Scimitar Airlines
| Scimitar Airlines | |
|---|---|
_at_FRA.jpg) Scimitar Airlines Boeing 707, Frankfurt 1979 |
|
| IATA code : | (without) |
| ICAO code : | YES |
| Call sign : | (unknown) |
| Founding: | 1978 |
| Operation stopped: | 1981 |
| Seat: |
Gatwick Airport , UK
|
| Home airport : | Gatwick Airport |
| Fleet size: | 2 |
| Aims: | international |
| Scimitar Airlines ceased operations in 1981. The information in italics refer to the last status before the end of operation. | |
Scimitar Airlines was a short-lived British cargo airline with seat at Gatwick Airport , which operated from 1978 to 1981 cargo charter flights to Africa and the Middle East.
history
Scimitar Airlines was founded on January 28, 1975 by Maurice Guinane, the former CEO of British Caledonian Airways (1970 to 1974). However, the preparations for the start of flight operations dragged on for three years, as the issuing of the operating license was delayed, partly due to a lack of start-up capital, partly due to objections from a number of other airlines.
Nonetheless, the company's founder announced that wide- bodied aircraft would be used just two years later .
In August 1978, the company received a Boeing 707-321C ( aircraft registration G-BFZF ) originally operated by Pan Am .
In October 1978 Scimitar was able to secure their first contract for cargo flights, which were to be carried out on behalf of Viking Air Freight, which was also one of the main shareholders. The cargo charter flights to Nigeria and the Persian Gulf region began in November 1978. In June 1979, a second Boeing 707 was added to the fleet (G-BGIS) , but both machines were loaned to IAS Cargo Airlines in wet lease .
In August 1979, the company planned to get into passenger aviation and began preparations to apply for the appropriate extension of its air operator certificate.
The Civil Aviation Authority suspended the operating license in 1980 because the majority of the shares were not in British hands (as prescribed), but with two Saudi Arabian brothers. But financial difficulties also contributed to the adoption of this measure.
All subsequent attempts at refinancing failed, so that Scimitar was declared bankrupt on December 23, 1981.
Destinations
The company's cargo charter flights were mainly carried out to the Middle East as well as West and Central Africa, but occasionally other than British departure airports were also used, e.g. B. Frankfurt Airport (see photo).
Fleet at the end of operations
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Flight International, June 17, 1978 (English), accessed November 29, 2018.
- ↑ rzjets, Scimitar Airlines (English), accessed on November 29, 2018.
- ↑ Flight International, October 28, 1978 (English), accessed November 29, 2018.
- ↑ Flight International, August 24, 1979 (English), accessed November 29, 2018.
- ↑ Maurice J. Wickstead: Airlines of the British Isles since 1919 . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., Staplefield, W Sussex 2014, ISBN 978-0-85130-456-4 , p. 368.
- ^ Ulrich Klee, Frank Bucher et al .: jp airline-fleets international . Zurich Airport 1979–1982.
Airlines from the United Kingdom , British Overseas Territories and the Crown possessions of the British Crown
