Summary
A new airline name has started appearing at airports across Algeria – and its distinctive green aircraft are already becoming an interesting target for aviation enthusiasts.
Domestic Airlines is Algeria’s newest airline brand, created as a wholly owned subsidiary of national carrier Air Algérie and tasked with developing the country’s extensive domestic air network.
But this isn’t an airline which has been built entirely from scratch.
Behind the new name is the former Tassili Airlines, whose Boeing 737s and Dash 8 turboprops have been transferred into the new operation. Now, a fleet of brand-new ATR 72-600s is also beginning to arrive.
So, who exactly is Domestic Airlines, where does it fly, and what aircraft can you expect to see?
From Tassili Airlines to Domestic Airlines
Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The story of Domestic Airlines really begins with Tassili Airlines.
Tassili was established in 1998 and originally concentrated heavily on flights supporting Algeria’s important oil and gas industry. It was owned by state energy company Sonatrach and developed a fleet capable of operating both scheduled passenger flights and specialist charter services.
That changed dramatically in 2025. As part of a wider restructuring of Algeria’s aviation industry, ownership of Tassili Airlines was transferred from Sonatrach to Air Algérie in June 2025.
Air Algérie then unveiled the identity of its new subsidiary, Domestic Airlines, on 3 July.
The intention was straightforward: Domestic Airlines would concentrate on connecting destinations within Algeria, while Air Algérie could increasingly focus its mainline resources on developing its international network.
The new carrier commenced operations in August 2025, with its inaugural service linking Algiers with Tamanrasset, around 1,600km away in southern Algeria.
It therefore isn’t simply another competitor to Air Algérie. Domestic Airlines is effectively the group’s dedicated domestic and regional airline.
Why Does Algeria Need a Domestic Airline?
Look at a map of Algeria and the reasoning becomes obvious.
It is the largest country in Africa by land area, stretching from the Mediterranean coast deep into the Sahara.
Distances between communities can be enormous, particularly when travelling between the populated northern part of the country and isolated settlements in the south. Air transport therefore has an important role beyond simply providing convenient travel.
Domestic Airlines is intended to improve connectivity between these communities, including destinations where passenger numbers may not justify larger jet aircraft.
Air Algérie has specifically highlighted southern Algeria as a priority for the new operation. This is also why turboprops will play such an important role in the airline’s future.
Where Does Domestic Airlines Fly?
The airline’s principal base is Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport (ALG), although its network is much more extensive than a simple collection of routes radiating from the capital.
Domestic Airlines serves around 20 destinations across Algeria.
These include:
- Algiers
- Adrar
- Annaba
- Béchar
- Bordj Badji Mokhtar
- Constantine
- Djanet
- El Golea
- El Oued
- Hassi Messaoud
- Illizi
- In Amenas
- In Salah
- Oran
- Ouargla
- Tamanrasset
- Tiaret
- Touggourt
- Timimoun
- Tindouf
Many are precisely the kind of remote destinations for which the airline has been created.
There are also services which don’t involve Algiers.
In February 2026, for example, Domestic Airlines introduced new connections linking Algiers, Constantine and Timimoun, strengthening links between northern Algeria and the Sahara.
Recent aircraft movements show Dash 8s operating routes such as Algiers–In Salah–Tamanrasset, Algiers–Annaba, Annaba–El Oued and Constantine–Touggourt.
This gives Domestic Airlines an unusual network from an enthusiast’s perspective, with its aircraft appearing at numerous smaller Algerian airports which see relatively little international traffic.
What Aircraft Does Domestic Airlines Fly?
The airline inherited the fleet previously operated by Tassili Airlines.
This created an interesting mixture of jets and turboprops.
The fleet comprises three main types:
Boeing 737-800
Seven Boeing 737-800s were inherited from Tassili Airlines. These are the largest aircraft in the Domestic Airlines fleet and are particularly useful on busier and longer domestic sectors.
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400
Four Dash 8-Q400s provide a smaller and more economical option for regional flying. The Q400’s combination of speed and turboprop economics makes it particularly well suited to Domestic Airlines’ network.
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q200
The smallest aircraft are four Dash 8-Q200s. With only around 37 seats, these increasingly rare turboprops are particularly interesting from an aviation enthusiast’s perspective.
The Dash 8-200 has largely disappeared from scheduled airline fleets in many parts of the world, yet Domestic Airlines continues to use the type to link some of Algeria’s thinner and more remote destinations.
Recent 2026 flying has included Q200 operations through Adrar, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Tiaret, Timimoun and Constantine.
That makes Domestic Airlines an increasingly interesting carrier for anyone interested in regional and commuter aircraft.
16 New ATR 72-600s Are Coming
At the same time as Domestic Airlines was unveiled in July 2025, Air Algérie announced a major order for 16 new ATR 72-600 turboprops specifically for the new subsidiary.
It is the largest ATR order ever placed by an African operator.
The aircraft will seat 72 passengers and feature the latest-generation Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT engines.
Deliveries are scheduled between 2026 and 2028.
The first new ATR 72-600 was delivered in July 2026, with the aircraft named Tassili – an appropriate nod to the airline from which Domestic Airlines emerged. Algerian authorities reported the aircraft with 73 seats, while ATR’s standard specification for the order describes a 72-seat configuration.
The aircraft are particularly important to the airline’s plans for southern Algeria. Their economics make them well suited to routes which don’t need a Boeing 737, while their regional capabilities allow the airline to maintain links between relatively small communities.
As more arrive, the ATR 72-600 is likely to become one of the defining aircraft of Domestic Airlines.
What Will Happen to the Dash 8s?
Domestic Airlines currently operates eight Dash 8s across the -200 and -400 variants, and the new ATRs cover much of the same regional-aircraft territory.
No definitive retirement timetable for the Dash 8s has been announced. However, with 16 brand-new ATRs arriving by 2028, it seems reasonable to expect the airline’s turboprop fleet to change substantially over the next few years.
For enthusiasts, that makes the Dash 8-Q200s particularly worth seeking out while they remain active.
What Does the Domestic Airlines Livery Look Like?
Domestic Airlines, née sur les bases de Tassili Airlines, quitte très rarement le ciel algérien. Comme son nom l’indique, son activité reste quasi exclusivement dédiée au réseau intérieur.🇩🇿
Pourtant, ce 21 août 2026, l’aéroport de Nice a eu droit à une belle exception lors… pic.twitter.com/C3byDaNV8t
— Gate7 (@Gate7aviation) August 23, 2026
One of the easiest ways to distinguish Domestic Airlines from its parent is its new colour scheme.
Air Algérie is traditionally associated with red and white.
Domestic Airlines retains a strong visual connection to the national carrier but complements the red swipe with green.
The aircraft have predominantly white fuselages with large green DOMESTIC AIRLINES titles, accompanied by Arabic script.
The tail carries a green interpretation of the familiar Air Algérie identity, while green detailing is also used elsewhere around the aircraft.
The overall result is modern and relatively simple, while making it immediately obvious that the aircraft belongs to the wider Air Algérie family.
The airline’s Boeing 737-800s and Dash 8s have recently been appearing in the new scheme as aircraft transition from their former Tassili Airlines identities. However, many aircraft are still wearing Tassili Airlines livery at the time of writing.
For plane spotters outside Algeria, seeing one will be much less common.
However, it isn’t impossible. In August 2026, Domestic Airlines Boeing 737-800 7T-VCD made a rare international appearance at Nice Airport in France, operating an Algiers–Nice–Algiers flight on behalf of Air Algérie.
The aircraft was wearing the full Domestic Airlines livery.
Domestic Airlines Fleet
As the transition progresses, the fleet can broadly be summarised as:
| Aircraft | Fleet | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | 7 | Higher-capacity domestic routes |
| Dash 8-Q400 | 4 | Regional services |
| Dash 8-Q200 | 4 | Thin and regional routes |
| ATR 72-600 | 1+ | New-generation regional fleet |
| ATR 72-600 on order | 16 total ordered | Deliveries 2026–28 |
The fleet numbers will naturally change as the ATR deliveries continue and Air Algérie develops its plans for the older aircraft.
