Pan Am and TWA Gatwick

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Under Bermuda II, only two US carriers were designated to fly to LHR but only on some routes. When Houston-London was opened with Pan Am, they were forced to open this from LGW using TriStar 500s. I also know that TWA's St Louis service was also operated out of Gatters, but were there any more?

I know Pan Am moved MIA from LHR to LGW at the end but was that the totality of their non LHR London ops?

[rog747]

Both Pan Am and TWA operated regular charter flights into LGW from (I think) the late 60's with B707's - Mostly were affinity type charters, but I think MAC flights came in too (Troops)

[Musket90]

I think Panam also served Detroit from Gatwick for a short period. I recall the TWA St Louis was normally operated by the B767-200 which occasionally requested the easterly runway for take-off when the westerly runway was in use, due less obstacles on the climb out. It gave ATC a bit of a challenge !

[Peter47]

TWA operated from LGW - JFK with daily with a Tristar in summer 1985 and possibly a couple of years beforehand - I would have to check old timetables.

Interestingly TWA operated positioning flights between LGW & LHR for the 747s operating the STL services, presumably for maintenance purposes.

I think that I saw three Pan Am charters at LGW on a Saturday in the 80s. The fourth PA flight was the scheduled L15 from IAH.

I think that People Express started transtlantic ops with a single 747 and they chartered a Pan Am 747 one day to cover for their plane going tech one day when I was on the viewing deck (interestingly handled by Gatwick Handling who handled PA rather than British airways who generally handled PE.) I don't know if this was a one off or happened more often.

As an aside, I remember seeing a United Airlines 747 on a charter from Chicago in the 80s, long before they regularly served the UK.

[Gordomac]

Air Europe used to Dead Head (Yanks call it Commercialing) to Stateside using Pan Am, TWA and American around the time in discussion from Gatters . Full-Firm, FC was the order of the day (cripes, no wonder we went bust) but settling into me first JD & Coke I fell outa my seat when Skipper made his welcoming address (PanAm, I think) introducing himself as "Biff Edwards" and accompanied by First Officer "Punch Parker". Honestly. Biff & Punch on the Flt. Deck. Wonderful days.