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Old 28th Aug 2021, 12:23
  #26 (permalink)  
oxenos
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: uk
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Britannia traded in the B737-200’s to Boeing to get a good deal on the B757’s
G-BECG and G-BECH were apparently owned by an American pension fund - I believe for dentists. When they left Brit, they were taken on a 4 year lease by the Independent Aviation Group, who were a firm of seat brokers ( not the other IAG). It not being economical to have an Air Operator's Certificate for 2 aircraft, they were put on G.B.'s AOC, and G.B. recruited extra pilots to cover them. These pilots did not just fly CG and CH, but all GB pilots flew both these and GB's other 732s, which were British Airways pattern.
IAG found various charters to use the aircraft on, including work for Sterling in Denmark and Sobelair (SABENA's charter division).
In 1995, IAG got the contract to start Easyjet, with flights commencing in the November. At that pont, Easyjet consisted of the two aircraft and two routes, LTN-GLA-LTN and LTN-EDI-LTN. G.B provided the pilots and senior cabin crew, and Easyjet the remaining cabin crew.
This involved the expense of crews travelling from their LGW base to LTN and back, and ocasionally hotel accomodation in LTN, so in July 1996, the aircraft were transferred to Air Foyle's AOC in LTN. Air Foyle recruited pilots, some transferring from G.B., the others being largely ex Brtannia.
Once it was seen that there was the demand, Easyjet started to acquire their own aircraft and crews and add routes. Early additions were Inverness, Aberdeen and Amsterdam..
In April 1997 IAG's contract with Easyjet expired, and they switched to a contract with Virgin Express. CG and CH were based in Heathrow, operating LHR- Brussels, and on to other Virgin Express destinations, usually Nice and Milan (Malpensa).
This continued until early October 1997.
At that pont the lease on the aircraft expired. To renew it would have required IAG to pay for them to be hush kitted, so it was not renewed.
I believe both aircraft ended up in Argentina, and were scrapped about 10 years later.
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