These Christmas mail flights were very special events. The 1933 flight was planned to use the new Fokker F.XX PH-AIZ 'Zilvermeeuw' but when that one developed engine trouble on the morning of the planned departure the F.XVIII PH-AIP 'Pelikaan' was quickly substituted.
Sounds like a dry run for the 1938 UK Christmas mail fiasco along the same route to the Far East and Australia. As well as the regular Empire Flying Boats, three of the latest new 4-engined wonderplane Armstrong Whitworth Ensign were to carry the eagerly awaited, and expensive, Christmas greetings. They set off from Croydon well covered by the press. One broke down at Athens, another got as far as Alexandria in Egypt, while the third actually got as far as India. But not beyond.
Older aircraft had to come to the rescue. The Ensigns were sent back to Armstrong Whitworth in disgrace.