Britannia Airways Boeing 707s
 

Britannia briefly operated a pair of these in the early 1970s, I believe on a damp lease from British Caledonian. Were they just used to supplement the 737s or did they have a more specific purpose ? Thankyou.

I think Britannia used them on charters that the 737s just didn't have the range for.

YSI was one of them. Can not find any routes they flew but Flight International from 1973 states Britannia withdrew them due to `over capacity and unbridled competition, particulary on North Atlantic routes`

Interesting that they were withdrawn partly due to 'unbridled competition'. I guess this was much the same time as Laker and Dan Air launching their group affinity jollies across the Atlantic. The 707 was probably a little too big for European ITs at that time, although perfect for the likes of Malaysia and Thailand.

Saw them many times at Manchester

Ian

British Midland were also in the mix at this time on charters across the Atlantic. Someone else may no better, but I think Lloyd were also doing the same thing about this time.

Bigt:
YSI was one of them. Can not find any routes they flew but Flight International from 1973 states Britannia withdrew them due to `over capacity and unbridled competition, particulary on North Atlantic routes`

I was on G-AYSI on 27/9/1972, a Britannia charter from Luton to Oakland via Keflavik

Laurence

G-AYSI was delivered to BY at LTN from World Airways one Sunday (I was routinely spotting at the age of 10...) and I think G-AYEX was leased from BCAL - as you say both shortlived as they both ended up with BCAL.

Monarch also operated 707s or 720s in the early 70s.

Monarch replaced its Britannias with Boeing 720Bs, ex Northwest Airlines, in 1971/2. They had the normal 720 single overwing exit configuration which would have limited them to 149 pax, so they were sent to Boeing Wichita to have a second overwing exit to be fitted (as on the 707), this enabled them to carry 165 pax.

The Monarch 720s, and later the 707-138s were used mainly round Europe, many happy hours spent on the jump seat, it was certainly overpowered.

Monarch didn't get involved with the affinity charters, but they did venture outside of Europe occasionaly, The most common route was St Lucia, via Santa Maria or Gander, although they did occasionaly come back direct, usually short of fuel and requesting a straight in on 08!

My wife was an F/A with Britannia on them (as well as the 737s) in 1971/72. She flew North Atlantic charters on G-AYSI and G-AYEX to Montego Bay, Los Angeles and Vancouver. She was also based in Kuala Lumpur and Bahrain for a period of 3.5 weeks in connection with Hadj flights. She also remembers a Luton-Stansted-Karachi, returning the next day Karachi-Luton in July 1971. Not long after we met, I flew a night time Manchester-Athens-Manchester rotation with her on 27-28 October 1972 on G-AYSI with Captain Jeziorski.

Monarch operated a series of Advance Booking Charters on behalf of Solair Holidays, part of Tabberer Travel Agency to Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver using B720Bs back in the late 70s or early 80s, can't honestly remember when.

I seem to recall they did BHX / YYZ non-stop, but perhaps my memory is playing tricks.

the 707's were short lived 71/73 i recall
a 373C from world and a 355C from Cale 189 seats

BY used both on IT's and ABC affinity charters to the USA and Thomsons Caribbean or subs for other airlines (air Spain used one to BCN iso of a tech DC8)

at that time everyone was getting 707's for holiday and ABC charters
Caledonian 399C 365C 355C 349C
Dan Air 321
Laker 138B
Lloyd 321 324C
BMA 321
Monarch 720B 170Y with 2 extra exits
Donaldson 321
BEA airtours 436's from BOAC
and even Channel AW were looking at 2 old ex PAA -321's


the BY 707 heralded in the new BY red/blue twin stripe livery (hockey stick) then the 737's took it on too

Britannia operated to St Lucia, Georgetown (Guyana) and SFO from Luton. Possibly also LAX. Later the 707s went to Gatwick where they operated Austravel charters to Australia.

Since my wife did 4 LAX flights as F/A with them I think it was more than possible! The actual routing was LTN-KEF-LAX returning LAX-LTN direct.

As Britannia???

The Austravel charters were on the 767.

Dan Air's was G-AYSL.

Certainly in 1971 summer G-AYSI was based at Manchester and operated high-intensity IT flights to The Med etc. The Thomson Sky Tours holiday brochure for the season was pretty detailed about flights and times and which ones were operated on the 707.

The capacity was fine in July and August weekends, but outside these times they were rather too large. They also picked up various affinity Transatlantic charters, but it was notably competitive and the margins were just not there - many UK operators, as detailed above, and US operators as well, generally with Stretched DC8s, who merged such charters with their substantial (at the time) military flights to Germany and the UK.

Britannia retreated to an all-737 fleet, but a few years later the experience was repeated when they started off on their 767 fleet, and they had to find alternative off-season work for large and expensive investments. The big Hadj charter programme moves forward by two weeks each year, so for several years it is useful for UK operators with a summer peak. Then as it moves back into that time the Canadian charter operators, who have a winter peak, come into contention for it.

I beleive Britannia also sub chartered Invicta international Boeing 720s a number of times these where based mostly at Luton also did sub charted to Monarch a number of times as well