Planned airline 90s IT named Crawford Aviation?

[peachair732]

Any information please on a proposed 90s airline which applied to the CAA to operate charter flights. The airline was part the idea on Harry Goodman, after the collapse of Air Europe, he was involved in plans for Crawford Aviation.

The airlinr never happened but anyone know more of Crawford Aviation, what fleet aircraft types were this IT airline planning for their charters?

Seems Goodman, realising the disaster and over ambition for Air Europe to be a scheduled carrier, was maybe wanting to go back to the time when AE was profitable, when it was purely a charter airline.

Any info at all on Crawford Aviations plans would be very welcome. There is hardly any info around, I have one cutting from I think Aircraft illustarted when it was active, so I know Im not imagining Crawfords.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by peachair732

Seems Goodman, realising the disaster and over ambition for Air Europe to be a scheduled carrier, was maybe wanting to go back to the time when AE was profitable, when it was purely a charter airline.

If you are part of an overall travel group, any "profit" for the airline part, or the tour operator part, is quite illusionary, depending on what notional price you want to put in to the accounts for the charter of the aircraft from one part of the business to another. Views on overall taxation for the group are the first determinant of what price these flights go into the books at.

Goodman was the sort of entrepreneur who wanted to be the biggest in everything, so the idea of a smaller and less world-dominating operation wouldn't have lasted for long. Leading in to Air Europe was his tour operator Intasun, which similarly he built up very fast from small beginnings in Lancashire to one of the largest in just a few years (aided in no small part by the Clarksons/Court Line collapse). Intasun was a notable cheap-and-cheerful operator that appealed to the bottom end of the market, an approach which doesn't lead to a lot of retained earnings at the end of the year despite high turnover.

Heard of some of his management 'style' in a description of his annual negotiating round with Spanish hoteliers, both of the staccato manner of the negotiations, and of the after-hours activities for the group.

Air Europe wasn't the only story of an established IT airline that bit off more than they could chew with scheduled operations. Laker would have to be the classic one (both Laker and Air Europe went under with large fleets of widebodied aircraft still on order). You could generally spot such operators some years before they failed if they had a model of Concorde, painted up in their own colours, in the reception area of their executive offices.

[Groundloop]

Air Europe wasn't the only story of an established IT airline that bit off more than they could chew with scheduled operations. Laker would have to be the classic one

Not forgetting the biggest of them all - Dan-Air.

[peachair732]

Did no one here the Crawfords name, I believe goodman was succesful enough with the plans to get caa applications in to fly charters. I think I remember Crawfords were to use a few 757s for these IT charters. Does anyone know anymore, possible destinations, tour op affiliations or contracts and livery plans, would love to see what Crawfords would have looked like, Like I say its strange no info is forthcoming because they did get far on with plans and did get a mention in the trade press of the time Im sure. Britannia and Dan Air were objecting to Crafords plans, what were those plans and how far did they get in aquirung aircraft, recruiting staff etc.

[Thunderbird167]

Flight International Reports

25-31 March 1992

Crawford Aviation is a new holiday charter airline, formed by executives of Air Europe which ceased operations in 1991. UK Civil Aviation Authority approval has been granted for Crawford to fly from the UK to nine European destinations and between points outside the UK. The airline may operate Boeing 737s or 757s from Manchester,
Executive: managine director, Hugh Parry. Head office: 24 Crawford Place, London W1H 1JE, UK.

Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone].

22-28 January 1992

Cawford Aviation has been granted a charter-licence by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in spite of objections that the airline includes key executives from collapsed carrier Air Europe. The CAA has approved an application by Crawford Aviation to fly from the UK to nine holiday destinations and between points outside the UK. Crawford management includes former officers of Air Europe which folded a year ago, leading to objections that they are unfit to run an airline.CAA approval requires Crawford to obtain an airtransport operator's licence (ATOL) and to provide financial
details. Unusually, the CAA took complaints from individual objectors. Air Europe creditors were among individuals objecting on moral grounds, with the public interest and Air Europe's alleged incompetency and irresponsibility being cited. Defending its free-market policy, the CAA says it has been assured by Crawford that former Air Europe parent chairman Harry Goodman is not a director or shareholder and has no financial interest, but that circumstance might change.
The CAA says it should not "...exclude from the industry, d i r e c t o r s or shareholders... associated with failure".
There is no suggestion that directors of Air Europe's parent company were guilty of fraud or other crime, it says. Crawford is believed to be considering either Boeing 737s or Boeing 757s which will operate out of Manchester.

24-30 March 1993

Crawford Aviation

has changed its name to Fitzroy Aviation and its start-up plans are "on hold".

[peachair732]

Many many thanks to Thunderbird167. I have long been seeking any info at all on Crawfords, after asking in various places was begining to think I had imagined it, thanks very much for the article/information. I am very grateful to you and will print out your post if thats ok, so I have something in my collection, some notes about Crawford.

Interesting to know an apllication had gone as far as to be granted by CAA and I never knew about the name change to Fitroy aviation. Was information I never knew and am so grateful for this intriguing information.

[BOAC]

Originally Posted by Groundloop

Not forgetting the biggest of them all - Dan-Air.

- slightly misleading - the scheduled services were the only part returning a profit at the end. Charter was in deficit. It was the 'winter charter blues' wot dun for DA.