IEA Inter European Airways
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IEA was totally separate, Aspro Holidays was started from a corner grocer's shop in Cardiff and, as already mentioned, developed their in-house airline IEA in 1987, a single B737-200 for a summer only 1987 before going 2 x B737-300 for 1988 and it went from there.
As PF says -
IEA was totally separate, Aspro Holidays (owned by a Greek Cypriot family - Asprou) was started from a corner grocer's shop in Cardiff and, as already mentioned, developed their in-house airline IEA in 1987, a single B737-200 for a summer only 1987 before going 2 x B737-300 for 1988 and it went from there - with 737-400, 757-200 and A320.
We handled them at LGW - great outfit and lovely crews - Often went down route with them for the day out in case of any issues that may come up to lend a hand.
Airtours International bought Aspro Hols and IEA morphed into AIH.
IEA was totally separate, Aspro Holidays (owned by a Greek Cypriot family - Asprou) was started from a corner grocer's shop in Cardiff and, as already mentioned, developed their in-house airline IEA in 1987, a single B737-200 for a summer only 1987 before going 2 x B737-300 for 1988 and it went from there - with 737-400, 757-200 and A320.
We handled them at LGW - great outfit and lovely crews - Often went down route with them for the day out in case of any issues that may come up to lend a hand.
Airtours International bought Aspro Hols and IEA morphed into AIH.
Inter European B737’s spent time in Australia during late 1989 and early 1990, while the Ansett and Australian airline fleets due to the domestic pilots dispute.
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Yes, two out of the fleet of four B737's were damped leased to Australian Airlines, I occupied some 4 months or longer in Oz ground-managing the operation.
IEA! Those were the fun days.
They were the master of the 'W' pattern where you started, or ended, with a taxi journey. Report Cardiff, taxi Manston, operate Manston - Larnaca, slip three days, Larnaca - Cardiff. Many UK regional airports in the logbook. Lots of 'night Larnaca' returns, loads of positioning flights the shortest being Bristol - Cardiff which took about 7 minutes.
Long duty days but quality time down route and great crews. All very practical stuff and you were left to get on with it.
Downside was the Europa Hotel during the troubles . . .
Good fun whilst it lasted, great characters to fly with and 'interesting' people to work for.
They were the master of the 'W' pattern where you started, or ended, with a taxi journey. Report Cardiff, taxi Manston, operate Manston - Larnaca, slip three days, Larnaca - Cardiff. Many UK regional airports in the logbook. Lots of 'night Larnaca' returns, loads of positioning flights the shortest being Bristol - Cardiff which took about 7 minutes.
Long duty days but quality time down route and great crews. All very practical stuff and you were left to get on with it.
Downside was the Europa Hotel during the troubles . . .
Good fun whilst it lasted, great characters to fly with and 'interesting' people to work for.
I believe I was on the winning flight one month (only as SLF) with a time of 12 minutes. But they did have to raise the undercarriage after departing BAH. Probably covered elsewhere in the annals of PPRuNe.
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I joined IEA when they started up in 1987. We started with a737- 200. We flew mostly to Cyprus from Cardiff and Bristol along with some Spanish routes. At the of the Summer , the Airline stopped flying and restarted the following with two 737- 300’s. I was promoted to Captain the following spring. Thereafter the fleet increased with two A320 and a757. There are a lot of photos online. It was a great family company. I’m still in touch with most of the earliest pilots and crew.
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I joined IEA when they started up in 1987. We started with a737- 200. We flew mostly to Cyprus from Cardiff and Bristol along with some Spanish routes. At the of the Summer , the Airline stopped flying and restarted the following with two 737- 300’s. I was promoted to Captain the following spring. Thereafter the fleet increased with two A320 and a757. There are a lot of photos online. It was a great family company. I’m still in touch with most of the earliest pilots and crew.
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As PF says -
IEA was totally separate, Aspro Holidays (owned by a Greek Cypriot family - Asprou) was started from a corner grocer's shop in Cardiff and, as already mentioned, developed their in-house airline IEA in 1987, a single B737-200 for a summer only 1987 before going 2 x B737-300 for 1988 and it went from there - with 737-400, 757-200 and A320..
IEA was totally separate, Aspro Holidays (owned by a Greek Cypriot family - Asprou) was started from a corner grocer's shop in Cardiff and, as already mentioned, developed their in-house airline IEA in 1987, a single B737-200 for a summer only 1987 before going 2 x B737-300 for 1988 and it went from there - with 737-400, 757-200 and A320..
IEA was possibly one of the last true UK Independent's to enter the package holiday airline business in 1987.
IEA was bought by Airtours/AIH in 1993, who in turn merged with Thomas Cook - all now gone.
Orion, Air Europe, BIA were all gone by 1991, Dan Air followed soon after.
Sabre Airways started operations in 1994 and in 2000 was bought by the Cyprus owned Libra Priceright Holidays Group, seeing a name change to Excel Airways.
Some UK holiday airline trivia -
Britannia Airways was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-200 1968
Monarch Airlines was the first airline in Europe to get the 757 1983
Orion Airways took the 737th 737 1981, and also was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-300 1985
Air UK Leisure was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-400 1988
Sabre Airways was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-800 1998
Excalibur Airways was the first UK charter airline to get the A320 1992
IEA was bought by Airtours/AIH in 1993, who in turn merged with Thomas Cook - all now gone.
Orion, Air Europe, BIA were all gone by 1991, Dan Air followed soon after.
Sabre Airways started operations in 1994 and in 2000 was bought by the Cyprus owned Libra Priceright Holidays Group, seeing a name change to Excel Airways.
Some UK holiday airline trivia -
Britannia Airways was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-200 1968
Monarch Airlines was the first airline in Europe to get the 757 1983
Orion Airways took the 737th 737 1981, and also was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-300 1985
Air UK Leisure was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-400 1988
Sabre Airways was the first airline in Europe to get the 737-800 1998
Excalibur Airways was the first UK charter airline to get the A320 1992
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IIRC they also operated W patterns out of Manston Kent to Palma and Heraklion (as well as Larnaca already mentioned) in summer 92/3. Would be great if someone did have a timetable they could publish on here?
Definitely some interesting routes back then.
Loved their livery too. Was certainly bold and stood out from the crowd back in the early 90’s.
Just looked on Manston’s Wiki page and it’s all on there.
Definitely some interesting routes back then.
Loved their livery too. Was certainly bold and stood out from the crowd back in the early 90’s.
Just looked on Manston’s Wiki page and it’s all on there.
UK airports of CWL, BRS, BFS, MAN, LGW, LTN, NCL, EMA, BOH, GLA and probably others that I have forgotten about,
They agreed and set up some of their early packages from Exeter. I cannot recall which airline they used, or what the rotation was, or the frequency.........
But I do remember they were delightful to deal with, and infused the whole operation with their enthusiasm and courtesy, which was noticed and appreciated by their customers.
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IIRC they also operated W patterns out of Manston Kent to Palma and Heraklion (as well as Larnaca already mentioned) in summer 92/3. Would be great if someone did have a timetable they could publish on here?
Definitely some interesting routes back then.
Loved their livery too. Was certainly bold and stood out from the crowd back in the early 90’s.
Just looked on Manston’s Wiki page and it’s all on there.
Definitely some interesting routes back then.
Loved their livery too. Was certainly bold and stood out from the crowd back in the early 90’s.
Just looked on Manston’s Wiki page and it’s all on there.
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Air Belfast was actually AB Airlines previously known as Air Bristol, yes Paramount of Bristol operated MD83's which would regularly pop in to CWL for a fuel stop en-route from BRS to the the Canaries.
Meanwhile back at Inter European Airways:
Meanwhile back at Inter European Airways:
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Ahhh... IEA.
Enjoyed a few flights with them. Cabin service was good, aspired to be better than some of the other bucket and spade carriers.
From Bristol to Izmir in 1988 - realised that the captain looked a bit familiar - it was the Chief Pilot Robert Seed who was pictured in the inflight magazine. En route is mentioned the Battle of Britain as we returned to UK airspace
On arrival to BRS it took a little while for the ground handlers to get unloading going - he came out of the cockpit and tore into the handling agent. Whole plane fell silent...probably not the way to let your frustrations out...
The following year I flew from Cardiff to Zakinthos - there was an extra staff member on the flight - not cabin crew, not flight crew, but very interestested in what was going on. I realised later it was one of the senior guys with the airline - Sean/Shaun something or other.
Finally, in 1991 I flew from Cardiff again, this time to Tenerife. I knew the aircraft would have been used out of Cardiff a lot as 'CCFC forever' was scratched into the seat in front...
Aspro Holidays / IEA were great for the travel industry in South Wales / South West, as they would introduce new destinations ahead of other carriers.
I remember flying on holiday with Airways International Cymru too - Tony Clemo the owner who lived just up the road from me passed away last year
Enjoyed a few flights with them. Cabin service was good, aspired to be better than some of the other bucket and spade carriers.
From Bristol to Izmir in 1988 - realised that the captain looked a bit familiar - it was the Chief Pilot Robert Seed who was pictured in the inflight magazine. En route is mentioned the Battle of Britain as we returned to UK airspace
On arrival to BRS it took a little while for the ground handlers to get unloading going - he came out of the cockpit and tore into the handling agent. Whole plane fell silent...probably not the way to let your frustrations out...
The following year I flew from Cardiff to Zakinthos - there was an extra staff member on the flight - not cabin crew, not flight crew, but very interestested in what was going on. I realised later it was one of the senior guys with the airline - Sean/Shaun something or other.
Finally, in 1991 I flew from Cardiff again, this time to Tenerife. I knew the aircraft would have been used out of Cardiff a lot as 'CCFC forever' was scratched into the seat in front...
Aspro Holidays / IEA were great for the travel industry in South Wales / South West, as they would introduce new destinations ahead of other carriers.
I remember flying on holiday with Airways International Cymru too - Tony Clemo the owner who lived just up the road from me passed away last year
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Ahhh... IEA.
Enjoyed a few flights with them. Cabin service was good, aspired to be better than some of the other bucket and spade carriers.
From Bristol to Izmir in 1988 - realised that the captain looked a bit familiar - it was the Chief Pilot Robert Seed who was pictured in the inflight magazine. En route is mentioned the Battle of Britain as we returned to UK airspace
On arrival to BRS it took a little while for the ground handlers to get unloading going - he came out of the cockpit and tore into the handling agent. Whole plane fell silent...probably not the way to let your frustrations out...
The following year I flew from Cardiff to Zakinthos - there was an extra staff member on the flight - not cabin crew, not flight crew, but very interestested in what was going on. I realised later it was one of the senior guys with the airline - Sean/Shaun something or other.
Finally, in 1991 I flew from Cardiff again, this time to Tenerife. I knew the aircraft would have been used out of Cardiff a lot as 'CCFC forever' was scratched into the seat in front...
Aspro Holidays / IEA were great for the travel industry in South Wales / South West, as they would introduce new destinations ahead of other carriers.
I remember flying on holiday with Airways International Cymru too - Tony Clemo the owner who lived just up the road from me passed away last year
Enjoyed a few flights with them. Cabin service was good, aspired to be better than some of the other bucket and spade carriers.
From Bristol to Izmir in 1988 - realised that the captain looked a bit familiar - it was the Chief Pilot Robert Seed who was pictured in the inflight magazine. En route is mentioned the Battle of Britain as we returned to UK airspace
On arrival to BRS it took a little while for the ground handlers to get unloading going - he came out of the cockpit and tore into the handling agent. Whole plane fell silent...probably not the way to let your frustrations out...
The following year I flew from Cardiff to Zakinthos - there was an extra staff member on the flight - not cabin crew, not flight crew, but very interestested in what was going on. I realised later it was one of the senior guys with the airline - Sean/Shaun something or other.
Finally, in 1991 I flew from Cardiff again, this time to Tenerife. I knew the aircraft would have been used out of Cardiff a lot as 'CCFC forever' was scratched into the seat in front...
Aspro Holidays / IEA were great for the travel industry in South Wales / South West, as they would introduce new destinations ahead of other carriers.
I remember flying on holiday with Airways International Cymru too - Tony Clemo the owner who lived just up the road from me passed away last year
This is quite a random conversation now but I’ve flown to Cyprus loads from the uk and was unaware that the crew changed. Particularly for EasyJet and Jet2 this would seem an expensive operation.
I still think that an IEA 757 left NCL on a Thursday morning in 1992 at least for one of LCA or PFO it didn’t return so therefore went to another Uk location operating flights to/from cyprus to the U.K. a few hours later on a Thursday morning the previously Cyprus based 757 arrived in Ncl from the other Cyprus airport and picked up the ncl based programme. The Cyprus based 757 at some other point during week operated to the uk From either lca or pfo but returned to the other. Thereby meaning that aspro had a full programme for one aircraft operating between Cyprus and the U.K. this being the point that we do agree on that Cyprus was important to aspro and IEA fed its passengers from the U.K.!
I still think that an IEA 757 left NCL on a Thursday morning in 1992 at least for one of LCA or PFO it didn’t return so therefore went to another Uk location operating flights to/from cyprus to the U.K. a few hours later on a Thursday morning the previously Cyprus based 757 arrived in Ncl from the other Cyprus airport and picked up the ncl based programme. The Cyprus based 757 at some other point during week operated to the uk From either lca or pfo but returned to the other. Thereby meaning that aspro had a full programme for one aircraft operating between Cyprus and the U.K. this being the point that we do agree on that Cyprus was important to aspro and IEA fed its passengers from the U.K.!
If flights were doing fortnightly holidays to LCA then obviously the a/c would not, or may not go back to origin that day - It would op say BOH-LCA-NCL for instance. Crew change at LCA as mentioned ----
2 weeks later it would op NCL-LCA-BOH - to pick the BOH inbounds and so on....That is how Tour Operators get the most out of their charter series contracts with airlines.
I was always puzzled why IEA got an A320..........
