British Aviation Services
Founded | 1946 |
---|---|
Ceased operations | 1962 (taken over by Air Cdre Griffith J. Powell,Eoin C. Mekie, A. V-M. S.D. MacDonald, W.G. Franklin, M.D. Day |
British Aviation Services Limited (Britavia) was an early post-
History
In 1945,
Following British Aviation Services'
One of Powell's first visits in his new capacity as adviser to the Zinc Corporation took him to
Silver City Airways was incorporated on 25 November 1946. British Aviation Services became one of the new airline's shareholders, initially taking a 10% stake. It took full control of Silver City Airways in 1948, as a result of buying out the other shareholders. The decision to become Silver City's sole shareholder coincided with British Aviation Services' strategic move to become an airline operator in its own right under the Britavia name to operate trooping flights.[1]
Eoin Mekie, a Glaswegian lawyer, became the new chairman of the reorganised British Aviation Services (BAS) Group in 1950.[10][11]
In 1953, BAS Group announced its intention to take over Aquila Airways, Britain's last remaining flying boat operator. According to BAS's official statement regarding the proposed Aquila takeover, this transaction envisaged the acquisition of Aquila's entire share capital "partly on a cash and partly on a share exchange basis". It furthermore entailed the relocation of Aquila's administrative and reservation offices to BAS's central London premises and the continuation of all flying boat operations as a separate entity under Aquila managing director Barry Aikman. BAS's official statement moreover foresaw an expansion of flying boat activities and an increase in the associated fleet and facilities as well as additional services to and from Portugal, including Madeira.[5]
The same year, BAS acquired
In 1954,
The completion of the Air Kruise and Aquila Airways acquisitions by 1 May 1954 resulted in another enlargement of BAS Group. At this point, BAS assumed the role of the enlarged group's
Nineteen fifty-four was also the year Britavia purchased four Hermes from British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).[16] These aircraft were allocated to Britavia's Hermes Division at Blackbushe and formed the core fleet for the airline's trooping flights and IT services.[17]
In May 1955, BAS took over Isle of Man-based Manx Airlines, an independent airline operating charter flights and regional scheduled services.[12]
On 14 November 1955, a Britavia
In December 1955, BAS agreed to
In 1957, BAS gained control of Newcastle upon Tyne-based Dragon Airways, another independent regional operator. This acquisition concluded BAS's expansion. It was followed by formation of Silver City Airways's new northern passenger division, beginning with repainting the recently acquired airlines' aircraft into Silver City's silver, royal blue and white livery.[12]
Nineteen fifty-seven was also the year Britavia and fellow Hermes operators
By 1958, the Air Kruise cross-Channel services, as well as all Dragon Airways, LAC and Manx Airlines operations from Newcastle upon Tyne, Blackpool and the Isle of Man respectively had been transferred to Silver City's Northern Division to streamline BAS Group's fragmented airline operations.[7][12] It was hoped that these measures would improve the group's financial performance.
Although BAS Group had become the UK's biggest independent airline operator by that time, it began making heavy losses. The loss of Britavia's biggest trooping contract to Hunting-Clan was the main reason for BAS's poor financial performance.[10] The urgent need to replace the aging flying boat fleet made this situation worse. As a result of the rapidly deteriorating financial performance of the group's flying boat activities and the lack of suitable replacements for the obsolete fleet, all flying boat activities ceased by September 1958.[4][6] Both trooping and flying boat activities had accounted for a major share of the group's business.
In 1959, Britavia transferred its entire five-strong Hermes 4A fleet to sister airline Silver City, as a consequence of the loss of another trooping contract to Eagle.[21]
Secret merger talks between the BAS Group and the BUA group of companies began during 1961. BUA's takeover of BAS was officially announced in January 1962. Air Holdings, a new holding company set up by BUA's shareholders in November 1961 to facilitate the creation of a large private sector airline through additional acquisitions of rival independent airlines, took full control of BAS and BUA by purchasing both airlines' entire share capital.
Fleet details
The BAS Group's airline subsidiaries operated the following aircraft types:
- Airspeed Consul
- Bristol 170 Freighter Mark 31
- Bristol 170 Superfreighter Mark 32
- de Havilland DH 89 Dragon Rapide
- de Havilland DH 114 Heron
- Douglas DC-2
- Douglas DC-3
- Handley Page Hermes
- Short Solent
Fleet in 1958
In April 1958, the BAS Group fleet comprised 43 aircraft.[7]
Aircraft | Number |
---|---|
Handley Page Hermes | 5 |
Bristol 170 Superfreighter Mark 32 | 14 |
Bristol 170 Freighter Mark 31 | 7 |
Douglas DC-3 | 7 |
Douglas DC-2 | 1 |
Short Solent | 3 |
de Havilland DH 114 Heron | 2 |
de Havilland DH 89 Dragon Rapide | 3 |
Airspeed Consul | 1 |
Total | 43 |
Accidents and incidents
There are two recorded accidents involving Britavia aircraft. One of these was fatal.[23]
The non-fatal accident occurred on 5 August 1956. The aircraft, a Handley Page HP.81 Hermes 4A (registration: G-ALDK), undershot the runway while attempting to land on runway 08 at the
The fatal accident occurred on 5 November 1956. The aircraft, a Handley Page HP.81 Hermes 4A (registration: G-ALDJ), operated an international non-scheduled passenger flight from Blackbushe via
See also
Notes
- Notes
- government-owned corporations
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... SILVER CITY), Vol 43, No 3, p. 41, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, January 2010
- ^ a b Flight International, 19 February 1954, From all quarters, Another air-sea merger, p. 158
- ^ a b Flight International, 3 May 1957, World Airline Directory ... British private-enterprise operators ... Britavia (British Aviation Services Group), p. 590
- ^ a b c d PortCities Southampton > Southampton > Flying Boats > Aquila to the end > Aquila Airways[usurped]
- ^ a b c Flight International, 13 March 1953, Civil Aviation, Aquila/Silver City merger, p. 342
- ^ a b c d Flight International, 17 April 1959, World Airline Directory ... The British carriers ... British Aviation Services Ltd., p. 532
- ^ a b c Flight International, 18 April 1958, World Airline Directory ..., p. 527
- ^ a b c Aeroplane — Britain's Biggest Independent Airline, Vol. 102, No. 2625, pp. 143/4, Temple Press, London, 8 February 1962
- ^ a b Fly me, I'm Freddie!, Eglin, R. and Ritchie, B., Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1980, pp. 75/6
- ^ a b c d Fly me, I'm Freddie!, Eglin, R. and Ritchie, B., Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1980, p. 75
- ^ a b c A Bigger British United, Air Commerce, Flight International, 1 February 1962, p. 158
- ^ a b c d e Silver City Airways — The Company: Onwards and Upwards
- ^ A Bigger British United, Air Commerce ..., Flight International, 1 February 1962, p. 159
- ^ Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... SILVER CITY), Vol 43, No 3, p. 43, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, January 2010
- ^ Silver City Airways — The Company: A Year of Change
- ^ Flight International,26 March 1954, Civil Aviation, The B.O.A.C. Hermes dispute, p. 376
- ^ a b Fly me, I'm Freddie!, Eglin, R. and Ritchie, B., Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1980, pp. 44/5
- ^ Flight International, 25 November 1955, Civil Aviation, Transatlantic Hermes, p. 817
- ^ Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... SKYWAYS), p. 58, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010
- ^ Airliner World (Skyways), p. 65, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
- ^ Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... SILVER CITY), Vol 43, No 3, pp. 42/3, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, January 2010
- ^ Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... SILVER CITY), Vol 43, No 3, p. 44, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, January 2010
- ^ Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Operator index > United Kingdom > Britavia
- ^ ASN Aircraft accident description Handley Page HP.81 Hermes 4A G-ALDK — Drigh Road Pakistan Air Force Base, Karachi
- ^ ASN Aircraft accident description Handley Page HP.81 Hermes 4A G-ALDJ — Blackbushe Airport (BBS)
References
- Eglin, Roger & Ritchie, Berry (1980). Fly me, I'm Freddie. London, UK: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-77746-7.
- "Flight International". Flight International. Sutton, UK: Reed Business Information. ISSN 0015-3710. (various backdated issues relating to Britavia and British Aviation Services, 1946–1962)
Further reading
- "Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten: British Island Airways)". Aircraft. Hersham, UK: Ian Allan Publishing: 66–70. January 2012. ISSN 2041-2150. (Aircraft online)