CKT789
2nd May 2010, 08:39
Does anyone know much about World Airlines? They operated from LCY with 1 (possibly 2) BAe 146-200s. They didn't last long but was wondering what routes they operated? Also, was it set up by the same guy who set up Debonair?
I remember them at London City, but never took them. A grand name for a carrier with one aircraft which just operated several daily roundtrips to Amsterdam (in the days before KLM were on the route). They also appeared to pick up some subcharter/ad hoc work to leaven things out a bit as there are photographs of the aircraft at various other places.
If I remember correctly their first 146 was delayed getting into service due to paperwork issues, and the same thing happened to their second aircraft. Then they ran out of cash, and for some time one of the aircraft was seized at LCY, round about where Gate 10 is now, with the oldest airside ops vehicle parked and wheelclamped right in front of it !
Ther first 146 was G-WLCY, which came from US Air's storage pool at Mojave in Spring 1996, but they didn't get it going on the Amsterdam route until early Summer 1996, when their second aircraft G-OWLD arrived from the same source. It was probably around September 1996 that they closed down. Air UK had started up on the previously unserved LCY-Amsterdam route at the same time with their major links into KLM, and probably took much of the intended market. Both World aircraft then moved on to CityJet, and were regulars at LCY for the next 10 years or more, only being withdrawn when the fleet was replaced arond 2008.
A brief mention here of them starting up at City
http://www.lcacc.org/accmins/accmin0796.pdf
and an even briefer mention 3 months late of their shutdown.
http://www.lcacc.org/accmins/accmin1096.pdf
livery
Photos: British Aerospace BAe-146-200 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/World-Airlines/British-Aerospace-BAe-146-200/1272278/M/)
and finally a timetable cover
World Airlines (http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/w2.htm)
In addition to the World fleet, their advertising ran to several London taxis painted all over in their aircraft livery, which ran on for some time after the airline ceased ops.
clareview
4th May 2010, 16:29
World Operated 2 BaE146 Whisper Jets - G-WLCY formerly N172US and N352PS (cn 2030) which became G-ZAPL with Titan in May 1997 and G-OWLD ex N173US and N353PS (cn 2031) which became EI-CNQ with Cityject in July 1997. It seems to have lasted about a year (Mar 1996 to May 1997) and I saw G-WLCY in Amsterdam on 21 May 1996