which types you can expect.

Type	Number (approx.)	Seats	Use	Spotter note
Boeing 737-800	around 24	144–162	Europe, Middle East, Africa	Backbone of the fleet
Boeing 737-600	5	101	Short- and medium-haul	Shortest 737 NG, has become rare
Boeing 737-700C	2	112	Passengers or cargo	Convertible, with a large cargo door
Boeing 737 MAX 8	first aircraft since July 2026	–	Medium-haul	New in the network, 10 on order
Airbus A330-200	7–8	251–263	Long and high-demand routes	Classic winglets
Airbus A330-900	since Nov. 2025, several in service	–	Long-haul, Paris	Newest widebody jets
ATR 72-500 / 72-600	12 / 3	66 / 68	Domestic	Turboprops
Boeing 737-800BCF	1	Cargo	Cargo service	Converted freighter
Lockheed L-100-30	1	Cargo	Cargo service	Civilian Hercules

The Boeing 737-800 is the workhorse on almost all European routes. More exciting for collectors is the short Boeing 737-600: comparatively few of this version were built, and it has become rare worldwide. The two 737-700Cs are combi aircraft that can switch quickly between passenger and cargo configurations – the large cargo door at the front left gives them away. For an overview of the generations, see the Boeing 737-700.

On the widebody side it flies the Airbus A330-200 and, since November 2025, the Airbus A330-900. The neo is part of an order Air Algérie placed with Airbus in 2023; it also includes two A350-1000s. According to Algerian media, four A330-900s had been delivered by spring 2026, with more due over the course of the year.

From Boeing the airline ordered ten 737 MAX 8s in March 2026. The first aircraft arrived from July 2026, with the rest following in 2027. From the 2023 order, eight 737 MAX 9s are also outstanding, with delivery planned from 2027.

Domestically, Air Algérie relies on turboprops from ATR: the ATR 72-500 and the newer ATR 72-600. More ATR 72-600s are on order for the domestic subsidiary Domestic Airlines, founded in 2025. How to tell the two turboprop generations apart is shown in the article How to tell turboprops apart.

A330-200 or A330-900? How to tell them apart

Both widebody jets wear the same livery, but the A330-900 is about five meters longer. A few details, though, immediately reveal whether you have the old or the new generation in front of your lens.

The most reliable feature is the wingtips: even from a long way out on approach you can tell the curved Sharklet of the neo from the short, angular winglet of the -200. If you are generally unsure about the variants, the article How to tell an A330 from an A340 helps.

737-800 or 737 MAX 8?

With the arrival of the MAX 8, Air Algérie has two 737 generations in service that look alike at first glance. Watch for these points:

• Engines: The MAX has CFM LEAP-1B engines with a serrated trailing edge on the cowling. The 737-800 has smooth nacelles with a slightly flattened underside.
• Winglets: The MAX carries split-tip winglets with one tip pointing up and one down. Air Algérie’s 737-800s generally have the classic, upward-curved winglets.
• Tail: The cone at the rear is longer and more pointed on the MAX.
• Tracker: The MAX 8 shows up as B38M and the 737-800 as B738. What is behind such abbreviations is explained in the article ICAO type codes explained.

For an overview of all the series from the original 737 to the MAX, see the guide Telling the Boeing 737 Original, Classic, NG and MAX apart.

How to recognize Air Algérie

The livery is simple: white fuselage, “Air Algérie” titles in Latin and Arabic script and a red logo on the tail. The logo shows a stylized swallow; its basic form dates from 1966 and was modernized in 2023. Because the livery is so restrained, Air Algérie does not stand out right away among the many white jets at a big airport – the red tail logo is your most important clue.

Now and then special liveries turn up. Well known, for example, is a 737-800 with the registration 7T-VKM, which has carried a livery marking the 25th anniversary of the 737 Next Generation since 2016. How to track down such motifs on purpose is shown in the guide to special liveries.

Cargo: L-100 and 737 freighters

A special case in the fleet is the Lockheed L-100-30, the civilian version of the military Hercules. Air Algérie uses it in cargo service. The airline has operated the L-100-30 since the 1980s; according to current fleet overviews one is still in the fleet today. If you catch one of these, it is a real highlight – you will find more on the type at the Lockheed L-100 Hercules.

There is also a Boeing 737-800BCF converted to a freighter. You recognize it by the missing cabin windows and the large cargo door at the front left. The cargo division operates as Air Algérie Cargo. How to tell freighters from passenger jets in general is explained in the article How to recognize cargo aircraft.

The network: France first

No country matters as much to Air Algérie as France. Thanks to the shared history and the large Algerian community, there are connections from many Algerian cities to numerous French airports. Paris is served at two airports: Paris-Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Others include Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux.

So if you want to spot Air Algérie reliably and in large numbers, the best thing is to go to France. In Marseille or Orly the airline is part of the normal daily picture, and with a bit of luck you will see several types there in a single day. For the Paris airports, the guide Plane spotting at Paris-Charles de Gaulle helps.

Air Algérie also flies to Spain, Italy, Belgium, the UK and Turkey, as well as to several African countries and the Middle East. Through codeshares with partners such as Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Tunisair, the airline extends its network. It does not belong to a global alliance; it is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO).

Spotting Air Algérie in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

In German-speaking countries Air Algérie is rare. The classic is Frankfurt Airport, where the airline has long landed – the guide Plane spotting at Frankfurt Airport has tips on the spots there. Since September 2026 Berlin Brandenburg Airport has also been in the network. In the tri-border region Air Algérie flies to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse, which also serves Freiburg. Then there are Geneva Airport and Vienna Airport.

The flights usually do not operate several times a day, but on selected days of the week. On these routes you mainly see the 737-800 – but sometimes another type comes along when demand is high, for example during the holidays or around religious holidays. In Vienna the observation deck and the spotters’ hill are good options, and in Geneva the observation deck. The guides Plane spotting in Vienna-Schwechat and Plane spotting in Geneva describe both airports in detail.

Because many flights land only once a day or less often, timing matters. Read up on the runway configuration beforehand so that you stand on the right side of the airport – the guide to the runway direction in use at an airport helps with that. How schedules change between summer and winter is explained in the article on the summer and winter schedule.

A dark chapter: Flight AH5017

The airline’s history also includes a serious accident. On July 24, 2014, Flight AH5017 on the way from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali; all 116 people on board were killed. The aircraft was an MD-83 that Air Algérie had wet-leased, crew included, from the Spanish company Swiftair. In September 2026 a Paris criminal court found Swiftair guilty of manslaughter; the airline disputes its responsibility. Air Algérie’s own fleet includes no MD-80s.

Common mix-ups

• Confusing flight number and tracker code – the display board says AH, the tracker usually DAH. Both mean Air Algérie.
• Treating Air Algérie and Tassili Airlines as the same – both carry 7T- registrations but are independent airlines.
• Taking every red tail fin from North Africa for Air Algérie – you tell Tunisair (TS-) and Royal Air Maroc (CN-) apart by the registration.
• Logging the A330-900 as an A330-200 – the curved Sharklets and larger engines reveal the neo.
• Logging a 737-600 as a 737-700 – the -600 is much shorter, so watch the distance between door and wing.
• Taking the 737-700C for a regular 737-700 – the large cargo door at the front left makes the difference.

Conclusion

In German-speaking countries Air Algérie is a rare visitor and therefore a rewarding target. The fleet combines proven Boeing 737s and A330-200s with the new A330-900 and the 737 MAX 8, plus ATR turboprops and exotics like the L-100. If you note registrations and type codes cleanly and look closely at wingtips and engines, you will place every sighting with confidence. And if you want to see lots of AH flights, go to France.