Channel Airways
| Channel Airways | |
|---|---|
|
|
| IATA code : | - |
| ICAO code : | CW |
| Call sign : | CHANNEL AIR |
| Founding: | 1946 |
| Operation stopped: | 1972 |
| Seat: | Southend-on-Sea |
| Turnstile : | |
| Home airport : | Southend-on-Sea Airport |
| Fleet size: | 12 |
| Aims: | international |
| Channel Airways ceased operations in 1972. The information in italics refer to the last status before the end of operation. | |
Channel Airways ( trading as East Anglian Flying Service until 1962 ) was a Southend-on-Sea- based British airline that ceased operations in 1972.
history
The airline Channel Airways was founded on August 16, 1946 in Ipswich under the name East Anglian Flying Service ( EAFS ) by the former RAF pilot Jack Jones. Initially, the company carried out occasional services (ad hoc charter) on De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide aircraft from Ipswich Airport. In the 1950s, the company relocated to Southend-on-Sea. At the same time, the fleet was modernized with De Havilland DH.104 Dove machines , which were used on regular routes from Southend to Birmingham and Ipswich. In 1958 EAFS opened its first international scheduled connection to Rotterdam , which was flown with aircraft of the type Bristol 170 Wayfarer . From May 1959, the company also operated international charter flights .
On October 25, 1962, EAFS changed its name to Channel Airways . In December 1962, the company took over the Southend-based airline Tradair , which gave the company its first Vickers Viscount aircraft . In the 1960s, Channel Airways expanded the route network and set up international connections from Portsmouth Airport to Paris-Le Bourget and Ostend . There were also scheduled flights from Portsmouth, Ipswich and Bournemouth to the British Channel Islands . Channel Airways expanded into the charter market from 1967 and acquired eleven more Vickers Viscount machines. In June 1967 the company received its first jet aircraft of the type BAC 1-11 , which were used on IT charter flights from London-Stansted Airport to the Mediterranean from the spring of 1968 . Hawker Siddeley Trident machines were added to the fleet in the same year. In addition, the company took over four de Havilland Comet aircraft in January 1970 , with which from March 1971 tourist charter flights from Berlin-Tegel Airport were also offered. During 1971, Channel Airways ran into economic difficulties that led to the cessation of operations on February 29, 1972.
fleet
- BAC 111-400
- Bristol 170 Wayfarer
- De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
- De Havilland DH.104 Dove
- De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4B
- De Havilland DH.114 Heron
- Douglas DC-3 / C-47
- Douglas DC-4
- Hawker Siddeley HS 748
- Hawker Siddeley Trident 1E
- Vickers Viking
- Vickers Viscount Series 700 and 800
Incidents
- On May 6, 1962, a Douglas C-47 ( registration number : G-AGZB ) flew into a hill on the approach to Portsmouth Airport in poor visibility conditions. The three-person crew and nine passengers were killed.
- On May 3, 1967, a Vickers Viscount 812 ( G-AVJZ ) crashed immediately after taking off from Southend. The crew was on a training flight and had previously brought an engine into the sail position. Two people were killed on the ground in the crash.
- On May 4, 1968, a Vickers Viscount 812 ( G-APPU ) rolled over the end of the runway at Southend Airport and collided with an earth wall. All 83 inmates survived the accident. The aircraft was written off as a total loss.
See also
Web links
Airlines from the United Kingdom , British Overseas Territories and the Crown possessions of the British Crown
