Originally Posted by
SOSL
Transport Command and Air Support Command, then 38 Group.
Think Armstrong Whitworth Argosy, Short Belfast, Blackburn Beverley and currently C130, C17, Chinook etc...
No, even back in the mid-60s we used British United to deploy on a Sunspot to Malta. Bomber Command was late with its booking to Transport Command and they were fully committed.
Similarly, during the Vietnam war the US used civair to rotate troops to theatre. I think the Soviets also pressed Aeroflot in to service with their Germany troop rotations.
While most military transport services have huge capacity it is inevitably limited. It would be grossly inefficient if it had sufficient capacity to meet peak demand.