He mapped and commercially exploited the longest automobile route in the world, linking the Mediterranean to the Niger, Chad and Congo.

His company ran a network of automobile transport lines across the Sahara, and later provided air service between many of the French colonies in Africa.

The demand from tourists collapsed with the Algerian War (1954–62), and eventually Estienne's companies were taken over by the government of independent Algeria.

He was the third son of General Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, polytechnician, who was known for developing armored vehicles and the tank.

[4] The purpose of the company was to "study, establish and exploit land and air communications between the various territories of the African continent, particularly between Algeria and Niger.

[6] The first mission was led by Georges Estienne, with his brother René and lieutenant Hubel, accompanied by four legionnaires and four Citroën mechanics.

[5] Four Citroën cars with Kégresse tracks towed a Nieuport-Delage aircraft with folding wings covered by a huge white tarpaulin.

[9] A second exploratory expedition left Colomb-Béchar at midnight on 25 January 1924, headed by Gaston Gradis, with three large six-wheel Renault cars with double tires.

[15] They then returned to Europe by boat, while the Estienne brothers raced back from Savé to Colomb Bechar in six days, setting a new record for long-distance speed in Africa.

[14] The trans-Saharan expedition was acclaimed as a great success, but Georges Estienne was not satisfied due to the huge resources that had been required.

In April 1926 he and René Estienne created a "sleeping car", a moving hotel that made it possible to cross the Tanezrouft in comfort.

To publicize the practicality of the crossing, in 1927 Georges traveled alone from Oran to Niamey in five days as part of an eleven-day journey from Paris to Fort-Lamy.

In 1945 its automobile fleet had 150 vehicles and with the acquisition of aircraft was able to obtain enough revenue to create the subsidiary Aéro-Africaine with a capital of 10 million.

[1] By 1949 the air network was serving many of the French African colonies from Bamako to Bangui from its hub at Tamanrasset in the Hoggar.