Originally Posted by
Sotonsean
I thought that I would start a thread regarding the Scandinavian Invasion that occurred on Sundays at London Stansted Airport during the late 1970's and 1980's long before the low cost airlines and the new terminal that opened in 1991.
During that period London Stansted Airport was more of a ghost airport except for a few seasonal charters by the likes of Air Malta, Austrian Airlines, Aviogenex, Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, JAT Yugoslav Airlines, a few scheduled flights from Jersey European Airways and Air UK. There was also the summer only weekly Viscount service from British Midland Airways to Jersey plus during the mid eighties for limited time the Highland Express B747 to Newark via Prestwick. Wardair operated a weekly B747 to Toronto plus the Caribbean Airways (Lionair) B747 charter to Barbados and the occasional American Trans Air TriStar.
The maintenance areas always had something of interest with regular visitors such as an Air Mali B727, Air Guinea B707, Somalia Airways B707, TAAG Angola Airlines B707 and many more plus the TransMeridian CL-44's and Shorts Belfasts.
There was of course the dedicated Ford flights with their BAC1-11's and Gulfstream 1's and aircraft on crew training flights from various airlines but on the whole there wasn't many movements especially compared to today.
But the real highlight of the week was on a Sunday when London Stansted Airport saw many movements from various Scandinavian airlines that we're otherwise not seen in the United Kingdom.
I look forward to reading your comments
Sean
At the risk of slight thread drift, one date which saw a depleted operation from Stansted was Sunday, January 21st. 1979. The whole of the south was covered in fog but Cardiff remained pretty fog free as, I believe, did Bournemouth. Cardiff’s day started early with the diversion from Gatwick of GK64 a Laker Airways DC-10 and, as well as a rugby airlift back from Scotland, the airport handled over twenty diversions. A mid-afternoon appearance was made by three Sterling Airways Caravelles diverting in quick succession from Stansted. Where Stansted’s other flights that day ended up I have no idea, but for Cardiff it was an amazing day still etched in my memory with a good selection of aircraft. Somewhere at home I still have my log of the movements that took place and some pictures too of a pretty unusual day for Cardiff. Apologies for the thread drift, let’s return to Stansted!