Freddie Laker

Sir Frederick Alfred Laker (born August 6, 1922 in Canterbury , † February 9, 2006 in Miami ), better known as Sir Freddie Laker , was a British entrepreneur . He was best known through his airline Laker Airways , which was the first to introduce the no frills concept on long-haul routes.

First own airline founded (1949–1965)

Laker began his career in the aviation industry with the manufacturer Shorts . During World War II, Laker was a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary , where he stayed until 1946. In that year he founded his first company, Air Charter, with which he operated cargo flights for the Berlin Airlift , among other things . In 1949, Laker bought Aviation Traders , a company that, among other things, exempted aircraft that had been retired and carried out engine conversions. In 1954, Freddie Laker founded the airline Channel Air Bridge , with which he operated, among other things, Carvair planes that carried cars across the English Channel. In 1959, Laker's first airline, Air Charter, became part of the Channel Air Bridge. Channel Air Bridge itself was bought out in 1960 by Air Holding, the parent company of British United Airways . The name Channel Air Bridge remained in use for over two years thereafter. The company merged with Silver City Airways in 1963 to form British United Air Ferries . Meanwhile, Laker had been appointed Managing Director of British United Airways. Under his leadership (1960 to 1965), British United became the first fully privately owned British airline to order and operate modern jet aircraft ( BAC 1-11 and Vickers VC-10 ). In 1965, Laker left the company due to widespread disagreement between himself and company chairman Miley Wyatt to start his own company.

Laker Airways (1966–1982)

See main article Laker Airways .

With his airline, Laker was initially primarily active in the charter and package travel market. The first aircraft were retired aircraft from British Airways ' predecessor BOAC . From 1977 Laker Airways was the first airline to offer so-called no frills flights on long-haul routes. The tickets for the “Skytrain” flights, initially from London Gatwick to the USA, were very cheap with prices in some cases under £ 60, especially for the time, but the passengers had to pay for all the extra options (including on-board meals) themselves.
In 1979, Freddie Laker of Queen Elizabeth II. For his services in the field of civil aviation to Knight Bachelor beaten. Due to outstanding debts of £ 270 million, the company's lending banks refused to make any further payments on February 5, 1982, causing Laker Airways to cease operations. Laker himself subsequently sued various larger airlines for alleged price fixing that was intended to drive Laker Airways out of business. It was finally agreed outside of the court to pay Laker US $ 100 million.

Sir Freddie after 1982

Until the mid-1980s, Laker Airways tried to obtain further compensation payments from British Airways, but without success. Laker tried several times to resume flight operations, which, despite public donations of £ 1 million, ultimately failed because of the British Aviation Authority. He then moved first to Miami and later to the Bahamas , where in 1992 the newly founded Laker Airways (Bahamas) started. Flight operations began with two Boeing 727-200s from Freeport to the USA. Between 1996 and 1999 there were also some long-haul DC-10 flights. The new airline known as Laker Airways (Bahamas) also suffered ups and downs and eventually had to cease operations in 2005.

Freddie Laker supported Richard Branson and Stelios Haji-Ioannou , the founders of the new British Airways competitors Virgin Atlantic and Easyjet in the 1990s, mainly by swiping at British Airways. Virgin, which began with a route network similar to the Skytrain flights, christened one of their Boeing 747s with the name “Spirit of Sir Freddie”.

Many consider Laker to be the personification of capitalism , not just because of its rapid rise and fall. For example, he was featured in the 1984 parody Top Secret! mentioned in a series with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels .

Awards

• 1980 Columbus Prize of Honor from the Association of German Travel Journalists

literature

• Sir Frederick A. Laker , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 19/2006 of May 13, 2006, in the Munzinger archive ( beginning of article freely available)