UK Charter Airlines.
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UK Charter Airlines.
If you look at the number of UK charter airlines that have dissapeared mergerd or rebranded in the last 20 odd years its quite sad.
Off the top of my head.
Airworld, Flying Colours, JMC, Peach, Caledonian, Mytravel, Inter European, Airtours International - All now Thomas Cook.
Britannia, Orion, First Choice, Leisure, Air 2000, Thomsonfly - All now Thomson Airways.
XL Airways - gone.
Sabre - gone
Ambassador - gone.
Anyone else think of the others.
Off the top of my head.
Airworld, Flying Colours, JMC, Peach, Caledonian, Mytravel, Inter European, Airtours International - All now Thomas Cook.
Britannia, Orion, First Choice, Leisure, Air 2000, Thomsonfly - All now Thomson Airways.
XL Airways - gone.
Sabre - gone
Ambassador - gone.
Anyone else think of the others.
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I'm no expert, but looking at the lists of airlines that TOM/TCX has swallowed up just highlights to me how different the other big charter airline are.
I can't think of a single airline that has become MONARCH. Surely they must have absorbed someone somewhere along the line!
Finally, hats off to whoever mentioned Excalibur. One of my favourite airlines ever.
RTG!
PS... were Debonair ever a charter company?
I can't think of a single airline that has become MONARCH. Surely they must have absorbed someone somewhere along the line!
Finally, hats off to whoever mentioned Excalibur. One of my favourite airlines ever.
RTG!
PS... were Debonair ever a charter company?
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RTG
Debonair was a scheduled carrier trying to be a low cost scheduled carrier. Lets face it, the B737-300 was assigned to a poorly timed W pattern that saw it visit LEBL twice each day. Same with the daily LIRA flight, poorly timed. Nobody was actively going after new slots so as to change the schedule. Perugia was another farce. Some bright spark came up with the idea of flying Luton-Rome via Perugia but forgot to ask anyone if there were any limitations in performance etc. Then there were days when the aircraft would sit all day in either EDLN or EDDM and then return to Luton in the evening. Total waste of aircraft, crew, hotel costs, parking fees etc etc.
However, most of their revenue came from wet lease operations.
2 x 146 for AFR
2 x 146 for SWR
5 x 146 for DLH
They also did weekend charters to Naples from Hamburg, and Chambery from Manchester.
In my opinion, they should have ditched the scheduled brand and focused on being an ACMI operator. As can be proved these days, the 146 can still find a market.
Debonair was a scheduled carrier trying to be a low cost scheduled carrier. Lets face it, the B737-300 was assigned to a poorly timed W pattern that saw it visit LEBL twice each day. Same with the daily LIRA flight, poorly timed. Nobody was actively going after new slots so as to change the schedule. Perugia was another farce. Some bright spark came up with the idea of flying Luton-Rome via Perugia but forgot to ask anyone if there were any limitations in performance etc. Then there were days when the aircraft would sit all day in either EDLN or EDDM and then return to Luton in the evening. Total waste of aircraft, crew, hotel costs, parking fees etc etc.
However, most of their revenue came from wet lease operations.
2 x 146 for AFR
2 x 146 for SWR
5 x 146 for DLH
They also did weekend charters to Naples from Hamburg, and Chambery from Manchester.
In my opinion, they should have ditched the scheduled brand and focused on being an ACMI operator. As can be proved these days, the 146 can still find a market.
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Excalibur, god thats a blast from the past, I used to work For Gatwick Handling and was assigned the EXC flights for check in.
Loved their A320,s, but it all turned horrible when they decided to go long haul and get those Old DC-10s.
And remember Ambassador Airways with those 757,s and old 737-200.
My first post. Oh well the memories!
Loved their A320,s, but it all turned horrible when they decided to go long haul and get those Old DC-10s.
And remember Ambassador Airways with those 757,s and old 737-200.
My first post. Oh well the memories!
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Amber Airways...IIRC, they got sued by BMA for using the c/s "Diamond"
Manchester Air Cargo, had two B707Fs for ad hoc charters, can't remember the regs, but they were Lancashire Lass, and Lancashire Lad
Manchester Air Cargo, had two B707Fs for ad hoc charters, can't remember the regs, but they were Lancashire Lass, and Lancashire Lad
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Other Blasts from the Past
From my 70s Manchester spotting days, there was Laker Airways with their 1-11s and also Court Line with some very colourful 1-11s.
Also (a bit later) Air Europe with 737s which included some scheduled services.
Dan Air did indeed fly scheduled flights - I flew a couple of times on their 1-11 service between Gatwick and Madrid.
Moley
Also (a bit later) Air Europe with 737s which included some scheduled services.
Dan Air did indeed fly scheduled flights - I flew a couple of times on their 1-11 service between Gatwick and Madrid.
Moley
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Donaldson International. This company operated a number of ex Pan Am 707-321s in the early seventies. ( My first flight was on one of their aircraft [G- BAEL ] in February 1973.)
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Anorak time 
Here's a few more...
Here's a few more...
- British Island Airways with their BAC 1-11-400/500s and DC-9-83s
- All Leisure with A320s - think they were linked to TransAer in Ireland
- Sunjet - really Air Foyle operating a 737 for a tour operator in Leeds or Manchester
- Princess Air with a single BAe146-200QC based out of Southend
- Prime - the offspring of Heavylift and their single A300
- Classic Airways with a couple of Tristars
- Mediterranean Express - another 1-11 operator
- Cougar and their 727s
- GB Leisure - the charter offshoot of GB Airways
- Air Atlanta Europe.. ok so really an Icelandic company, but nominally UK based with 747s
- Air Manchester - started up after Laker failed, but never did a lot of flying ?
- Air Bristol - more 1-11-500s, also had various other aliases too?