Air Trans Africa was formed by Jack Malloch in 1964 after his first company, Rhodesian Air Services failed in 1962. It operated a Super Constellation, a Douglas C-54 and a DH114 Heron aircraft before Southern Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). The airline's financial crises were compounded when Ian Smith's government declared independence (UDI) on November 11, 1965. It was a charter airline flying cargo and/or passengers to many different destinations throughout Europe and Africa. The company (in chronological order):