Donaldson International Airways
| Donaldson International Airways | |
|---|---|
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| IATA code : | (without) |
| ICAO code : | DI |
| Call sign : | DONALDSON |
| Founding: | 1964 |
| Operation stopped: | 1974 |
| Seat: |
London United Kingdom
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| Home airport : | London Gatwick Airport |
| Fleet size: | 4th |
| Aims: | Europe, North America, Asia |
| Donaldson International Airways ceased operations in 1974. The information in italics refer to the last status before the end of operation. | |
Donaldson International Airways (DIA) was a British airline that ceased operations in 1974. The company operated international charter flights and air freight transport .
history
Donaldson International Airways was founded in 1964 under the name Donaldson Line Air Services as a travel company that had its flights operated by other companies. In early 1969, the Scottish shipping company Waverley Shipping and the Glasgow- based tour operator Mercury Air Holidays took a majority stake in the company and converted it into an airline. The start of its own flight operations took place in April 1969 with three turboprop aircraft of the type Bristol Britannia . The airports in London Gatwick and Glasgow served as starting bases . In the first year of operation, the company mainly carried out tourist charter flights (IT charter) for Mercury Air Holidays in the Mediterranean area as well as occasional services (ad hoc charter) on intra-European routes. On May 27, 1970, Donaldson took over a fourth Britannia, which was used on cargo flights to Hong Kong and other Asian destinations. The first jet aircraft of the type Boeing 707 , the company received on December 15, 1970 from the holdings of Pan American World Airways . After the delivery of a second machine, charter flights for tour groups (Affinity Group Charter) to the USA and Canada also started in May 1971 . The remaining Bristol Britannia were retired in 1972 and replaced by two more leased Boeing 707s. All four jet aircraft had side loading gates on the main deck, which enabled the flexible transport of passengers or freight containers. One of these machines was used exclusively on cargo flights to Asia.
The company ran into economic difficulties in the autumn of 1973 after the demand in British holiday travel had collapsed as a result of the first oil crisis . Due to the insufficient capacity utilization, two aircraft ( registration numbers: G-AYVG and G-AZWA) were leased to Iraqi Airways from May 1, 1974 . The financial problems continued to increase during the 1974 summer season, causing the company to default on leasing payments for its aircraft. Donaldson International Airways ceased operations on August 8, 1974 and filed for bankruptcy a day later .
fleet
- Boeing 707-300 ( G-AYVG , retrofitted with a cargo door)
- Boeing 707-300C (G-AYXR, G-AZWA, G-BAEL)
- Bristol 175 Britannia 312/317 (G-AOVC, G-APNA, G-APNB)
- Bristol 175 Britannia 312F (G-AOVF)
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Klaus Vomhof: Leisure Airlines of Europe . SCOVAL Publishing Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne 2001, ISBN 1-902236-09-2 .
Airlines from the United Kingdom , British Overseas Territories and the Crown possessions of the British Crown
