Past & Present UK Charter Airlines

[XL ONE]

I'm just interested in all the names that have come and gone over the years in the UK charter sector and was wandering if people could help me out.

I've already got

AEU, AMM, AIH, AWD, BY, CKT, FCL, FCA, MON, MYT, SBE, TCX, XLA

[WHBM]

There have been literally hundreds.

Get hold of a copy of the book "British Independent Airlines" by Tony Merton-Jones which lists plenty of them.

[tilly666]

Good old airlines like:

Ambassador
All Leisure Travel
Classic Airways

Not very well known, but boy were they fun!! :p

Air UK Leisure
Air Europe
Paramount
British World .... and thats where my memory ends! :hmm:

[Krystal n chips]

Then there was :

Donaldson

Court

Orion

Skyways ?

[EGCC]

Also,

JMC Air
Excalibur
Peach Air
Virgin Sun

[simonwa]

Inter European Airways (IEA) - remember them? Airtours bought them out with Aspro.

[MerchantVenturer]

Intereuropean Airways, owned by the Cardiff-based Aspro Travel, later merged into Airtours when that company bought Aspro.

Airways International Cymru - operated Boeing 737s and Bae 1-11s for a few years in the mid 1980s on charters mainly out of CWL and BRS.

British Island Airways - mainly Bae 1-11s.

[LGS6753]

Autair International
Invicta International
Air Ferry
British United Airways
Laker Airways
Claydon Aviation
Hunting Clan
Air Bridge Carriers
BKS
Dan Air
Skyways Coach Air
Trek
Channel Airways
Cambrian Airways
British Westpoint
Brymon Aviation
Intra Airways (now FlyBe)
Jersey Airlines
Alidair
Euravia (now Britannia)
Jersey European (now FlyBe)
British European (now FlyBe)
London European
Birmingham European
British Eagle
Derby Airways (now bmi)
Northeast Airways
Air Anglia
Court Line Aviation
Cymru International
Inter European
Ambassador Airlines
Donaldson International
Lloyd International
British United Air Ferries
British Air Ferries
Silver City Airlines
Instone Airlines
British Island Airways
British United Island Airways
Morton Air Services
Paramount Airways
British Helicopters
Air Europe
Highland Airways
Central Air Services
Air Envoy
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Sun
Heavylift
Monarch Airlines
Debonair
AB Airlines
Channel Express
Jet2
Manx Airlines
Air 2000
First Choice Airlines
Airtours International
BEA Airtours
British Airtours
Caledonian Airways
British Caledonian
Caledonian/BUA
Peach Air
Sabre Airlines
Cougar Leasing
Excel Airlines
Astraeus
FlyJet
EasyJet
bmi
bmibaby
Duo Airlines
Maersk Air (UK)
Titan Airways
British World
Rig Air
Eastern Airlines (2 different)
Genair
Celtic Airlines
Loganair
Aurigny Air Services
Rockhopper
Le Cocqs Air Link
Skyways Ltd
Air Wales
South Coast Airlines
Air Kilroe
Air International
Ambassador Airlines
Emerald Airlines
Janus Aviation
Streamline Aviation
OCS
TNT Aviation
DHL Aviation
Keegan Aviation
Air Atlantique
Highland Express

and that's just a few.........

[MEFLYBE]

I can think of:

Airtours International
Mytravel Airways
Air 2000
First Choice Airways
Thomson Airways
Britannia
JMC Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines
Caledonian
Leisure International Airways
AirUK Leisure
Flying Colours
Airways International Cymru
Paramount
Excalibur
British Airtours
Intereuropean Airways
Peach Air
Virgin Sun
British World
Astraeus
Flyjet
Ambassador
Courtline
Orion
All leisure
Transaer
Prime
Classic Airways
Air Europe
Airworld
EAL
Monarch
Sabre
Excel
Air Scandic

The list is endless :ok:

Regards

Mike

[bacardi walla]

Mediterranean Express (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=216115&WxsIERv=QkFDIDExMS0uLi4gT25lLUVsZXZlbg%3D%3D&WdsYXMg=TWVkaXRlcnJhbmVhbiBFeHByZXNz&QtODMg=TG9uZG9uIC0gTHV0b24gKExUTiAvIEVHR1cp&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=QXByaWwgMTk4OA%3D%3D&BP=1&WNEb25u=R2VyaGFyZCBQbG9taXR6ZXI%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=Ry1BWlVL&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=Mjkw&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwMi0wMS0yNg%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes)

[Sir George Cayley]

But forgot

Instone
BOAC Cunard
British Airtours
IAS
Manchester Airways
Mercury
Starways
Imperial
Eagle European
Southwest
Northern
Interline


Sir George Cayley

[kriskross]

...and Dan Air mentioned only once in all those lists ....Shame of it!!!

[G-AZUK]

CHEERS BACARDI WALLA!!!!:ok:

[Red Four]

North East
Princess Air
Willowair
National

[bacardi walla]

G-AZUK you're welcome. I used to love flying that -475, especially into Guernsey !!! Great colour scheme too. :ok:

[chiglet]

Amber Air [Tried to use "Diamond" as r/t but BMA stopped them]
watp,iktch

[IB4138]

What about the short lived
Air Manchester
This was the in house airline of the defunct Sureway Travel. Operated BAC 111s

[faq]

What about the Southend based BAe146 operator in the the late eighties? All I can remember was they had grey uniforms and either pink or purple 146's, which might have been QC's.

Did anyone add Capital Airlines to these listings?

LGS: It's Eastern Airways at the moment, but the previous one in the UK might have been Eastern Airlines. But Brian Huxford had a controlling interest in both of them I believe.

[bacardi walla]

PRINCESS AIR at SEN
DEBONAIR at LTN - grey pilot uniforms :yuk:

[surely not]

Cal-Air
British Caledonian Charter
Euroworld

[Tarek Nor]

Alidair http://www.airliners.net/open.file/507988/M/

Cougar http://www.airliners.net/open.file/408216/M/

Euroceltic http://www.airliners.net/open.file/242748/M/

Novair http://www.airliners.net/open.file/203101/M/

TEA (UK) http://www.airliners.net/open.file/351786/M/

NOW! :rolleyes:


rgds

T N

[bacardi walla]

Mmmmm no livery for NOW Mr Tarek Nor :ok:

[Goldstone]

Treffield Aviation (sixties @ LGW I believe ... very short-lived ... Viscounts? Large Union Jack on the tail).

[XL ONE]

Wow - didn't realise there were quite that many! thanks for all the replys.

XL ONE

[irishair2001]

And don't forget

Treffield International
Transglobe
Redcoat Air Cargo
AirLinks
Irelfly
Starways

[jetstream7]

What about Hot Air with Viscounts, also Polar (Viscounts again) and Westair (with HP Heralds)

Of course there was Globe Mediterranean (1991), no aircraft at all, but a couple of wet-lease flights before CAA pulled the operation 'cause of the lack of a/c...

Some more...

Genesis with J31's
J&J Air Charter Emb110's
Welsh AW PartenaviaP68s and welease AAG DC3s
Ryanair Europe 1-11's
London European 1-11's
Novair DC-10 / 737-400
Sunjet 737-300

[Little Blue]

Has no-one mentioned TUK?
Remember the day they went bust...was dispatching
the flight from EMA...Captain had to come into the lounge
to tell the pax the news...very sad ...
Nice hosties......!!!


;)

[boredcounter]

To expand if I may,

National, included:

National Airways (frieght)
National Commuter Airways (Sabena BRU and the CI's)
Airstar Air Transport (PA31's)
Kondair (cant say what they flew, too ugly!)

also, I believe traded as Navigations (Plc) and Distance no Object, but the old memories are fading.

Of the same ilk,

Hubbardair
Niteflight (LTN) (but may be Knightflight)
Harvest Air (Watchdog contract holder before Air Atlantique)
Regionair (pax ops by above with J31 and bandit)

moving further away from the beloved SEN

Grovner (Qmk spelling, had G-POLO, made me laugh, something missing from the middle, yep available payload)
Skyguard (b****rds, knew I had no DG ticket, never flew for them though, allways sussed them in the nic of time)
Fields
Air Bridge
City Airways (Shed's out of EXT (maybe better placed with National))
Fairflight
Good old Gill RIP

TITAN, can't believe they have not had a mention.



What about my favourite, British Independent and the good old budgies out of Lydd.
Skytrek


Ohhhhhh the list is just 'plane' endless, but there are a few more.



WHBM
'There have been literally hundreds.

Get hold of a copy of the book "British Independent Airlines" by Tony Merton-Jones which lists plenty of them.'

Love to get hold of the ISBN, can you oblige

Thanx

Bored

[LGS6753]

Bored -

Niteflight operated out of Luton for 20 years, recently moved to Coventry.
But they are a German airline (AFAIK), operating D- registered aircraft.

[blaireau]

Sunseeker. 733 out of LBA MAN in 94?

[WHBM]

Boredcounter:

Get hold of a copy of the book "British Independent Airlines" by Tony Merton-Jones which lists plenty of them.'

Love to get hold of the ISBN, can you oblige

Published by The Aviation Hobby Shop in West Drayton, who will stick one in the post for you. Or as you are based at BHX try that aviation bookshop up on the top floor of T1, they probably still have them in stock. It's a big hardback closely-printed book, a lot of reading !

[Sir George Cayley]

Tradewinds!!!!

Yea with their Swing Tail Britannias also known as CL44's

Which leads onto Trans Meriadian Air Charters ex Stansted

And wot abart that DC3 op out of Blackpool that featured in the TV Docu "Wings" Chief pilot was Roy something...?"


Sir George Cayley

[egnxema]

Community Express - SD-360 EMA - BHX - LGW

London City Airways - LCY merged into Airlines of Britain (bmi)

[GK430]

How about:

Hunting Clan
British Eagle (remember 707-138B's G-AWDG and G-AVZZ which ended up with Laker's _GK

British Air Ferries

Channel, with the Tridents and 1-11's at Stansted (when nobody flew there except for training)

and what about Morton Air Services with all those Herons
and DC-3's

And that reminds me when Decca Navigator had that Ambassador at Gatwick.

Enough - it's making me feel I'm in need of a Zimmer:*

[U R NumberOne]

Did this with a mate at work a couple of years ago - looking at 1970s onwards (after T M-J's book finishes), and we ended up with a list of 200+!

A few I don't think I've seen already...

Bon Accord Airways - Shorts 360
Lakeside Aviation - J31, both ABZ based
Skyrover - Shorts 330 (HUY based I think)
Topflight - DC3s

[irishair2001]

And also

Aberdeen Airways
Euroscot
EuroAir (Heralds & Bandits)
East Anglian Flying Services (The previous name of Channel Airways,They were the ones with the "Golden Sunjet" Trident 140 (1E) AND EX Olympic Airways Comet 4Bs
Air England (The Intended new name of Channel Airways)

Air Ecosse (Red Bandits and SuperSheds)

[IB4138]

Don't forget the airline that gave us Michael Bishop!

Mercury Airlines

[Sir George Cayley]

I think you'll find I mentioned them 3 pages ago!

Remember Hangars 6 & 7 colurs, same as the airline

Sir George Cayley

[dada]

Sir George Cayley - The dc3 crowd at BLK on the TV was called airline starring roy marsden. it was not real but was on about
1980. the a/c belonged to a company called aces high in biggin. i was a budding local lespian from an amdram group at the time and was involved im some extras work - ground crew, engineers etc. i was also used as the stunt double for roy marsden in the scene where the dak crashed and he had to jump from the cockpit - it was quite a hight. i still have the wig he used at home as a sooveneer ( he was bald roy marsden and still is except more bald ). sadly, i never really made it as an actor. nice memory though.

[READY MESSAGE]

Dada
Let's just get this straight. Please confirm whether you were a budding 'thespian' or a budding 'lesbian'......???

All the best!
RM

[boredcounter]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, dont forget duo, out of BHX.

They only pay my wages, why should I remember them?



Maersk Air UK Ltd



Bored