LUTON History and Nostalgia

[cj241101]

foreign operators 1973-1976

Info I have 1973-1976 is a little patchy as I wasn't working at the airport until 1977 nor living locally, but I can remember the following:-

1973:-
Air Spain DC-8-21, Wed morning, Fri evening, Sat morning + evening, Sun evening
Aviaco Caravelle, Wed morning, Sat evening, DC-8-50 (Iberia) Tue afternoon, Sat morning
Germanair 1-11 500 3 flights each Mon/Fri from end October
Aer Turas C-54/DC-7 all year

1974:-
Germanair 1-11 500 3 flights each Mon/Fri all year, 4 flights Mon/Fri peak summer
Aviaco Caravelle, Fri evening x2, Sat morning x2, Sun evening (DC-9-30 from 15th Sep).
Maersk Air F-27 Sun evening, Jul/Aug/Sep
Aer Turas Britannia, C-54 all year
British Midland used Heralds in addition to their Viscounts on the Channel Islands schedules
Dan Air introduced 727-100’s

1975:-
Germanair 1-11 500 all year, Tue/Sat during the summer, Mon/Fri during the winter
Tarom IL-18 short series March/April to/from Oradea Mare
Inex Adria DC-9-30 Sun afternoon Dubrovnik
Aviaco DC-9-30 Sun morning Palma, Sun evening Alicante
A.T.I. DC-9-30 late Sat evening, late Sun evening, August
Bavaria 1-11 400 Thu evening/Sun evening from October 7th, 1-11 500 as well from November
Austrian DC-9-30 late Sun evening from November 2nd
(strictly Austrian Air Transport using leased Austrian aircraft, flight prefix OB)
Aviogenex TU-134 several ad-hoc charters Nov/Dec, usually staying 2-3 days
Aer Turas Britannia, C-54 all year

1976:-
Germanair 1-11 500 Fri/Mon all year
Bavaria 1-11 400/500 all year
Inex Adria DC-9-30/50 Sun lunchtime
Austrian DC-9-32/50 late Sun evening all year
Condor 727-100 Sat, March only
Sterling Airways Caravelle 6R/12 all year starting April, Mon/Fri/Sat/Sun, 4 flights weekly summer, up to 10 weekly winter including 5 on Sundays
Aviaco DC-9-30 Fri evening
Trans Europa Caravelle 10R Sun afternoon June
Aviogenex TU-134 ad-hoc charters, usually weekends
Aer Turas Britannia, C-54 all year
Geminair Britannia, scheduled cargo flights to/from Accra

I kept excessively obsessive anorak records after starting work at Monarch in June 1977 and will try and post these in due course. Any corrections/additions welcome.