- British European Airways Corporation (BEAC)
- London (Heathrow) airport, Greater London
The foundations were laid for the creation of British European Airways Corporation (BEAC) by the 1945 government white paper on the future of British Air Transport and transformed into reality by the post-war Labour administration with the passing of its 1946 Civil Aviation Bill. The seeds of the new airline had already been sown on 1 September 1944 with the formation of No.110 Wing, 46 Group, RAF Transport Command, which began flying to major European cities with Douglas Dakotas from London’s Croydon airport three weeks later. This operation formed the nucleus of the BEA Division of BOAC, which took over on 4 February 1946, initially using aircraft still with RAF markings and appearing in utilitarian BOAC colours from the beginning of March.
Backed by a strong board - Sir Harold Hartley, chairman of Railway Air Services and the wartime Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC), pre-war airline entrepreneur Air-Cdre Whitney Straight and Gerard d’Erlanger formerly with British Airways Ltd and the Air Transport Auxiliary - the new corporation finally came into existence on 1 August 1946. Operating from makeshift headquarters in former school buildings close to Northolt (later to become the BEA’s landmark, Keyline House), at first it comprised just two operating divisions: Continental based at Northolt and UK based at Liverpool, from where the AAJC continued as caretaker for domestic services for the time being.
The fleet transferred from BOAC comprised 21 Dakotas, one of which is believed to have operated the first service on foundation day from Northolt to Athens via Marseilles Rome. The Dakota fleet was soon supplemented by 21-seater Vickers Viking 1As, whose first schedule was flown by G-AHOP on 1 September 1946 to Copenhagen. However, problems surfaced almost immediately owing to a chronic shortage of Dakota spares, which necessitated leasing aircraft from BOAC and other carriers. Throwing added strain on the struggling Dakota fleet, following a number of control-surface icing incidents, all Vikings were withdrawn for extensive modifications early in December. Thus, the new company got off to a shaky start with many delays and cancellations at a time when it needed to establish a solid reputation. Confidence in it was further dented by a fatal accident within the first week of operation, involving Dakota G-AHCS, which crashed while attempting to land at Oslo. The Civil Aviation Act provided for a state monopoly on all internal routes, facing BEA with the mammoth task of absorbing the multiplicity of independent carriers that had hitherto operated domestic services. So, from 1 February 1947 BEA assumed responsibility for all UK domestic traffic, the first internal trunk service being worked by Dakota G-AGYZ, between Northolt, Prestwick and Renfrew. By the end of April the process had been completed, at least on paper, but equipment shortages led to extra capacity having to be chartered.
Among the additional 66 aircraft of six different types, re-distributed between the newly sub-divided English and Scottish Divisions, were 10 Junkers Ju.52 3ms received as war reparations from Germany, which were pressed into service on the London-Belfast route and some Scottish services until the end of August 1947, when they were scrapped for lack of spares. Likewise, the Avro XIX (civil Anson) had equally little passenger appeal and was withdrawn early in 1948, though several were retained for use as trainers. Despite having flown 23,200 hours and carried almost 270,000 passengers at an average load factor of 67.9% in the course of its first eight months, BEA’s financial report revealed a loss of over £2.1m. Fortunately, the Vikings began to re-appear in April 1947, just in time for the Continental Division’s ambitious summer programme serving around 30 destinations. Not to be outdone, its UK counterpart offered over 2,000 weekly flights, the Channel Islands being especially popular.
A little-known facet of BEA’s operations was its Gust Control Unit, which between April 1948 and November 1949 notched-up 92,300 hours with two specially equipped DH Mosquitos, collecting valuable data on clear air turbulence in preparation for the impending generation of turbo-prop and jet airliners. Other specialist sections included the Helicopter Evaluation Unit (later BEA Helicopters) and the Air Ambulance Unit, created at Glasgow in April 1948, to provide a valuable emergency service to many remote parts of Scotland until 1973, when the responsibility was completely assumed by Loganair. The new corporation’s remit also included affording assistance to other start-up airlines in return for which BEA maintained holdings; Aer Lingus, Alitalia, Cyprus Airways, Gibraltar Airways, The Malta Airlines and TAE of Greece (later Olympic Airways). For many years, BEA played a major part in helping to establish these companies, in many cases operating local and international services on their behalf.
A severe round of staff cuts, service reductions and fare increases for the winter of 1947-8 did nothing to halt mounting losses, which stood now stood at over £3.5m. The difficulties were not helped by three serious accidents involving Vikings in the early months of 1948, escalating the need for re-equipment, which prospectively came in the shape of a £3m government-induced order for the Airspeed Ambassador, though in the event a series of major technical problems delayed its full entry into service until 1952. Some of the summer routes that BEA had axed at the end of 1947 were reinstated for the following year by independent carriers operating under BEA associate agreements, but in practice few lasted for very long and many were never flown at all, being deemed uneconomic. On 4 August 1948 BEA’s Charter Department (subsequently the Civil Airlift Division) became responsible for overseeing all civilian air effort during the Berlin Airlift, as well as maintaining its own daily passenger service into West Berlin via Hamburg. Following d’Erlanger’s resignation after intense disagreement with the airline’s government masters, a new era began in 1949 with the appointment of Lord Douglas of Kirtleside and Peter Masefield to the top management positions. They lost no time in applying stringent economy measures aimed at improving BEA’s poor financial performance. A major weapon in this drive was to be the revolutionary jet turbine-powered Vickers Viscount, of which the corporation ordered 20 examples of the V.700 Series in August 1950. As a precursor to full scheduled operations, the V.630 prototype was loaned to BEA for trials and made history on 29 July 1950 by undertaking the world’s first commercial turbine-engine flight between Northolt and Paris-Le Bourget in a mere 57 minutes.
Anticipating the arrival of new equipment, in April 1951 BEA became the first UK operator to order flight simulators for both the Ambassador and Viscount and by the early 1960s two-thirds of the required type-conversion training hours were conducted on simulators. From 1950 upgrading of the Dakota fleet was initiated, with new 32-seat interiors, re-equipped cockpits for two-pilot operation and replacement of the rear double doors with a single passenger door incorporating built-in airstairs. At a cost of £10,000 apiece the new aircraft (eventually 38 in total) were known as Pionairs and another 10 became Pionair Leopards, able to ‘change their spots’ between cargo and passenger roles. Between 1951 and 1953 two were re-engined with Rolls-Royce Darts, to provide operational experience with turbo-prop engines for the forthcoming Viscount. The first commercial ‘Dart Dak’ service was made by G-ALXN on 15 August 1951 between Northolt and Hannover with 2.5 tonnes of mail and newspapers. Cruising at 200 mph at 25,000 feet, they frequently caused consternation among air traffic controllers, more used to the sedate performance of their piston-engine forebears.
BEA’s all-cargo activities had their origins in the summer of 1947 with a single Northolt-Brussels-Prague service, developed into a 19-city domestic and European network by July 1948. However, continuing equipment shortages and the pressing need for economies inhibited further significant development until 1951. Bristol Freighters had been ordered in 1946 for both passenger and cargo work, but adverse economic conditions reduced this requirement to a single example between 1950 and 1952, mainly to carry outsize loads. Other new types trialled in 1951 were the prototype DH Heron, loaned for Channel Islands services in the late summer of 1951 and the Miles Marathon. Though the Heron was never used in significant numbers, several Mark 1bs were later acquired for use in Scotland. As for the Marathon, bowing to government pressure, a large number had been ordered as Rapide replacements late in 1946, but their poor operating economics ultimately resulted in cancellation.
Concentrating on passenger traffic, a number of new routes were opened in 1951, including a weekly London-Cairo Viking service, popular with military personnel stationed in North Africa. As an incentive to increase traffic, off-peak discount fares were offered from 1951, while to promote new tourist-class services most of the Vikings were progressively converted from 29 to 36-seaters. A year late into service, the Ambassador finally appeared regularly from early 1952 and, echoing Imperial Airways pre-war prestige service, revived luxury ‘Silver Wing’ flights between London-Heathrow and Paris from 16 June 1952. Somewhat eclipsing its popularity was the huge leap offered by the Viscount, the first commercial passenger service of which was undertaken by G-AMNY on 18 April 1953, plying between London and Nicosia by way of Rome and Athens. The new level of passenger comfort and drastically reduced flight times enabled the corporation to recoup much of the traffic lost in the interim to European competitors with more modern equipment. BEA’s new breed of airliners received the Royal seal of approval when the Duke of Edinburgh flew to Malta by Ambassador in November 1952, while Princess Margaret was first to sample the Viscount when G-AMOB carried her to Oslo in May 1953. To further publicise their new acquisition, Viscount G-AMAV, painted in BEA colours, was loaned for the London-New Zealand Air Race of October 1953, completing the course in a flying time of 40 hours 43 minutes at an average speed of 316 mph.
Coincidental with closure of the Northolt station on 30 October 1954, BEA also said goodbye to its faithful Viking fleet after eight years of service, during which time the type had carried nearly three million passengers in the course of over 65 million miles and 414,000 flying hours. All operations were now transferred to nearby Heathrow, a process first considered in 1949 and given impetus by the opening in March 1952 of a purpose-built engineering complex. A few months later BEA was able to announce its first ever overall profit, just £63,039 for 1954-5, but with traffic up by 18.8%, the transforming effect of the new Viscount was clear. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, by 1956 BEA, now Europe’s largest airline, had carried around 12 million passengers. Much of the credit for this transformation must go to Peter Masefield, who now departed to take up the post of managing director at Bristol Aeroplane Co.
Desirous of extending its influence on the domestic front, BEA purchased a 25% stake in Jersey Airlines, while a formal operating agreement with Cambrian Airways led also to a 33% holding by the state carrier in 1958 and its eventual absorption into British Air Services. The final Viscount 700 was delivered in July 1956, by which time the new turboprops had already carried over two million passengers on both domestic and international routes. Awaiting delivery of the larger 800 Series, equipment, shortfall was covered by DC-4s from Air Charter to operate internal German services, together with Vikings, DC-3s and even Yorks from Eagle, Dan-Air and Skyways for freight capacity. However, 1957 proved to be an unfortunate year for the Viscount, which suffered three serious accidents, one involving the new V802 G-AOJA, which been in service for only eight months. The 1957 fleet renewal plan called for phasing out of the Ambassador that same year and the Pionair by 1960, by which time a small fleet of jet airliners would be in service. However, BEA’s choice, the DH Trident, would not be available until 1963, so six DH Comet 4Bs, urgently needed to compete against the French Caravelle within Europe, were ordered as stop-gap for delivery in 1959.
After several years of protracted negotiations, an agreement was finally concluded with Aeroflot for a pool service between London and Moscow, allowing the first BEA proving flight to be made by Viscount G-AOHO on 18 February 1958. With the advent of the larger V806 Viscount from early 1958, many continental services were gradually converted to mixed-class first tourist configuration and taking advantage of the increasingly popular inclusive holiday packages, night tourist flights were introduced to many major vacation areas. The delayed retirement of the elegant Ambassador at the end of June 1958 was clouded by the tragic accident involving G-ALZU at Munich in February, with the loss of many of Manchester United’s acclaimed football team, marring an otherwise unsullied safety record. That same month also saw the official opening of Gatwick airport, the first commercial flight being a charter to Jersey by Pionair G-ALXK. By the following summer, BEA was undertaking over 100 weekly scheduled flights from London’s second airport.
Marking the fiftieth anniversary of Bleriot’s first Channel crossing, as a publicity exercise BEA entered a team in the Daily Mail’s< i> commemorative London-Paris Air Race on 19 July 1958. Completing the course in just one hour and one minute, the Northolt-Le Bourget sector was flown by Comet G-APMA loaned for the occasion, the airline’s representatives being rewarded with the team prize. Later, from November, BEA began taking delivery of Comets in earnest, with G-APMB completing the first regular scheduled flight between Tel Aviv and Heathrow on 1 April 1960. The decade drew to a close on a high note with a record profit of almost £2.1m for 1959-60, aided by a general improvement in the global economy and sustained traffic growth, particularly in the inclusive tour sector.
Another new type in prospect was the Vickers Vanguard, planned as a more capacious successor to the Viscount, but its delayed arrival caused BEA many operational headaches during the summer of 1960. After substantial modifications to the Rolls-Royce Tyne engines and a new round of trials, crew training and route proving, it only began limited service a few days before Christmas 1960. Though the Vanguard lingered into the British Airways era, the aircraft’s passenger popularity was largely overshadowed by inexorable rise of economically efficient short and medium-range jet airliners. One area where it did score was in increased cargo capacity, a field that was further enhanced by introduction of the AW Argosy from 1961 with its 12.7 tonne payload and ability to handle palletised freight. Nicknamed the ‘Whistling Wheelbarrow’, it remained in service until superseded by the Vanguard Merchantman freighter conversion from 1970 and had already helped to achieve a 19% increase in freight uplift by 1963-4.
The accession of the Vanguard signalled the run-down of the 700 Series Viscounts, which having enjoyed a new lease of life with capacity up-rating to high-density 63-seaters, were sold off during 1962-3. With the coming of BEA’s new aircraft types, a change of livery soon became evident, dropping the original ‘Keyline’ styling for a more eye-catching red and black ‘Bealine’ design, which raised protests from some of Parliament’s more traditional members at the loss of the prominent union flag on the tailplane.
The need to counter foreign jet competition on short-haul routes such as London-Paris forced BEA to use the Comet on sectors for which they were not really suited, but nevertheless lead to an increased order for the type. But the bane of the British aircraft industry, delivery delays, saw BOAC Britannias and DC-7Cs used through the summer of 1961 to plug gaps in services to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Paris, Nice and Zurich. Three HP Heralds were now employed on Scottish services, taking over from the venerable Pionair, which made its very last flight for BEA between Islay, Campbeltown and Glasgow on 19 May 1962. Living up to its unparalleled pedigree, during a 16-year history with the corporation, the Dakota had clocked up an incredible 97 million miles and carried 8.5 million passengers, with many of BEA’s superbly maintained examples going on to useful careers with independent operators.
Illustrious aviator and long serving chairman, Lord Douglas, retired early in 1964 on a high note, leaving an airline which under his stewardship had developed from a fragmented post-war concern into a thriving entity turning in a record profit over £3m. Another fortmer-BEA man, Anthony Milward, aided by chief executive Henry Marking, was appointed as successor to carry the corporation forward for another decade. One of their first acts was to usher in BEA’s second generation of jet airliners, with the introduction of the long-awaited DH Trident 1C, whose first commercial flight took place on 11 March 1964 between London and Copenhagen. Shortly afterwards, in April, the airline’s own holiday company, Silver Wing, was launched in response to ever growing holiday market and signified the beginnings of BEA’s major involvement in the inclusive tour sector, culminating six years later in the formation of BEA Airtours as a dedicated charter subsidiary.
After almost 27 years of near continuous service, on 1 May 1964 DH Rapides were finally withdrawn from the Land’s End-Scilly Isles route in favour S-61 helicopters. During BEA service alone the Rapides had carried 384,000 passengers during the course of 77,500 flights. The Trident made history on 10 June 1965 by completing the first automatic landing on a commercial flight and such was BEA’s confidence in its recent acquisition, that 15 longer-range Trident 2s were soon ordered at a cost of £30m. As the new jets became established on prestige European services, this permitted the Comets to revert to their more natural medium-haul sectors in Eastern Europe and the Near East. However, by 1966 increasing competition on domestic trunk routes from both independent operators and British Rail’s fast electric trains necessitated diverting the Comet to the London-Glasgow route, saving up to 15 minutes over the incumbent Vanguards. A similar situation was faced on West German internal services, for which BAC 1-11s were ordered for 1969 delivery. Pending this event, Viscounts equipped with 53 Comet luxury seats with extra leg-room were pressed into service.
In 1967 BEA harmonised its substantial investments in BKS and Cambrian under the title of British Air Services, a holding company that acquired the entire share capital of both airlines. The British Air Services titling displayed on both aircraft fleets, which included a number of transferred Viscount 800s, soon reverted to new colour schemes reflecting their individual identities and the public affection in which these airlines were held, though in the case of BKS, it was shortly re-branded as Northeast Airlines.
Back in 1963, BEA had led the way with the introduction of standby fares on domestic routes, an innovation repeated 10 years later with the Advanced Purchase Excursion (APEX) giving reductions of up to 50%. Boosted by its new jet airliners, by July 1965 the 50 millionth passenger had been carried, but profitability was again becoming an issue with just £708,296 recorded for 1966-7 and a loss for the following financial year, attributed to poor trading conditions; the government’s £50 foreign currency restriction being a significant factor.
Endeavouring to increase efficiency, BEA embarked on a major internal reorganisation resulting in the creation three major profit-centred divisions: Traffic and Sales, Operations and Scottish, as well as improved computerisation of Reservations, Check-in, Load Control, Operations and Engineering Stores functions. But the ongoing problem of punctuality at Heathrow still remained, not helped by severe congestion at terminal two and only alleviated after the opening of terinal one in May 1969, largely dedicated to BEA and its associates. However, 1968 dawned more optimistically with the arrival of the Trident 2s and BAC 1-11-500s, coinciding with the launch of a new £100,000 colour scheme featuring a return to the prominent Union Jack tail design. The trend continued into the following year with a £3.5m profit and ended on a novel note with a Round UK Air Race, an internal competition to visit all BEA stations in the UK and Channel Islands in the shortest possible time; completed with attendant publicity in a little over four days by a senior traffic officer from the Copenhagen station. A notable event that concluded the end of the decade was the opening of BEA’s dedicated Cargo Centre Europe, one of the last acts at which Anthony Milward officiated prior to his retirement.
An interesting feasibility study was conducted by associate British Air Services early in 1970, to evaluate the possibility of developing a commuter network based on four hubs at Cambridge, Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield under the title ‘Interstol’. The chosen vehicle was the Shorts Skyliner 19-22 seat STOL utility transport, a leased example of which (G-ASZJ) undertook a five-day nationwide publicity tour. The prevailing economic conditions proved inauspicious and the plan was reluctantly dropped, although BEA did operate two Skyliners from 1973 as Heron replacements in Scotland. With its predominant element of public service, the Scottish Division continued to show heavy losses despite increased traffic.
On 31 October 1971 BEA bade farewell to the Comet on scheduled services and a couple of days later the Super 1-11s finally supplanted Viscounts on internal services in West Germany. A temporary disruption in normal Vanguard operations followed the fatal accident to G-APEC over Belgium on 2 October 1971, resulting from failure of the rear pressure bulkhead caused by corrosion from a leaking toilet. But undoubtedly BEA’s blackest day occurred on 18 June 1972 when Trident G-ARPI, fully loaded for Brussels, plunged out of control shortly after take-off from Heathrow, with the loss of all on board.
For some years BEA had been considering the emerging wide-body jet market, but with the politically inspired cancellation of its first choice, the BAC 3-11, the only serious contender that matched the airline’s flexibility requirements was the Lockheed Tristar. An initial order for six aircraft with options was placed in September 1972 at a total cost of £80m for 1975 delivery, but in the event none ever flew for BEA prior to it merging into British Airways, although Eastern Airlines N35EA did carry BEA titling for demonstration at the 1972 Farnborough Air Show. In the interim BEA had begun receiving its new 140-seat Trident 3s from February 1971 and which soon became a frequent sight at major European cities. Purchase of this final marque of Trident had really been a fait accompli for BEA, albeit with government financial inducements, following cancellation of the preferred BAC 2-11 due to lack of state funding and refusal to expend dollar exchange for the second choice Boeing 727.
Meanwhile, the new chairman, Henry Marking, pursued his predecessor’s ‘profit centre’ concept by creating 10 new divisions, amongst which were BEA Mainline, responsible for all international and domestic trunk service emanating from London; Super 1-11 which flew the BAC 1-11-500 fleet from Manchester and West Germany; Scottish Airways which worked all the Scottish services plus several originating trunk routes and Channel Islands, also responsible for the network radiating from Birmingham. Completing the new organisational structure were Travel Sales, BAS, BEA Cargo, BEA Airtours, BEA Helicopters and Sovereign Group Hotels, the latter formed in association with the Fortes Hotel group as a natural adjunct to inclusive tour operations.
However, it was soon to be a case of all change again, for acting on the recommendations of the 1969 Edwards Committee report, the Labour government encouraged the formation of the British Airways Board to oversee the management of both state airlines. Further moves towards integration came on 1 September 1973, when BEA began trading as British Airways European, while the domestic arms including Cambrian Northeast, became British Airways Regional. The first BEA aircraft to receive the new joint livery, Trident 3 G-AWZC, was repainted in December 1973. Almost immediately a global fuel shortage resulting from the Arab-Israeli conflict surfaced to create many operational headaches, culminating in a government directive for a 40% reduction in consumption. The response was an experimental in-flight shutdown of the Trident’s third engine whilst cruising, but this was quickly abandoned in favour of reducing overall cruising speeds. The many cancellations and re-routings brought the four remaining passenger Vanguards, with their superior fuel efficiency, back into their own for a few months more. Nevertheless, financial results revealed a healthy profit of £6.7m with over 8.7 million passengers carried on all routes, justifying its self-proclaimed slogan ‘Number One in Europe’. Full circle from its origins in BOAC, BEA’s final four months came to an end at midnight on 31 March 1974, when the airline re-joined its long-haul cousin under the British Airways umbrella.
Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador (Elizabethan Class - 1952-1960): G-ALZN (5212); G-ALZO (5226); G-ALZP (5213); G-ALZR (5214) modified as RR Tyne engine test-bed 1959; G-ALZS (5215); G-ALZT (5216); G-ALZU (5217) cr. Munich 6.2.58; G-ALZV (5218); G-ALZW (5219); G-ALZX (5220); G-ALZY (5221); G-ALZZ (5222), G-AMAA (5223); G-AMAB (5224) dbr nr Düsseldorf 8.4.55; G-AMAC (5225); G-AMAD (5211); G-AMAE (5227); G-AMAF (5228); G-AMAG (5229); G-AMAH (5230).
AW Argosy Srs.101 222: G-AOZZ (6651); G-APRM (6653); G-APRN (6654); G-ASXL (6800) cr nr Piacenza 4.7.65; G-ASXM (6801); G-ASXN (6802); G-ASXO (6803); G-ASXP (6804) cr London-Stansted 4.12.67; G-ATTC (6805).
Avro 652A XIX Srs.1: G-AGUD (1275); G-AGUX (1277); G-AGVA (1278); G-AHIB (1317); G-AHIC (1318); G-AHID (1319); G-AHIE (1320); G-AHIF (1321); G-AHIG (1322); G-AHIH (1323); G-AHII (1324); G-AHIJ (1325); G-AHIK (1326); G-AHXL (1352); G-AHXM (1353).
Note: G-AHII, HIK, HXL, HXM retained for training until 1950.
BAC 1-11 510: G-AVMH (136); G-AVMI (137); G-AVMJ (138); G-AVMK (139); G-AVML (140); G-AVMM (141); G-AVMN (142); G-AVMO (143); G-AVMP (144);< sup> G-AVMR (145); G-AVMS (146); G-AVMT (147); G-AVMU (148); G-AVMV (149); G-AVMW (150); G-AVMX (151); G-AVMY (152); G-AVMZ (153).
Bristol 170 Mk.21 (Yeoman Class 1950-1952): G-AICS (12762).
DH.89/89A Dragon Rapide (Islander Class 1947-1964): G-ACPP (6254); G-ADAJ (6276); G-AERN (6345); G-AEWL (6367); G-AFEZ (6408); G-AFOI (6450); G-AFRK (6441); G-AGDG (6547); G-AGDM (6584); G-AGEE (6622); G-AGHI (6455); G-AGIC (6522); G-AGIF (6509); G-AGJF (6499) w/o 6.8.47; G-AGJG (6517); G-AGLE (6784); G-AGLP (6780); G-AGLR (6781); G-AGOJ (6850); G-AGPH (6889) dbr 6.12.51; G-AGPI (6885); G-AGSH (6884); G-AGSJ (6888); G-AGSK (6887); G-AGUF (6855); G-AGUG (6859); G-AGUP (6911); G-AGUR (6910); G-AGUU (6908); G-AGUV (6912); G-AHGF (6903); G-AHGH (6934); G-AHGI (6935); G-AHKR (6824) cr Mt Slieau Ruy Isle of Man 15.4.47; G-AHKS (6812); G-AHKT (6811); G-AHKU (6810); G-AHKV (6792); G-AHLL (6576) cr Lands End-St Just 21.5.59; G-AHLM (6708); G-AHLN (6754); G-AHXV (6747) cr Ronaldsway Isle of Man 15.1.49; G-AHXW (6782); G-AHXX (6800); G-AHXY (6808) cr Renfrew, Scotland 27.12.48; G-AHXZ (6825) dbf Renfrew 28.8.51; G-AIHN (6498); G-AJCL (6722); G-AJSK (6500); G-AJXB (6530); G-AKDX (6898); G-AKZB (6790) cr Lands End-St Just 12.12.61.
Note: Of the 47 inherited aircraft, by late 1948, 26 had been sold on, possibly never having been operated; G-AERN AFOI AGEE AGSK GUVIHN JSK to Gibraltar Airways.< i>
DH.106 Comet 4B: G-APMA (6421); G-APMB (6422); G-APMC (6423); G-APMD (6435); G-APME (6436); G-APMF (6426); G-APMG (6442); G-ARCO (6449) cr. Mediterranean nr Rhodes 12.10.67; G-ARCP (6451); G-ARGM (6453); G-ARJK (6452); G-ARJL (6455); G-ARJM (6456) cr. Ankara 21.12.61; G-ARJN (6459).
DH.114 Heron 1B (Hebrides Class 1955-1973): G-ANXA (14044); G-ANXB (14048); G-AOFY (Srs 2) (14099) cr Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland 28.9.57.
Note: Heron 2Bs G-AORG ORH (14101 14102) never dlvrd, order passed to Jersey Airlines 4.56.< i>
Douglas C-47A B Dakota (Pionair Class 1951-1962)
G-AGHH (9187); G-AGHJ (9413); G-AGHL (9407); G-AGHM (9623); G-AGHS (10099); G-AGHU (9863); G-AGIO (11907); G-AGIP (11903); G-AGIS (12017); G-AGIT (11921); G-AGIU (12096); G-AGIW (12186) cr. Mill Hill, N London 17.10.50; G-AGIX (12053) cr. Sywell Northants 31.7.48; G-AGJV (12195); G-AGJW (12199); G-AGJZ (12014); G-AGNF (15534 26979); G-AGNG (15552 26997); G-AGNK (15540 26895); G-AGYX (12472); G-AGZB (12180); G-AGZC (12222); G-AGZD (12450); G-AGZE (12416); G-AHCS (12348) cr. Oslo 7.8.46; G-AHCT (12308); G-AHCV (12443); G-AHCW (13308) cr. nr Coventry 19.2.49; G-AHCY (13355) cr. nr Oldham Lancs 19.8.49; G-AHCZ (11924); G-AIWD (13475); G-AJDE (13182); G-AJHY (13388); G-AJHZ (12421); G-AJIA (12208); G-AJIB (9624); G-AJIC (9487); G-AKJH (13164); G-AKNB (9043); G-ALCC (10106); G-ALLI (19351); G-ALPN (12158); G-ALXK (16080 32828); G-ALXL (16487 33235); G-ALXM (16465 33213); G-ALYF (19350); G-AMDZ (12911);G-AJXL G-AMGD (9628); G-AMJX (15635 27080); G-AMJY (16808 33556); G-AMKE (14483 25928);G-AMYB (16598 33346).
Note: G-AHDA HDB HDC LCB (12177 12077 13481 9878) purchased for spares 9.46 and 6.50; G-AKII KIJ KIK (12999 13304 13487) reg’d BEA 9.47 for Cyprus Airways.< i>
Douglas C-47A B Dakota (Pionair Leopard 1951-62): G-AGHP (9408) cr. Chatenoy, France; G-AGIZ (12075); G-AGYZ (12278); G-AHCU (13381); G-AHCX (13335); G-ALTT (12000); G-ALXN (14661/26106); G-AMDB (14987/26432); G-AMNV (16833/33581); G-AMNW (14177/25622).
Note: G-ALXN MDB temporarily cvtd Dart Dakota 51-11.53.< i>
HPR.7 Dart Herald: G-APWB (150); G-APWC (151); G-APWD (152).
Note: G-APWA (149) loaned from HP 1.62-4.62 with VIP interior for HRH Duke of Edinburgh’s South American Tour.
HS.121 Trident 1C 1E: G-ARPA (2101); G-ARPB (2102); G-ARPC (2103) dbf London-Heathrow 28.12.75; G-ARPD (2104); G-ARPE (2105); G-ARPF (2106); G-ARPG (2107); G-ARPH (2108); G-ARPI (2109) cr. nr Staines Middx 18.6.72; G-ARPJ (2110); G-ARPK (2111); G-ARPL (2112); G-ARPM (2113); G-ARPN (2115); G-ARPO (2116); G-ARPP (2117); G-ARPR (2119); G-ARPS (2120) dbf London-Heathrow 29.7.69; G-ARPT (2121) dbr London-Heathrow 3.7.68; G-ARPU (2122); G-ARPW (2123); G-ARPX (2124); G-ARPZ (2128);
Note: G-ARPY (2126) cr on test flight 3.6.66 prior to delivery.< i>
HS.121 Trident 2E: G-AVFA (2140); G-AVFB (2141); G-AVFC (2142); G-AVFD (2143); G-AVFE (2144); G-AVFF (2145); G-AVFG (2146); G-AVFH (2147); G-AVFI (2148); G-AVFJ (2149); G-AVFK (2150); G-AVFL (2151); G-AVFM (2152); G-AVFN (2153); G-AVFO (2156); G-AZXM (2154).
HS.121 Trident 3B: G-AWYZ (2301); G-AWZA (2302); G-AWZB (2303); G-AWZC (2304); G-AWZD (2305); G-AWZE (2306); G-AWZF (2307); G-AWZG (2308); G-AWZH (2309); G-AWZI (2310); G-AWZJ (2311); G-AWZK (2312); G-AWZL (2313); G-AWZM (2314); G-AWZN (2315); G-AWZO (2316); G-AWZP (2317); G-AWZR (2318); G-AWZS (2319); G-AWZT (2320) cr. Vrobec nr Zagreb 10.9.76; G-AWZU (2321); G-AWZV (2322); G-AWZW (2323); G-AWZX (2324); G-AWZZ (2326); G-AYVF (2325).
HS.748 Srs. 2A 287: G-BCOE (1736); G-BCOF (1737) ordered 1973, dlvrd to BA Regional.
Junkers Ju52 3m (Jupiter Class 1947-1948): G-AHBP (6750 SH.7C); G-AHOC (501441 SH.16C); G-AHOD (131150 SH.10C); G-AHOE (SH.8C); G-AHOF (SH.9C); G-AHOG (3317 SH.17C); G-AHOH (631364 SH.14C); G-AHOI (641227 SH.13C); G-AHOJ (500138 SH.15C); G-AHOL (641213 SH.11C).
Note: G-AHOK (2298 SH.12C) dbr Renfrew26.1.47 on training flight before delivery.< i>
Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 100: G-BBAE-BBAJ dlvrd to BA European.< i>
Miles M.60 Marathon 1 (Clansman Class 1951): G-ALUB (101) loaned for trials 4.51-9.51.
Note: G-AMGW MGX MHR MHS MHV MHW MHX not dlvrd, order cancelled< i>.
Short SC.7 Skyliner: G-AZYW (SH.1903); G-BAIT (SH.1908).
Vickers Viking 1A: G-AGON (104); G-AGRM (105); G-AGRN (106); G-AGRO (107); G-AGRP (108); G-AGRR (109); G-AGRS (110); G-AGRT (111); G-AGRU (112); G-AGRV (114); G-AGRW (115); G-AHON (116); G-AHOP (117); G-AHOR (118); G-AHOS (119); G-AHOT (121); G-AHOU (122); G-AHOV (123); G-AHOW (124); G-AHOX (125); G-AHOY (128); G-AHOZ (129); G-AHPA (130); G-AHPB (132); G-AHPC (133); G-AHPD (134); G-AHPE (137); G-AHPF (138); G-AHPG (139).
Note: G-AHPH/HPI (141/142) never dlvrd; G-AIJE loaned from MoS 3.48-2.51 for de-icing trials.
Vickers V.600 Viking 1B (Admiral Class 1947-1956): G-AHPK (148) cr. Ruislip Middx 6.1.48; G-AHPL (149); G-AHPM (152); G-AHPN (155) cr. London-Heathrow 31.10.50; G-AHPO (157); G-AHPP (160); G-AHPR (164); G-AHPS (167); G-AIVB (215); G-AIVC (216); G-AIVD (217); G-AIVE (218) cr. nr Largs, Scotland 21.4.48; G-AIVF (219); G-AIVG (220) dbr Paris-Le Bourget 12.8.53; G-AIVH (221); G-AIVI (222); G-AIVJ (223); G-AIVK (224); G-AIVL (225); G-AIVM (226); G-AIVN (227); G-AIVO (228); G-AIVP (229) cr. Berlin 5.4.48; G-AJBM (239); G-AJBN (240); G-AJBO (241); G-AJBP (242); G-AJBR (243); G-AJBS (244); G-AJBT (245); G-AJBU (246); G-AJBV (247); G-AJBW (248); G-AJBX (249); G-AJBY (250); G-AJCA (252); G-AJCD (255); G-AJCE (256); G-AJDI (258); G-AJDJ (259); G-AJDK (260); G-AJDL (262) cr. Belfast-Nutts Corner 5.1.53; G-AJJN (289); G-AKBG (263); G-AKBH (264); G-AMGG (290); G-AMGH (293); G-AMGI (297); G-AMGJ (295); G-AMNJ (296); G-AMNR (291); G-AMNS (294); G-AMNX (292).
Note: G-AHPK HPN IVE IVP not cvtd Admiral Class; G-AIVR-T (230-232); JBZ (251) and JCB (253) never dlvrd.< i>
Vickers Viscount 630: G-AHRF (1) loaned from Vickers 7-8.50 for commercial trials.
Vickers Viscount 700 series (Discovery Class 1953-1964): G-ALWE (4) cr. Manchester-Ringway 14.3.57; G-ALWF (5); G-AMAV (3) loaned from Vickers 8.52-2.53 for route proving; G-AMNZ (20); G-AMOA (9); G-AMOB (11); G-AMOC (13); G-AMOD (15); G-AMOE (17); G-AMOF (19); G-AMOG (7); G-AMOH (21); G-AMOI (22); G-AMOJ (23); G-AMOK (24); G-AMOL (25); G-AMOM (26) cr. Blackbushe airport 20.1.56; G-AMON (27); G-AMOO (28); G-AMOP (29); G-ANHA (61); G-ANHB (62); G-ANHC (63) destr over Anzio, Italy 22.10.58; G-ANHD (64); G-ANHE (65); G-ANHF (66); G-ANRS (75); G-AODG (77); G-AODH (78); G-AOFX (182); G-APNF (225); G-APNG (228); G-APZP (250); G-ARBW (247).
Vickers Viscount 800 series(Discovery Class 1957-1971): G-AOHG (156); G-AOHH (157); G-AOHI (158); G-AOHJ (159); G-AOHK (160); G-AOHL (161); G-AOHM (162); G-AOHN (163); G-AOHO (164); G-AOHP (165) dbr Hellerup, Copenhagen 17.11.57; G-AOHR (166); G-AOHS (167); G-AOHT (168); G-AOHU (169) dbr London-Heathrow 7.1.60; G-AOHV (170); G-AOHW (253); G-AOJA (150) cr. Belfast-Nutts Corner 23.10.57; G-AOJB (151); G-AOJC (152); G-AOJD (153); G-AOJE (154); G-AOJF (155); G-AORC (254) cr. Craigie nr Prestwick 28.4.58; G-AORD (171); G-AOYG (256); G-AOYH (311); G-AOYI (257); G-AOYJ (259); G-AOYK (260); G-AOYL (261); G-AOYM (262); G-AOYN (263); G-AOYO (264); G-AOYP (265); G-AOYR (266); G-AOYS (267); G-AOYT (268); G-APEX (381); G-APEY (382); G-APIM (412); G-APJU (413); G-APKF (396); G-APOX (418).
Note: G-AOYF (255) w o 20.10.57 prior to delivery.< i>
Vickers V.951 953 Vanguard Merchantman: G-APEA (704); G-APEB (705); G-APEC (706) cr nr Ghent, Belgium 2.10.71; G-APED (707); G-APEE (708) cr. London-Heathrow 27.10.65; G-APEF (709); G-APEG (710); G-APEH (711); G-APEI (712); G-APEJ (713); G-APEK (714); G-APEL (715); G-APEM (716); G-APEN (717); G-APEO (718); G-APEP (719); G-APER (720); G-APES (721); G-APET (722); G-APEU (723).
Note: G-APEG PEJ-PEM PEO PEP PES PET converted to Merchantman Freighter .69-73.< i>
BEA Communications Flight 1946-1949:
Avro 652A Anson 1: G-AHBN (NK720) trfd Alitalia for training 7.48
Auster J 1 Autocrat: G-AGVM (1872) to BEA Aero Club; G-AGYO (2006) to Speedbird Flying Club; G-AHCN (1980) to BEA Aero Club; G-AIBR (2151).
DH.60G Gipsy Moth: G-AAWO (1235) presented Capt.Ted Fresson on his leaving BEA 3.48
DH.84 Dragon: G-ACIT (6039) sold Speedbird Flying Club 1.49
Miles M.28 Mercury 6: G-AHAA (6268) sold 3.48
Gust Research Unit 1948-1950:
DH.98 Mosquito PR.34; G-AJZE (RG231); G-AJZF (RG238).
Aircraft purchased for Alitalia 1947 1948:
Avro 683 Lancaster 1: G-AJWM (PP741) crew training White Waltham; to Alitalia 11.48 for spares.
Avro 691 Lancastrian 3: G-AHBX (1292); G-AHBY (1293); G-AHCD (1298); G-AHCE (1299).
Charles Woodley, History of British European Airways 1946-1974 (2006); Phil Lo Bao and Iain Hutchison, BEAline to the Islands: The Story of Air Services to Offshore Communities of the British Isles by British European Airways, its Predecessors and Successors (2002); Phil Lo Baok, An Illustrated History of British European Airways (1989).
British Airways Heritage Collection
Board papers n.d.; corporate design guidance n.d.; accident and air safety reports n.d.; technical and engineering manuals and drawings n.d.; promotional materials: n.d., posters 1940s -73; timetables n.d.; route maps n.d.; travel documentation incl tickets n.d.; High Life in-flight passenger guide n.d.; in-flight menus n.d.; royal travel memorabilia n.d.; passenger amenity kits incl washbags and giveaways n.d.; staff newspapers and magazines n.d; staff uniform wearer regulations n.d.; staff obituaries and orders for memorial services n.d.; photographs: n.d, aircraft interiors and exteriors 1940s-50s, cabin crew 1940s-50s, female uniforms 1970s; moving films n.d.; externally-published books and periodicals n.d.; medals and awards n.d.; male and female uniforms and workwear n.d.
For information about records held contact the British Airways Heritage Collection.
Memorandum by Sir Harold Hartley, British Railways Air Committee, re formation of British European Airways 1945 [BT217/125]; agreement between British European Airways, London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co and listed holders of shares in various air service undertakings re transfer of shares 1947 [RAIL420/388,390]; parliamentary presentation of 1947 report and accounts 1947-52 [BT217/1854]; report and accounts 1948 [BT217/2303]; operating and traffic statistics 1947 [BT217/1830-1,1413,1453]; map of Europe, north Africa and south west Asia showing air services operated by British European Airways 1948 [MPG1/1189/2].
University of West London Archive
Timetables: Isles of Scilly summer services 1956, international 1960-61, 1963, British Isles 1966, Channel Islands 1967; maintenance instructions manual folder, empty c.1960s; BEA London area telephone directory folder, empty c.1960s; British European Airways (BEA) news 1972; passenger ticket and baggage check slip n.d.; cabin bag luggage tags c.1960s; children’s rub-down picture book 1972 [Heathrow Archive, UWLA HA 01 06].
Timetable 1950 [HCA D155 3], passenger tickets 1964 [HCA D582 F 2].
University of Northampton Archives
Papers of Angela Reeves, assistant designer for British European Airways 1964-65: design for a BEA operating manual 1964-65, designs for BEA Cargo leaflet 1964-65, flight status diary card 1964-65, BEA promotional posters 1964-65, flight timetable, London to Aberdeen, Birmingham, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester, 1964, leaflet promoting ‘British Week’, Denmark 1964; letterheaded paper and compliments slip and related designs 1964-65; baggage labels 1964-65, postcard notifying the removal of BEA’s advertising branch from Wigmore Street to West London Air Terminal 1964 [AR 01 GRA ]; promotional posters 1959, n.d. [POSTERS 2 5 19,22-24].
University of Glasgow Archives and Special Collections
Return flight ticket for Dr H. Farmer, Glasgow to Dublin, with two baggage tags attached 1953 [GB 247 MS Farmer 327 5].
University of Brighton Design Archives
Papers and visual material relating to commissions carried out for BEA and BOAC and their public relations agency Colman Prentis and Varley Ltd, incl source material, artwork and finished print material, as well as associated correspondence 1946-52 [DES RHZ 1 1 4].
Poster, ‘The key to faster travel c.1946 [AAD/2008/11/2/50].
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Transport tribunal and committee papers: correspondence with British European Airways 1952 [DEV/10/4/2/34].
Modern Records Centre, Warwick University
Papers of British European Airways’ operational research branch: reports of the organisation and methods branch 1955-65, branch notes 1960-66, papers presented by the advertising media section 1959, management advisory services reports 1963-70, list of management services branch notes 1959-66 [MSS.335 AI 1 2].
Annual reports and accounts 1948-72; British European Airways engineering branch internal reports re handling trials, autopilot and other navigational equipment, night flying, gust research, the development of air mail operations and other technical assessments of various rotorcraft and other aircraft types 1946-63; timetables and air route maps (20) 1949-51; leaflets: air freight. information and rates 1952, BEA routes operated 1954, About your flight c.1968; photograph and map re first British helicopter air mail service 1948; promotional posters 1955.
Print advertisement guard book of J Walter Thompson, advertising agency re British European Airways 1968-73 [JWT/6/1/1/22/2]; moving film commercials for British European Airways assembled for Washes Whiter, a BBC documentary series on TV advertising 1970s [HAT2].
Letters from British European Airways to composer Benjamin Britten (2) 1957.