Harry Goodman -Air Europe/ILG
Let me see if I've got this right. It was Errol Cossey, Martin O'Regan and Alan Snudden who were the initial movers behind AE. Originally all Dan-Air employees, they couldn't persuade Fred Newman to buy a fleet of brand new Boeings for Dan-Air so they took their idea to Harry Goodman. Alan Snudden bowed out early on but the rest is history.
BCAL Negotiatons
Refreshing to see so many tributes to a controversial character who provided many pilots and other crews with much-appreciated work, but who must have left a degree of hardship in his wake.
By the late 1980s Air Europe had become a formidable rival to my airline, BCAL, on short-haul. With the privatisation of BA, our boss, Adam Thomson, had warned HMG around 1986 that BCAL would not survive unless we were allowed to operate passenger schedules out of LHR. That didn't happen, and by the summer of 1987 we were pretty much up for sale or merger.
That was when we had the infamous summer visit from Mr Goodman, who was evidently unimpressed by our modus operandi. That, of course, included running most of our own support services such as catering, engineering, ground handling, uniforms, et cetera. It was clear that all that kind of stuff would be swept away if he was to invest a bean in BCAL, and that led to a headline in one newspaper:
BCAL's NOT WILD ABOUT HARRY
Fortunately for many BCAL employees, Harry walked away, and by Christmas of 1987 Adam Thomson had negotiated a take-over by BA in which our jobs and pensions were protected. But we sometimes wonder what would have happened to Air Europe and BCAL had the tough East-Ender and the benign Scot done a deal. RIP to them both.
EDIT
On reflection (and a bit of research on the 'net..), the negotiations involving several kinds of proposed merger between all or part of BCAL and Air Europe/ILG had been going on since mid-1986, so the date of Harry Goodman's high-profile visit to BCAL's Gatwick HQ may have been earlier than stated above. I'm reminded that BA's proposals to take over BCAL had been threatened with the possibility of an inquiry by the MMC (Monopolies and Mergers Commission). That obviously strengthened Harry Goodman's negotiating hand.
By the late 1980s Air Europe had become a formidable rival to my airline, BCAL, on short-haul. With the privatisation of BA, our boss, Adam Thomson, had warned HMG around 1986 that BCAL would not survive unless we were allowed to operate passenger schedules out of LHR. That didn't happen, and by the summer of 1987 we were pretty much up for sale or merger.
That was when we had the infamous summer visit from Mr Goodman, who was evidently unimpressed by our modus operandi. That, of course, included running most of our own support services such as catering, engineering, ground handling, uniforms, et cetera. It was clear that all that kind of stuff would be swept away if he was to invest a bean in BCAL, and that led to a headline in one newspaper:
BCAL's NOT WILD ABOUT HARRY
Fortunately for many BCAL employees, Harry walked away, and by Christmas of 1987 Adam Thomson had negotiated a take-over by BA in which our jobs and pensions were protected. But we sometimes wonder what would have happened to Air Europe and BCAL had the tough East-Ender and the benign Scot done a deal. RIP to them both.
EDIT
On reflection (and a bit of research on the 'net..), the negotiations involving several kinds of proposed merger between all or part of BCAL and Air Europe/ILG had been going on since mid-1986, so the date of Harry Goodman's high-profile visit to BCAL's Gatwick HQ may have been earlier than stated above. I'm reminded that BA's proposals to take over BCAL had been threatened with the possibility of an inquiry by the MMC (Monopolies and Mergers Commission). That obviously strengthened Harry Goodman's negotiating hand.
Last edited by Chris Scott; 21st Mar 2018 at 22:55.
In 1986, Headquarters Air Cadets chartered Air Europe for its programme of cadet camps in Cyprus and Gibraltar. I did Easter camp in Cyprus (Gatwick - Akrotiri) and to my surprise, AE were using a brand new 737-600 where other IT operators were still using -300s. I don't know if the last Easter Camp flight took place because we were the second camp of three and the group which came out to replace us arrived in the AE '737 but only stayed 2 days and were loaded into a Herc and sent home; a few hours later the yanks bombed Libya (so the station master was probably told to get rid of all non-essential personnel) which meant there was a charter flight to Cyprus wasted! Wonder if it was paid for by HMG?
Wife and I booked a holiday in Malta with Intasun in early '91; alas it was not to be because the group went under a few weeks before we were due to travel.
Wife and I booked a holiday in Malta with Intasun in early '91; alas it was not to be because the group went under a few weeks before we were due to travel.
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My brother and I flew on a hour pleasure flight from Gatwick on Air Europe 757 must have Been 85 .We did a fly past at Exeter and Bristol .Great flight was completely full Believe A Mr fiddler organised it great flight.
to my surprise, AE were using a brand new 737-600
AE only had 737-200/300/400 (classics)
AE went under in 1991 and the first 737 NG flew in 1997.
So, in 1986 it must have been a 737-200 or -300. The first -400 flew in 1988.
Maybe it was a -300 then , but it was certainly bigger (160 seats I think) than the 737s used by other operators at the time (Apr 1986).
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didn't intersun sub charter out there flights to other carriers.I know they used Danair flights I remember going to Palma on a Danair 727 and coming back on a Britishairtours 737.
Intasun in their earlier days used a lot of Spanish charter capacity, especially Caravelles from Aviaco and Transeuropa. Unlike UK-based charter night flights, departing just before midnight and back home at dawn, these used to operate in and out of Manchester etc at 2am/3am. Friday/Saturday nights there might be several aircraft in together. Bit of a nuisance for the handling agent staffing things.
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I worked for Goodman Air Taxis in the early 1980's; this was a private jet charter company trading as MAM Aviation (later changed to MAMI) and we managed Harry's HS125 and later Gulfstream 2 (G-OVIP); from memory he flew regularly to Palma. The G2 was in Intasun colours and was the first on the UK register as I recall. Great days. RIP Harry.
In 1989-1990, leased or sub-leased two B747-100s. One from Tower Air aka fat Freddie and for a longer period than the second sub-leased from Orion Air, a former usa based ACMI provider of sort. (cargolux i think was the same as Lion)
What routes were they used on, well MCO ACA BGI and BKK
they also ended up on palma's and faro's etc
edit i think the Caribbean airways lion 747's were leased to airtours Intl then an ANZ nice RR 747 was leased after those 2 pigs
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AE also operated a single DC10-30 at one point in the same white livery as their leased B747 with the addition of the Air Europe name complete with the small USA flag on the tail.
I wasn't aware of the leased DC10 until I recently came across a photo of it online.
I wasn't aware of the leased DC10 until I recently came across a photo of it online.
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Yes you are correct Caribbean airways where Airtours met a couple in Barbados said had a terrible time with them had a 16 Hour delay outbound from stansted When airtours went in the Long haul market. I remember on the news The fun and games they had with the Orion one .They where the days Airtours also used AirAtlantas Jumbos use to see land at Alicante Saturday afternoon flight from Glasgow Last time saw this was around 2004 Also use to use the Skyjet Dc10.
for part of the old Airlines of Europe Group
the Challengair DC-10 was painted in full AE colours and again was leased to air Europe Italy spa.
AE Italy morphed Volare became part of AZ and closed in 2008
and the Spanish arm of AE air Europa SA is still going strong today
AE did have orders (options maybe) with both MDD and Boeing back in the very early 1980's for DC10-30 and RR 747-200B with the prospect of gaining licences for long haul which they did not get then - the orders came to nothing
Not unknown for non-UK subsidiaries of UK airlines to keep going well after the UK operation goes out of business. Court Line continued in South Africa, with same name, font and livery style, long after the UK one disappeared.
Convair 580 - Court Air | Aviation Photo #0144657 | Airliners.net
I think you have one order mixed here. AE placed orders for the MD-11, the DC-10 no longer being marketed by the time, but with Rolls-Royce engines. In the end McDD never progressed the RR engine version through to production.
http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=330067
Convair 580 - Court Air | Aviation Photo #0144657 | Airliners.net
http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=330067
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On a early edition of wish you where here could have been around 84/85 they had a episode about Intersun and a picture of a mock up MD11 In Aireuropre colours.It was said after this report of Miami and Florida holidays the telephone exchange went down in Bromley where Intersun had a office .Did see a Dc10 in Jet24 lively subchartered in Aireurope another airline which went under in 86.