Westminster Airways

Last updated

Westminster Airways was a British airline formed in 1946 to operate air charters. It later acquired freighter aircraft and was involved in the Berlin Airlift, but ceased operations shortly after.

Contents

History

The company was formed by a group of MPs led by Air Commodore A.V. Harvey, the first aircraft were seven twin-engined Airspeed Consuls. [1] The Consuls operated charter flights from Blackbushe and Gatwick airports. [1] Later in 1946 the company bought two Douglas DC-3s. [1] To help with the Berlin Airlift the company bought three four-engined Handley Page Haltons, which were converted wartime Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers. [1] A Halifax was also bought and converted into a bulk-diesel carrier for the airlift. [2] The company ceased operations at the end of 1949 when the board of directors decided to cease flying due to the restrictions imposed on air charter companies by United Kingdom government policies and legislation. [1] [3]

Fleet

Accidents and incidents

On 1 April 1949 one of the airlines Haltons crashed at RAF Schleswigland during the airlift. [1] [8]

Notes

Related Research Articles

Silver City Airways

Silver City Airways was an airline, based in the United Kingdom, that operated mainly in Europe, between 1946 and 1962. Unlike many airlines at the time, it was independent of government-owned corporations; its parent company was Zinc Corporation, an Australian company involved mainly in mining and mineral processing. The name "Silver City" originated as a nickname of Broken Hill, Australia – an area famed for silver mines, including some owned by the airline's parent company.

Court Line was a 20th-century British tramp shipping company that was founded in 1905. In the 1960s it diversified into shipbuilding and charter aviation. Its merchant shipping interests were based in London. Its shipyards were at Appledore in Devon and Sunderland in Tyne and Wear. Its airline was based at Luton Airport in Bedfordshire. It also provided bus services in Luton and surrounding areas.

Omni Air International Airline of the United States

Omni Air International, LLC. is a United States charter airline headquartered in Hangar 19 on the grounds of Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It specializes in passenger charter flights, and Aircraft Crew Maintenance Insurance (ACMI) wet leasing. Omni is an FAA Part 121 certificated airline with IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration.

Eastern Provincial Airways Defunct Canadian airline

Eastern Provincial Airways, also known as EPA, was an airline that operated in Atlantic and eastern Canada. At its peak, the carrier operated jet service with Boeing 737-200 aircraft connecting many communities that today only have scheduled passenger flights provided by 18-seat commuter turboprop aircraft. The airline traces its history from Maritime Central Airways (MCA) from 1961. It merged with CP Air to form Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1986.

Aquila Airways

Aquila Airways was a British independent airline, formed on 18 May 1948 and based in Southampton, Hampshire.

Airwork Services

Airwork Limited, also referred to during its history as Airwork Services Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary company of VT Group plc. It has a long and rich history in providing a variety of defence support services to the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm and overseas air forces, as well as having played an important role in the development of civil aviation – both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Northeast Airlines (NEA) – known as BKS Air Transport until 1970 – was an airline based in the United Kingdom that operated from 1952 until 1976, when NEA's operations and fleet were merged into British Airways.

South West Aviation was a British airline formed in 1966 to undertake air charter work from a base at Exeter Airport, Devon, England. In 1973 the airline was taken over by Skyways Aviation.

Airflight Limited was a British charter, and cargo airline from 1948 to 1950.

Air Charter Limited

Air Charter was an early post-World War II private, British independent airline formed in 1947. The airline conducted regular trooping flights to Cyprus as well as worldwide passenger and freight charter flights from its bases at Southend Airport and Stansted. Following Freddie Laker's acquisition of Air Charter in 1951, Aviation Traders and Aviation Traders (Engineering) became associated companies. From 1955, it also operated scheduled coach-air/vehicle ferry services. These initially linked London and Paris. In 1958, the process of transferring Air Charter's coach-air/vehicle ferry operation to sister company Channel Air Bridge began. In 1959, Air Charter became part of the Airwork group. In 1960, Airwork joined with Hunting-Clan to form British United Airways (BUA).

British Air Transport

British Air Transport Ltd (BAT) was a British independent airline from 1932 until 1951.

British Aviation Services Limited (Britavia) was an early post-World War II airline holding company and air transport operator that could trace its roots back to 1946. Its main activities included trooping, inclusive tour (IT) and worldwide passenger and freight charter services. British Aviation Services' first investment in a British independent airline occurred in 1946, when it acquired a minority interest in Silver City Airways. Silver City Airways operated the world's first cross-Channel air ferry service on 13 July 1948. It subsequently became British Aviation Services' biggest operating division. In 1953, British Aviation Services took over the independent airline Air Kruise. The same year, BAS Group also took control of Aquila Airways, the last commercial flying boat operator in the United Kingdom. The completion of these acquisitions by mid-1954 resulted in a reorganisation of the British Aviation Services group, with British Aviation Services Ltd becoming the group's holding company and Britavia one of its operating subsidiaries. By the late 1950s, BAS Group became Britain's largest independent airline operator. Its numerous operating divisions included Britavia's Hermes Division at Blackbushe Airport and Aquila Airways's Flying Boat Division at Hamble near Southampton. The former concentrated on trooping services and inclusive tours while the latter provided scheduled services to Portugal, the Canary Islands and Italy. In 1962, BAS Group merged with British United Airways (BUA), which by that time had replaced BAS as the UK's largest independent airline operator.

Skyways Limited was an early post-World War II British airline formed in 1946 that soon became well-established as the biggest operator of non-scheduled air services in Europe.

Morton Air Services

Morton Air Services was one of the earliest post-World War II private, independent British airlines formed in 1945. It mainly operated regional short-haul scheduled services within the British Isles and between the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. In 1953, Morton took over rival independent UK airline Olley Air Service. In 1958, Morton became part of the Airwork group. Morton retained its identity following the 1960 Airwork — Hunting-Clan merger that led to the creation of British United Airways (BUA). The reorganisation of the BUA group of companies during 1967/8 resulted in Morton being absorbed into British United Island Airways (BUIA) in 1968.

Scottish Airlines

Scottish Airlines (Prestwick) Limited was formed in 1946 as a subsidiary of Scottish Aviation Limited. The airline commenced worldwide passenger and cargo charter flights from bases at Prestwick and Stansted. It also participated in the Berlin Airlift, became a trooping carrier for the British Armed Forces, and began contract flights on behalf of Air France, British European Airways (BEA), Compagnie Belge des Transports Aériens, Iceland Airways and KLM.

Air Transport Charter (C.I.) Limited was a Jersey based charter and cargo airline from 1947 to 1950.

Falcon Airways

Falcon Airways was a British charter flight airline that operated from 1959 to 1961 when the operating licence was withdrawn due to concerns over safety.

Air Safaris was a British scheduled and charter airline from 1959 to 1962.

Schleswig Air Base

Schleswig Air Base is an airbase of the German Air Force, home to Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" flying reconnaissance variants of the Panavia Tornado. It was formerly known from c.1945-1958 as RAF Schleswigland in Royal Air Force use.

Air Kruise was a British airline established in Kent in 1946. Starting with light aircraft for charter work, it expanded to include scheduled services to the near-continent. It was absorbed into Silver City Airways in 1957.

References