Charter airline visits to Leeds Bradford, 1960s and 1970s
Thread Starter
The Clarkson name keeps coming up. I'm not old enough to remember but I wouldn't mind betting these Dutch and French charters were their only involvement with Leeds Bradford. The shorter runway then would then have precluded Mediterranean ITs with Court Line or Dan-Air jets. Thank goodness Britannia came along with their Advanced 732s.
The Clarkson name keeps coming up. I'm not old enough to remember but I wouldn't mind betting these Dutch and French charters were their only involvement with Leeds Bradford. The shorter runway then would then have precluded Mediterranean ITs with Court Line or Dan-Air jets. Thank goodness Britannia came along with their Advanced 732s.
LBA was def covered by a NCL tour operator (their name escapes me) and BKS was used - def to Majorca maybe other places too
Global holidays used LBA (again BKS iirc) all viscounts afaik
trying to think of the name of the North East package holiday company
The Clarkson name keeps coming up. I'm not old enough to remember but I wouldn't mind betting these Dutch and French charters were their only involvement with Leeds Bradford. The shorter runway then would then have precluded Mediterranean ITs with Court Line or Dan-Air jets. Thank goodness Britannia came along with their Advanced 732s.
1969 BKS staff mag shows IT flights direct from LBA to Palma Ibiza Gerona Barcelona and Rimini all on viscounts for wallace arnold holidays
mag quotes ''LBA is impossible for Tridents''
1969 and 1970 were the expansion years for IT's from LBA it seems
mag quotes ''LBA is impossible for Tridents''
1969 and 1970 were the expansion years for IT's from LBA it seems
Last edited by rog747; 16th Apr 2018 at 15:16.
got it!!
the big tour operator using BKS airways from NCL and LBA/MME was Airways Holidays (what happened to them)
and also wallace arnold and Thomas Cook Holidays on behalf of BEA chose BKS to op from the Northeast
the big tour operator using BKS airways from NCL and LBA/MME was Airways Holidays (what happened to them)
and also wallace arnold and Thomas Cook Holidays on behalf of BEA chose BKS to op from the Northeast
Last edited by rog747; 16th Apr 2018 at 16:14.
Often thought of as a Court Line user, they only chartered them from Luton, Birmingham, and Bristol/Cardiff. They used Dan-Air (almost exclusively Comets) from Gatwick, Manchester, Teesside and Glasgow, which must have been 50% of their capacity.
they may have done but Horizon holidays became a big flying contract for OU after the buyout in late 1972 and previously their contracts were with BCAL which were then cancelled by court line at a huge and crippling penalty to them
Last edited by rog747; 16th Apr 2018 at 16:14.
Thread Starter
Glad to see Leeds Bradford got to see at least some Mediterranean action, albeit with my beloved Viscounts. If the Tridents couldn't handle the old runway I don't suppose the Bristol Britannia could manage it either ! Did this BKS work carry on after the name change to Northeast ?
I think the Wallace Arnold (a Leeds company, mainly into coaches) and Airways flights from Leeds on BKS Viscounts were sharing the same flights, which a number of tour companies did.
Thread Starter
Leeds United was a significant name in European football in the 60s and 70s so this could well have led to some interesting charters for the club itself and its opponents, provided they didn't use Ringway.
Glad to see Leeds Bradford got to see at least some Mediterranean action, albeit with my beloved Viscounts. If the Tridents couldn't handle the old runway I don't suppose the Bristol Britannia could manage it either ! Did this BKS work carry on after the name change to Northeast ?
under Northeast a Britannia was retained to act as a trident back up
and cannot confirm about Northeast Viscounts continuing Med charters from LBA upon name change as the BKS archive finishes the year of name change
I cannot recall ever seeing a yellow viscount down in Palma for instance but Cambrian did carry on with them along with the new 1-11's
airways holidays tended to be the bigger operator of all the IT's and the Tridents went only from NCL and LHR and a PMI series from MME i think
from the provinces MAN HUY NWI STN IOM and GLA EDI ABZ in Scotland BA (CF) now has a large weekend Med and Italy charter programme using the EMB RJ's but sadly LBA and NCL are not on the list
Swan Tours in London had the LHR BKS/NO Trident charter contract for 2 a/c from 1970/71 for the Med summer and a winter ski series for some years until Swans was bought by Inghams and that contract was lost by 1976
charter flights from LHR never really took off again for many years until BMA had a few to Italy and sardinia with Citalia (CIT)
now BA has a very large charter flight program from LHR to the Med + corsica sardinia and Greek Islands for many specialized upmarket tour operators and Cunard cruises plus ski charters in the winter - same as the old trident days
Thread Starter
Interesting times (flower-spotting notwithstanding!) back then. Nowadays, LBA charters which aren't for the Med are still football related - often Eastern Airways - and Lapland and Northern Lights - Enter Air and Small Planet.
Even into the 1980s unusual aircraft and airlines appeared at LBA, such as Busy Bee, Nor-Fly and Braathens. All Norwegian so again possibly LUFC aficionados or cruise ship customers.
Even into the 1980s unusual aircraft and airlines appeared at LBA, such as Busy Bee, Nor-Fly and Braathens. All Norwegian so again possibly LUFC aficionados or cruise ship customers.
Thread Starter
Although it was a little before my time, I have often heard the story of the Aer Lingus 1-11 operating the first jet airliner flights from and to LBA, complete with LUFC and their entourage. Given the considerable LUFC fanbase in the Republic of Ireland, it is perhaps not surprising Aer Lingus got the job.
Slighty O.T., BA did do some rotations with a Trident into Leeds on the Heathrow circa '79-'80. I was in my first year at Leeds University, and the campus is on the 32 centre line.
Thread Starter
Tridents at Leeds Bradford. Must have been lightly loaded or Kamikaze pilots at the controls. I know the Trident/LBA issue has been debated at length on here before; I don't remember seeing one. We need Helen 49's input for verification !
EI-ARS 'City of Galway'. Regular on racehorse charters in mid seventies for Ebor, St Leger and Wetherby events. Burst tyres on landing in October 76 or 77, ferried out with gear down and (IIRC) never returned.
i was at LHR then with BMA at T1 but cannot recall any tridents op'g LHR- to LBA
but i guess it may have happened behind my back lol
we, BMA took over the LBA route soon after then iirc
could it have been training? touch and go's?
ah airways were taken over then Intasun - never knew that - did AE take over their flying?
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I believe EI-ARS is this one, preserved at the Berlin Airlift Memorial at Frankfurt.
Thread Starter
Runway 15/33 was only extended once - this was finished in 1984 by which time BA were long since off the LHR-LBA route and Tridents were well into the withdrawal process.
I don't know when Intasun purchased Airway Holidays but Air Europe didn't begin to use LBA until 1980 (I think), on W patterns to Palma and Barcelona.
I don't know when Intasun purchased Airway Holidays but Air Europe didn't begin to use LBA until 1980 (I think), on W patterns to Palma and Barcelona.
