Air Europe at NCL
Rog747, have you thought about doing a book on British Airlines? I seem to recall Air Britain or MCP or someone published a book many many years ago about British Independent Airlines, no idea if it was ever updated...
Suspect that with a few tales and so on it might run to several volumes though!
Suspect that with a few tales and so on it might run to several volumes though!
I've always thought that a book devoted to the evolution of the UK inclusive business, from both the tour operator and airlines standpoint would be an interesting project for someone of Rog747's knowledge and experience of the industry.
I thought the quality of catering on IT flights was largely dictated by the amount the tour operator wanted the carrier to spend on catering. I suppose though, that as tour operators and airlines became vertically integrated there were more opportunities to differentiate the catering product for both tour operator and airline.
Although when on a charter flight series the aircraft capacity/seats were sold & shared say between 2 or 3 or more Tour Companies they all got fed the same meal that the top payer had specified.
Then we started to go in to the hideous realms of some Tour Companies not wanting meals but some did, some paid, some did not - Again we catered the plane full and all pax usually got a meal. Even flew Laker several times as staff and everyone it seemed still got a full meal on a Skytrain service.
Things then really started to change (horribly) with the BoB ££ concept, which really was the start of the Race to the Bottom what we have now.
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Businessmen were very impressed with Dan Air's superb Class Elite service - DA could have cleaned up at LGW had they really thought about it taking on flying their prime routes seriously. Dan-Air did not take the opportunity to boost the profitability of its scheduled operation by concentrating on maximising revenues from high-yield travellers.
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TEA UK put a 737-300 into NCL after AE demise (on a rotational basis). However the aircraft were delayed entry into service. So one week they put a 737-200 in. Tech stop @ EMA on way to TFS. Crew didn't have the balls to say the luggage was still in NCL.
As Rog747 would no doubt say "those were the days"
As Rog747 would no doubt say "those were the days"
One of Air Europe’s last flights was a Boeing 757 from Orlando to Newcastle. We were asked to re-possess it on behalf of the Bank. Their esteemed London lawyer suggested we put an engineer on it when it tech stopped at Bangor! I discussed it with our lawyer who, by chance I was having dinner with, who pointed out they were asking us to hijack the aircraft which was illegal! Not wanting long jail terms we declined the appointment!
I did not know that DA was handled at MAN by BA.
Servisair was then very much the big player at MAN.
Servisair was then very much the big player at MAN.
. All the baggage etc done by the council.... 
I was in Bangor with my LGW crew when the 757 fleet manager phoned me in the early hours to tell me AE was finished and to tell me to get my crew back to Gatwick any way I could. My good friend was the Virgin Ops Director, who said we could have free seats back to LGW if we got ourselves to Newark. Unfortunately it started to snow heavily, so driving in hire cars was out. Eventually I managed to get very cheap seats on the Northwest DC10 from Boston to Gatwick for my crew plus a Manchester Crew. I sat next to an ex Laker flight attendant from the Man crew who had a very similar experience when Laker went bust! She was crying on my shoulder when we landed at Gatwick.
I was in Bangor with my LGW crew when the 757 fleet manager phoned me in the early hours to tell me AE was finished and to tell me to get my crew back to Gatwick any way I could. My good friend was the Virgin Ops Director, who said we could have free seats back to LGW if we got ourselves to Newark. Unfortunately it started to snow heavily, so driving in hire cars was out. Eventually I managed to get very cheap seats on the Northwest DC10 from Boston to Gatwick for my crew plus a Manchester Crew. I sat next to an ex Laker flight attendant from the Man crew who had a very similar experience when Laker went bust! She was crying on my shoulder when we landed at Gatwick.
I too had a similar 'gone-bust' moment.
Arrived LAX for a 5 day jolly on a £15 staff ticket Laker DC-10 30 in Feb 82.
Woke up at hotel next morning 4am (like you do) put TV on and boom - Laker has gone under.
I was in LA with my BA 747 FD pal who was on a 4 day trip staying with him in his hotel, I said blimey how do I get back>?
Had a fabulous 4 days in sunny California driving a hired Mustang, with visits to the Queen Mary and shown around the Douglas Aircraft factory both at LB.
Went to LAX with the BA crew going back on their rostered flight to LHR and the kindly older gentile BA Duty Officer guy there said Don't worry dear, just stay there I'll be back...
20 minutes later flight closed and he swanned back with a Super Club boarding card in his hand - Here you are duckie!
Awww he was lovely.
Many years later I was again at LAX with Virgin pals going back home after 2 hot weeks in Palm Springs and had just checked in for the second (and last of the day) VS A340 LHR flight and the check in guy said ''Shhh dont say anything the inbound aircraft from LHR has just landed and its TECH and will be AOG'' - just as our bags were disappearing down the belt....
He snatched back our J class boarding cards and lounge invite (sigh) and said go to the other desk to get Hotac and try again tomorrow night...
I said to the others lets try BA they have a 21.30 flight (it was now after 20.30) We had no ZED fare tickets only the VS staff freebies (worthless)
Clive went down to the baggage area to get our bags back as they were all coming up to collect...
The other VS pax had no yet been told of the cancellation...
Virgin's terminal at LAX is down one end of the road and BA was in Tom Bradley terminal up at the top - about a 10 minute walk or more...
So got to BA there and who was at the BA desk was the old chap from 1982, now very senior - We told him our debacle and he looked at our bits of worthless paper, and his face was a picture...
He said Virgin were starting to send him over their J pax to put on BA so we waited and waited then he came back about 6 times looking at the growing lines...Clive arrived sweating like a munshi with a trolley of bags......
Hopeless we thought we ain't gonna get on - Then out he flounced back again and said to the check in girls right Darlings that's it I'm closing it now...
Our hearts dropped - 2 minutes later he came back with our Boarding Cards for whole empty front row in Y but with loads of leg room - Sorry dears there's no movie - enjoy though!
Bless him xxxxx
He was a star - The days when we all helped each other out...
If any of you live down my way Dorset/SW and want to meet up for lunch etc then do Holla!
Might be some fun to reminisce lol
Last edited by rog747; 15th Oct 2020 at 07:20.
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The more I read lately it seems AE/Intasun attitude to the DA Board became really quite arch enemies - Seems slowly AE then began to take away its IT contracts from DA but also this included Engineering and Handling...
TEA UK put a 737-300 into NCL after AE demise (on a rotational basis). However the aircraft were delayed entry into service. So one week they put a 737-200 in. Tech stop @ EMA on way to TFS. Crew didn't have the balls to say the luggage was still in NCL.
As Rog747 would no doubt say "those were the days"
As Rog747 would no doubt say "those were the days"
Blimey ! What a read. As I said earlier, I had no idea we were out to "harm" Dan or that the antagonism persisted. "We" thought Dan was out to harm us (!)BA certainly was but again, as I said earlier, very clever dudes behind all this but very murky waters eh ? Glad to have been just an airframe driver but the hit ( I was at Gatters the day we ceased ops, wondering where me FO was and why the cabin crew on my trip were all in tears) was hard to take. Destined for the MD11, I had just sank a hefty chunk on a Volvo Estate for wife & kids and a Mini-Cooper for me. Drove the Cooper back to Brighton after popping into VA HQ to ask if there were any jobs and, according to Memsahib, just sat at the Kitchen breakfast bar for 8 hours, staring out the window !
About four doors down from me lived a DA 727 Skipper, can't remember his name, Dennis something, looked like a Viking Warrior. After my "For Sale" sign went up outside my house, bumped into him walking his Dog & he passionately remarked " Well, it was either you or us " !
Glad I was not embarking on a Summer Base at NCL. Would have been a very long drive home but less traumatic, perhaps, than your experience "Brakedwell".
Remember many Laker Stewies crying on my shoulder.................... but that's another story !.........................
About four doors down from me lived a DA 727 Skipper, can't remember his name, Dennis something, looked like a Viking Warrior. After my "For Sale" sign went up outside my house, bumped into him walking his Dog & he passionately remarked " Well, it was either you or us " !
Glad I was not embarking on a Summer Base at NCL. Would have been a very long drive home but less traumatic, perhaps, than your experience "Brakedwell".
Remember many Laker Stewies crying on my shoulder.................... but that's another story !.........................
Blimey ! What a read. As I said earlier, I had no idea we were out to "harm" Dan or that the antagonism persisted. "We" thought Dan was out to harm us (!)BA certainly was but again, as I said earlier, very clever dudes behind all this but very murky waters eh ? Glad to have been just an airframe driver but the hit ( I was at Gatters the day we ceased ops, wondering where me FO was and why the cabin crew on my trip were all in tears) was hard to take. Destined for the MD11, I had just sank a hefty chunk on a Volvo Estate for wife & kids and a Mini-Cooper for me. Drove the Cooper back to Brighton after popping into VA HQ to ask if there were any jobs and, according to Memsahib, just sat at the Kitchen breakfast bar for 8 hours, staring out the window !
About four doors down from me lived a DA 727 Skipper, can't remember his name, Dennis something, looked like a Viking Warrior. After my "For Sale" sign went up outside my house, bumped into him walking his Dog & he passionately remarked " Well, it was either you or us " !
Glad I was not embarking on a Summer Base at NCL. Would have been a very long drive home but less traumatic, perhaps, than your experience "Brakedwell".
Remember many Laker Stewies crying on my shoulder.................... but that's another story !.........................
About four doors down from me lived a DA 727 Skipper, can't remember his name, Dennis something, looked like a Viking Warrior. After my "For Sale" sign went up outside my house, bumped into him walking his Dog & he passionately remarked " Well, it was either you or us " !
Glad I was not embarking on a Summer Base at NCL. Would have been a very long drive home but less traumatic, perhaps, than your experience "Brakedwell".
Remember many Laker Stewies crying on my shoulder.................... but that's another story !.........................
Newcastle 1985 charter programme:has no AE flying at NCL listed. It's fascinating to look back at some of the variety though:
Saturday evening with two JAT 727s and an Aviaco/Iberia A300 on the ground together from Pula, Dubrovnik and Palma
Britannia 767 following shortly afterwards on a late-night visit from Palma with two Aviaco DC9s also from Palma after that on Saturday evening/night
Sunday morning two Adria DC9s (Ljubljana and Pula), another Aviaco DC9 (Ibiza) and an Aeroflot TU154 on St Petersburg and Moscow charters
Monday Orion 737 positioning ex Glasgow for Corfu and back, another Aviaco DC9 (Mahon this time) and a Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Paphos
Wednesday morning Aviogenex TU134 from Pula, a Wednesday afternoon Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Larnaca this time, and another Aviogenex TU134 on Wednesday evening to/from Dubrovnik alongside an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Friday Aviogenex TU134 from Split, an Aviaco DC9 from/to Tenerife (long-haul in a DC9-34!!), a JAT DC9-32 to/from Rijeka and another Aviaco late night from/to Gerona
How times change! This was alongside the based Dan-Air and Britannia 737s with the Dan-Air 146 also doing weekend charters,
1988 for Newcastle had two based Britannia and two based Dan-Air 737-200s
Hispania 737 to/from Tenerife early hours of Saturday morning
JAT 727 on DBV-NCL-DBV Saturday morning
Dan-Air 1-11 MAH-NCL-MAH Saturday afternoon for Airtours
Spantax MD83 PMI-NCL-PMI Saturday afternoon for Intasun with a Hispania 733 following up for Horizon not long after
Paramount MD83 positioned in from BFS on Saturday night for a part-week programme
Universair 737 from Palma (Intasun) and Air Malta in together in the early hours of Sunday morning
Sunday morning Wardair 747, Aviogenex TU134 (Pula), Air Atlantis 727 (Faro), Adria DC9 (Split)
Sunday afternoon Dan-Air 1-11-500 from/to Faro for Airtours
Monday Worldways Canada DC8 from Toronto via Prestwick, Spantax 767 from/to Palma, Aviogenex TU134 from Ljubljana, Toros Air 727 to/from Izmir (Intasun again), Monarch 757 from/to Mahon, Britannia 767 from/to Gerona and an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Tuesday had no less than three Dan-Air 1-11s on W patterns from Mahon, Alicante and Palma!
Wednesday JAT DC9 from/to Pula, Aviogenex TU134 from/to Split, a Cyprus Airways A310 late night with a Britannia 767 on a very late night w from Alicante
Thursday BIA 1-11-500 from/to Faro, Adria DC9 from/to Pula and a JAT 737-300 from/to Dubrovnik
Friday Spantax 767 from/to Palma, a Dan-Air 1-11 from/to Ibiza, JAT DC9 on Pula, Orion 737 on a W pattern to Athens.
and still no Air Europe - but I think this was the year Spantax went bust so the 767s probably didn't happen, if I remember rightly?
1991 had a based IEA 737, three Britannia 737-200s, a part-based Dan-Air 727-200 and the Dan-Air 737-400 flying for Airtours and a part-based Air 2000 757 which did a 10-night Palma instead of positioning - that also flew some Bangor/Orlando flying and Monarch had a 757 coming through NCL on the same. Visitors including Aviogenex 737, Andalusair MD83, a ZAS Airlines of Egypt A300 which positioned up from Luton every Sunday for a Larnaca roundtrip for Owners Abroad, Air Atlantis 737-300, a Monday Air UK Leisure 737-400 from/to Corfu, Tuesday Nationalr 757 on Toronto, Thursday night Sultan Air 737 from/to Faro, two Royal Air Maroc flights on Friday night (727 Agadir and 737 on Tangier) and another Andalusair MD83 on Friday night from/to Palma.
Saturday evening with two JAT 727s and an Aviaco/Iberia A300 on the ground together from Pula, Dubrovnik and Palma
Britannia 767 following shortly afterwards on a late-night visit from Palma with two Aviaco DC9s also from Palma after that on Saturday evening/night
Sunday morning two Adria DC9s (Ljubljana and Pula), another Aviaco DC9 (Ibiza) and an Aeroflot TU154 on St Petersburg and Moscow charters
Monday Orion 737 positioning ex Glasgow for Corfu and back, another Aviaco DC9 (Mahon this time) and a Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Paphos
Wednesday morning Aviogenex TU134 from Pula, a Wednesday afternoon Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Larnaca this time, and another Aviogenex TU134 on Wednesday evening to/from Dubrovnik alongside an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Friday Aviogenex TU134 from Split, an Aviaco DC9 from/to Tenerife (long-haul in a DC9-34!!), a JAT DC9-32 to/from Rijeka and another Aviaco late night from/to Gerona
How times change! This was alongside the based Dan-Air and Britannia 737s with the Dan-Air 146 also doing weekend charters,
1988 for Newcastle had two based Britannia and two based Dan-Air 737-200s
Hispania 737 to/from Tenerife early hours of Saturday morning
JAT 727 on DBV-NCL-DBV Saturday morning
Dan-Air 1-11 MAH-NCL-MAH Saturday afternoon for Airtours
Spantax MD83 PMI-NCL-PMI Saturday afternoon for Intasun with a Hispania 733 following up for Horizon not long after
Paramount MD83 positioned in from BFS on Saturday night for a part-week programme
Universair 737 from Palma (Intasun) and Air Malta in together in the early hours of Sunday morning
Sunday morning Wardair 747, Aviogenex TU134 (Pula), Air Atlantis 727 (Faro), Adria DC9 (Split)
Sunday afternoon Dan-Air 1-11-500 from/to Faro for Airtours
Monday Worldways Canada DC8 from Toronto via Prestwick, Spantax 767 from/to Palma, Aviogenex TU134 from Ljubljana, Toros Air 727 to/from Izmir (Intasun again), Monarch 757 from/to Mahon, Britannia 767 from/to Gerona and an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Tuesday had no less than three Dan-Air 1-11s on W patterns from Mahon, Alicante and Palma!
Wednesday JAT DC9 from/to Pula, Aviogenex TU134 from/to Split, a Cyprus Airways A310 late night with a Britannia 767 on a very late night w from Alicante
Thursday BIA 1-11-500 from/to Faro, Adria DC9 from/to Pula and a JAT 737-300 from/to Dubrovnik
Friday Spantax 767 from/to Palma, a Dan-Air 1-11 from/to Ibiza, JAT DC9 on Pula, Orion 737 on a W pattern to Athens.
and still no Air Europe - but I think this was the year Spantax went bust so the 767s probably didn't happen, if I remember rightly?
1991 had a based IEA 737, three Britannia 737-200s, a part-based Dan-Air 727-200 and the Dan-Air 737-400 flying for Airtours and a part-based Air 2000 757 which did a 10-night Palma instead of positioning - that also flew some Bangor/Orlando flying and Monarch had a 757 coming through NCL on the same. Visitors including Aviogenex 737, Andalusair MD83, a ZAS Airlines of Egypt A300 which positioned up from Luton every Sunday for a Larnaca roundtrip for Owners Abroad, Air Atlantis 737-300, a Monday Air UK Leisure 737-400 from/to Corfu, Tuesday Nationalr 757 on Toronto, Thursday night Sultan Air 737 from/to Faro, two Royal Air Maroc flights on Friday night (727 Agadir and 737 on Tangier) and another Andalusair MD83 on Friday night from/to Palma.
Newcastle 1985 charter programme:has no AE flying at NCL listed. It's fascinating to look back at some of the variety though:
Saturday evening with two JAT 727s and an Aviaco/Iberia A300 on the ground together from Pula, Dubrovnik and Palma
Britannia 767 following shortly afterwards on a late-night visit from Palma with two Aviaco DC9s also from Palma after that on Saturday evening/night
Sunday morning two Adria DC9s (Ljubljana and Pula), another Aviaco DC9 (Ibiza) and an Aeroflot TU154 on St Petersburg and Moscow charters
Monday Orion 737 positioning ex Glasgow for Corfu and back, another Aviaco DC9 (Mahon this time) and a Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Paphos
Wednesday morning Aviogenex TU134 from Pula, a Wednesday afternoon Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Larnaca this time, and another Aviogenex TU134 on Wednesday evening to/from Dubrovnik alongside an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Friday Aviogenex TU134 from Split, an Aviaco DC9 from/to Tenerife (long-haul in a DC9-34!!), a JAT DC9-32 to/from Rijeka and another Aviaco late night from/to Gerona
How times change! This was alongside the based Dan-Air and Britannia 737s with the Dan-Air 146 also doing weekend charters,
1988 for Newcastle had two based Britannia and two based Dan-Air 737-200s
Hispania 737 to/from Tenerife early hours of Saturday morning
JAT 727 on DBV-NCL-DBV Saturday morning
Dan-Air 1-11 MAH-NCL-MAH Saturday afternoon for Airtours
Spantax MD83 PMI-NCL-PMI Saturday afternoon for Intasun with a Hispania 733 following up for Horizon not long after
Paramount MD83 positioned in from BFS on Saturday night for a part-week programme
Universair 737 from Palma (Intasun) and Air Malta in together in the early hours of Sunday morning
Sunday morning Wardair 747, Aviogenex TU134 (Pula), Air Atlantis 727 (Faro), Adria DC9 (Split)
Sunday afternoon Dan-Air 1-11-500 from/to Faro for Airtours
Monday Worldways Canada DC8 from Toronto via Prestwick, Spantax 767 from/to Palma, Aviogenex TU134 from Ljubljana, Toros Air 727 to/from Izmir (Intasun again), Monarch 757 from/to Mahon, Britannia 767 from/to Gerona and an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Tuesday had no less than three Dan-Air 1-11s on W patterns from Mahon, Alicante and Palma!
Wednesday JAT DC9 from/to Pula, Aviogenex TU134 from/to Split, a Cyprus Airways A310 late night with a Britannia 767 on a very late night w from Alicante
Thursday BIA 1-11-500 from/to Faro, Adria DC9 from/to Pula and a JAT 737-300 from/to Dubrovnik
Friday Spantax 767 from/to Palma, a Dan-Air 1-11 from/to Ibiza, JAT DC9 on Pula, Orion 737 on a W pattern to Athens.
and still no Air Europe - but I think this was the year Spantax went bust so the 767s probably didn't happen, if I remember rightly?
1991 had a based IEA 737, three Britannia 737-200s, a part-based Dan-Air 727-200 and the Dan-Air 737-400 flying for Airtours and a part-based Air 2000 757 which did a 10-night Palma instead of positioning - that also flew some Bangor/Orlando flying and Monarch had a 757 coming through NCL on the same. Visitors including Aviogenex 737, Andalusair MD83, a ZAS Airlines of Egypt A300 which positioned up from Luton every Sunday for a Larnaca roundtrip for Owners Abroad, Air Atlantis 737-300, a Monday Air UK Leisure 737-400 from/to Corfu, Tuesday Nationalr 757 on Toronto, Thursday night Sultan Air 737 from/to Faro, two Royal Air Maroc flights on Friday night (727 Agadir and 737 on Tangier) and another Andalusair MD83 on Friday night from/to Palma.
Saturday evening with two JAT 727s and an Aviaco/Iberia A300 on the ground together from Pula, Dubrovnik and Palma
Britannia 767 following shortly afterwards on a late-night visit from Palma with two Aviaco DC9s also from Palma after that on Saturday evening/night
Sunday morning two Adria DC9s (Ljubljana and Pula), another Aviaco DC9 (Ibiza) and an Aeroflot TU154 on St Petersburg and Moscow charters
Monday Orion 737 positioning ex Glasgow for Corfu and back, another Aviaco DC9 (Mahon this time) and a Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Paphos
Wednesday morning Aviogenex TU134 from Pula, a Wednesday afternoon Cyprus Airways 707 to/from Larnaca this time, and another Aviogenex TU134 on Wednesday evening to/from Dubrovnik alongside an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Friday Aviogenex TU134 from Split, an Aviaco DC9 from/to Tenerife (long-haul in a DC9-34!!), a JAT DC9-32 to/from Rijeka and another Aviaco late night from/to Gerona
How times change! This was alongside the based Dan-Air and Britannia 737s with the Dan-Air 146 also doing weekend charters,
1988 for Newcastle had two based Britannia and two based Dan-Air 737-200s
Hispania 737 to/from Tenerife early hours of Saturday morning
JAT 727 on DBV-NCL-DBV Saturday morning
Dan-Air 1-11 MAH-NCL-MAH Saturday afternoon for Airtours
Spantax MD83 PMI-NCL-PMI Saturday afternoon for Intasun with a Hispania 733 following up for Horizon not long after
Paramount MD83 positioned in from BFS on Saturday night for a part-week programme
Universair 737 from Palma (Intasun) and Air Malta in together in the early hours of Sunday morning
Sunday morning Wardair 747, Aviogenex TU134 (Pula), Air Atlantis 727 (Faro), Adria DC9 (Split)
Sunday afternoon Dan-Air 1-11-500 from/to Faro for Airtours
Monday Worldways Canada DC8 from Toronto via Prestwick, Spantax 767 from/to Palma, Aviogenex TU134 from Ljubljana, Toros Air 727 to/from Izmir (Intasun again), Monarch 757 from/to Mahon, Britannia 767 from/to Gerona and an Air Atlantis 737 from/to Faro
Tuesday had no less than three Dan-Air 1-11s on W patterns from Mahon, Alicante and Palma!
Wednesday JAT DC9 from/to Pula, Aviogenex TU134 from/to Split, a Cyprus Airways A310 late night with a Britannia 767 on a very late night w from Alicante
Thursday BIA 1-11-500 from/to Faro, Adria DC9 from/to Pula and a JAT 737-300 from/to Dubrovnik
Friday Spantax 767 from/to Palma, a Dan-Air 1-11 from/to Ibiza, JAT DC9 on Pula, Orion 737 on a W pattern to Athens.
and still no Air Europe - but I think this was the year Spantax went bust so the 767s probably didn't happen, if I remember rightly?
1991 had a based IEA 737, three Britannia 737-200s, a part-based Dan-Air 727-200 and the Dan-Air 737-400 flying for Airtours and a part-based Air 2000 757 which did a 10-night Palma instead of positioning - that also flew some Bangor/Orlando flying and Monarch had a 757 coming through NCL on the same. Visitors including Aviogenex 737, Andalusair MD83, a ZAS Airlines of Egypt A300 which positioned up from Luton every Sunday for a Larnaca roundtrip for Owners Abroad, Air Atlantis 737-300, a Monday Air UK Leisure 737-400 from/to Corfu, Tuesday Nationalr 757 on Toronto, Thursday night Sultan Air 737 from/to Faro, two Royal Air Maroc flights on Friday night (727 Agadir and 737 on Tangier) and another Andalusair MD83 on Friday night from/to Palma.
Spantax - you are right they didn’t make it into summer 88 so instead it was a Caledonian tristar on Monday and Air Europa 757 on Friday. Andalusiair turned out to be Oasis.
Spantax
Yes they did go under just before the start of Summer 1988 leaving just 7000 pax stranded.
Plagued for years by financial troubles, an older inefficient fleet, poor safety record, & crew strikes, Spantax was sold to a finance group in Luxembourg in 1987.
The new owners committed an investment of up to 7 billion pesetas & Debts to the Spanish Govt. of 13 billion pesetas were reorganised over a twenty five-year period.
A fleet revamp and a new livery had already begun, with a fleet renewal program operating fifteen newer fuel efficient aircraft by 1993.
These attempts to revamp and refinance the airline, renew its fleet with McDonnell Douglas MD-83s, and negotiate with China Airlines for acquisition of Boeing 767s were all unsuccessful. A Kuwait Investment Co. withdrew from a planned offer to purchase the airline, thus Spantax ceased all operations on 29 March 1988.
Of all the original Spanish charter airlines such as TASSA, Air Spain, TAE, and Transeuropa, only Aviaco was left but they soon were to be fully integrated into parent Iberia.
Just the fledgling Air Europa, and soon to be Spanair would dominate, plus the many others who all would rise & then fall rather quickly.
Hispania bit the dust a year later in 1989.
Today only Air Europa is left, still flying, owned by IAG.
The BX 767's were never to be, sadly in Summer 1988.
Of the original BX fleet all of the dozen CV-990A's had already been stored at PMI to be scrapped.
3 DC-9 14's had been obtained from McDonnell Douglas from 1974, plus a pair of DC-9 32's, these by 1988 had now all been disposed of, although the 3 -14's did get the new Spantax livery.
A new type that was due to be introduced was the new DC-9 50 and SPANTAX ordered a pair of DC-9-50 aircraft
becoming the third airline to order this type of aircraft after SWISSAIR and AUSTRIAN, plus charter airline Inex Adria.
This order was later cancelled due to lack of finance, but another source says it is due to the inability of the aircraft to operate from the Canary Islands to Scandinavia non-stop, which was a key requirement for SPANTAX.
The original fleet of 3 DC8-61's had been returned. 2 of these hese aircraft were technically on the roster of American Airlines having acquired them when they took over Trans Caribbean Airlines, the other one was ex ONA, with GPA of Ireland now being the lessor.
They still had other leased DC-8 61's, plus leased 737-200 & DC-10's, including N1035F the fifth but NTU ship built for ONA.
Spantax had flown N1034F for a few years until its demise at AGP 9/1982 crashing after an RTO after V1.
Sister ship N1035F joined the BX fleet 2 weeks after the crash from Air Florida.
Spantax Boss, Captain Rodolfo Bay Wright gave serious consideration to operate the Concorde on routes from Northern Scandinavia to the Canaries, the Concorde could been flown supersonically, over water, almost all the way, passing over the top of Scotland, to the west of Ireland. The idea was to lease Concorde hours from one of the present operators, to have become the first company to offer supersonic IT packages, would indeed have been a major coup,
but the economics just didn't quite come out right. About 30 more seats in the Concorde was needed (over the 100) for the seat costs to look sensible stated Captain Bay in an interview.
In hindsight British Airways, who had already a booming charter business with it's Concordes, including Cunard QE2 JFK cruise charters, plus the high season scheduled leisure flights LHR to BGI Barbados could have reconfigured 1 or 2 charter/leisure aircraft dedicated with 130 seats and shared the flight hours with Spantax.
To save on empty legs BA Holidays Groups could have flown supersonic package holidays from LHR to the Canary Islands for the Brits - then a W pattern to/from Scandinavia then back to LHR. (HEL-LPA 2550 nm)
Although I am not sure if they could have reached BGI or JFK with 130 pax and bags non-stop? (JFK 3000 nm, BGI 3650 nm)
edit - the AF Concorde lost at CDG was overweight on Take Off with 100 cruise ship pax and bags...
Now we really have strayed into the unknown.............
Last edited by rog747; 18th Oct 2020 at 14:52.
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The ONA DC-10s seem to have been dogged by misfortune.
more charter stuff -
Sadly of the 5 built for ONA only 1 remained. The first 4 were all delivered to ONA but the 5th was not.
ONA went bust on 14/9/1978 just days before N1035F was due to enter service.
N1031F Holidayliner America W/O Undershot landing IST 2/1976
Video of IST crash
N1032F Holidayliner Freedom W/O Bird strike RTO JFK 12/1975
Videos of JFK crash and from cockpit
N1033F Holidayliner Enterprise sold to Korean Air 11/1978 W/O Collision on runway, taking off on wrong runway in fog ANC 11/1983
Video of ANC crash here
N1034F Holidayliner Liberty sold to SPANTAX 10/1978 W/O RTO after Vr AGP 9/1982
Video and simulation of AGP crash here
N1035F Was it named?
ONA went under within days of delivery. No photos of N1035F exist in ONA colours but she f/f on 7/1978 so it must have been painted up for ONA.
The aircraft was sold to Seaboard World 10/1978 who then leased it to Loftleidir Icelandic. Then to Air Florida 1980. Then to Spantax 9/1982 to replace N1034F lost at AGP 2 weeks before.
Jet losses at Spantax
1970 Coronado at ARN to ZUR
3 engine ferry crashed just after take off 5F
1972 Coronado at Tenerife Los Rodeos to MUC
Just after take off the pilot initiated a steep turn at a height of 90 m and crashed just to the left and 325 m past the runway end having lost situational awareness and control in almost zero visibility. 155F
1973 Coronado MAD to LGW
Mid-air collision over Nantes with Iberia DC-9 PMI to LHR BX 0F IB 68F
1978 Coronado PMI to CGN
Pilots forgot to lower the landing gear at CGN and the aircraft slid down the runway for 1500m, resulting in the right wing and all 4 engines catching fire. Two AFS fire fighting vehicles who happened to be in the immediate vicinity were fighting the intense fire within 10 seconds, and probably prevented casualties in this accident. All 146 people on board escaped unharmed.
During initial approach to runway 32 at CGN the pilot experienced asymmetrical flaps and decided to land with flaps up. He then reduced power and silenced the gear warning horn. Shortly thereafter the engine no.3 reverser latch unlock light came on. Due to the excessive workload the crew forgot to lower the landing gear. 0F
1982 DC-10 30 AGP to JFK
RTO Severe vibration at or after Vr. The Pilot rejected the take off at 184 knots and the fully fuelled aircraft overran the runway at 110 knots and hit the ILS equipment, crossed the busy motorway, hit a small farm building and stopped 450 m after the end of the runway threshold and caught fire. The cause of the aborted takeoff was the severe vibration of the detachment of nose wheel retread 50F
In February 1976 an epidemic of typhoid broke out on SPANTAX flights from LPA to Helsinki and Germany.
One adult and one child died, and over two hundred of 253 passengers were hospitalized on the HEL flight.
Two Germans died with 385 sick of which 33 were in hospital in Germany.
Four flight crew members had typhoid infection which had also spread to passengers via egg salad served on board.
Spanish health authorities said that food prepared in Las Palmas and served aboard flights of the Spanish charter airline Spantax caused an outbreak of poisoning that affected hundreds of foreign tourists who had been holidaying in the Canary Islands.
(Don't have the fish)
ONA went bust on 14/9/1978 just days before N1035F was due to enter service.
N1031F Holidayliner America W/O Undershot landing IST 2/1976
Video of IST crash
N1032F Holidayliner Freedom W/O Bird strike RTO JFK 12/1975
Videos of JFK crash and from cockpit
N1033F Holidayliner Enterprise sold to Korean Air 11/1978 W/O Collision on runway, taking off on wrong runway in fog ANC 11/1983
Video of ANC crash here
N1034F Holidayliner Liberty sold to SPANTAX 10/1978 W/O RTO after Vr AGP 9/1982
Video and simulation of AGP crash here
N1035F Was it named?
ONA went under within days of delivery. No photos of N1035F exist in ONA colours but she f/f on 7/1978 so it must have been painted up for ONA.
The aircraft was sold to Seaboard World 10/1978 who then leased it to Loftleidir Icelandic. Then to Air Florida 1980. Then to Spantax 9/1982 to replace N1034F lost at AGP 2 weeks before.
Jet losses at Spantax
1970 Coronado at ARN to ZUR
3 engine ferry crashed just after take off 5F
1972 Coronado at Tenerife Los Rodeos to MUC
Just after take off the pilot initiated a steep turn at a height of 90 m and crashed just to the left and 325 m past the runway end having lost situational awareness and control in almost zero visibility. 155F
1973 Coronado MAD to LGW
Mid-air collision over Nantes with Iberia DC-9 PMI to LHR BX 0F IB 68F
1978 Coronado PMI to CGN
Pilots forgot to lower the landing gear at CGN and the aircraft slid down the runway for 1500m, resulting in the right wing and all 4 engines catching fire. Two AFS fire fighting vehicles who happened to be in the immediate vicinity were fighting the intense fire within 10 seconds, and probably prevented casualties in this accident. All 146 people on board escaped unharmed.
During initial approach to runway 32 at CGN the pilot experienced asymmetrical flaps and decided to land with flaps up. He then reduced power and silenced the gear warning horn. Shortly thereafter the engine no.3 reverser latch unlock light came on. Due to the excessive workload the crew forgot to lower the landing gear. 0F
1982 DC-10 30 AGP to JFK
RTO Severe vibration at or after Vr. The Pilot rejected the take off at 184 knots and the fully fuelled aircraft overran the runway at 110 knots and hit the ILS equipment, crossed the busy motorway, hit a small farm building and stopped 450 m after the end of the runway threshold and caught fire. The cause of the aborted takeoff was the severe vibration of the detachment of nose wheel retread 50F
In February 1976 an epidemic of typhoid broke out on SPANTAX flights from LPA to Helsinki and Germany.
One adult and one child died, and over two hundred of 253 passengers were hospitalized on the HEL flight.
Two Germans died with 385 sick of which 33 were in hospital in Germany.
Four flight crew members had typhoid infection which had also spread to passengers via egg salad served on board.
Spanish health authorities said that food prepared in Las Palmas and served aboard flights of the Spanish charter airline Spantax caused an outbreak of poisoning that affected hundreds of foreign tourists who had been holidaying in the Canary Islands.
(Don't have the fish)
