Air Atlantique was an airline based at Coventry Airport operating a number of classic aircraft, both for passenger operation and for cargo transportation. They operated a large fleet of Douglas DC-3 aircraft alongside several Douglas DC-6 and Lockheed Electra aircraft.

Originally an air taxi operator, the group diversified into chartered and scheduled passenger and freight operations, as well as oil-spill response, aerial survey, and pleasure flights through various subsidiaries. The group was broken up as founder Mike Collett approached retirement with the freight arm becoming Atlantic Airlines and the aerial survey work continuing as RVL Aviation.

Many of the remaining classic aircraft were donated to Classic Flight (Classic Air Force) for display at air shows.

History

The Air Atlantique Group was founded in 1969 under the name of General Aviation Services, based in Jersey, Channel Islands. Initially operating as an aircraft sales and distribution business, the company received an Air Operator's Certificate in 1971 and began air taxi operations with Cessna 310 and Cessna 336 aircraft.

The Air Atlantique name was adopted in June 1977 when freight charter flights were launched with Douglas DC-3 aircraft. It was thought the name would both appeal to the French-speaking population of Jersey and appear near the top alphabetically in the Yellow Pages. Freight charter operations commenced on 19 July 1977 with the first flight transporting lobsters from Jersey to Morlaix.

thumb|G-AMRA at Jersey, May 1982. Wearing the colours of former operator Eastern Airways. A small Royal Mail logo can be seen on the door.

Between 1981 and 1982 the company purchased additional DC-3s and was awarded a lucrative postal contract on behalf of Royal Mail. A three-year aerial survey contract was also awarded to Air Atlantique by the Ordnance Survey which led to the establishment of the Atlantic Surveys subsidiary. An engineering base was set up in the former British United Airways hangar at Blackpool airport which became the main UK operating base. Three Dakotas stationed at Blackpool operated newspaper flights to Belfast and the Isle of Man, with other aircraft operating nightly mail flights on the Glasgow-East Midlands-Luton and Newcastle-Liverpool runs.

Air Atlantique was awarded a five-year maritime pollution control contract by the UK Department of Transport in 1987. The original terms of the contract required seven spray-equipped DC-3s to be kept on standby although this was later revised down to two. Nevertheless, this contract required a significant expansion of the fleet. The first call-out for Air Atlantique was the Piper Alpha disaster on 6 July 1988.

Between then and the late 1990s, it expanded its operations to create pilot training facilities, aircraft engineering shops, survey and aerial reconnaissance work and other aviation-related activities. In 1987 it formed Atlantic Flight Training with the acquisition of two Cessna 310 aircraft and the later addition of seven Cessna 152 aircraft for flight training.

The Atlantic Reconnaissance subsidiary was formed in 1988 to look after the pollution control work alongside other airborne remote sensing, survey, and patrol contracts. In 1994 it was awarded a contract with US-based Marine Oil Spill Response Corporation to operate a Shorts 360 aircraft in a surveillance role. The company was subject to a management buyout in 2007 and moved to a new East Midlands Airport base as RVL Aviation in 2010. CFS was spun off as an independent company in 2007.

Other subsidiaries included Atlantic Aeroengineering which provided maintenance and special mission modification services to the group from the Coventry base. A short lived Irish operation, Aer Atlantic, offered ad-hoc cargo and passenger services using the Shorts 360 aircraft which had returned from operations with Atlantic Reconnaissance in the USA. The Metro was the only example of the type on the UK aircraft register. Scheduled services, which ended in 1994, included daily flights linking Coventry-Gloucester, Jersey/Guernsey to Rennes, and Liverpool to the Channel Islands.

In 1991, on account of two pollution control DC-3s being based at Inverness Airport, the group founded Air Alba as a flight training school based at the airport. It was renamed Highland Airways in February 1997. The airline expanded into freight and passenger operations as well as contract work for the oil industry and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. Highland Airways was subject to a management buyout in 2007.

In late 1993, the group was restructured with the passenger operations of Air Atlantique/Air Corbiere combined under the name Atlantic Airways. The cargo operations of Atlantic Air Transport became Atlantic Cargo.

The group was restructured again in 1998 with all passenger and cargo operations reorganised into a new unit called Atlantic Airlines. A new livery was introduced featuring a dark black fuselage with green stripes. As with the previous rebranding, all non-airline operations including DC-3 work retained the Air Atlantique name. From May 2006 to January 2007, Atlantic Express operated a scheduled route between Jersey and Stansted.

The main trading activities of Atlantic Airlines were subject to a management buy-out in July 2004 which saw all Lockheed L-188 Electra cargo operations transfer to an independent company, Atlantic Airlines.

Following the divestment of most subsidiaries, Air Atlantique later operated a number of historic aircraft as the Classic Air Force. Pleasure flights of the DC-3 on the Atlantique air operator's certificate ceased in the summer of 2008 owing to new safety regulations which required extensive modification of the airframes which proved uneconomical.

Fleet

thumb|G-AMCA operating for Fairey Air Surveys, 1975. This would become the first aircraft to enter service with Air Atlantique in June 1977.

thumb|G-ANAF at Coventry, July 1978

The first DC-3, G-ANAF, was purchased from West Country Aviation in 1977 for £72,000. G-ANAF required extensive restoration so a second DC-3, G-AMCA was leased from Fairey Aviation and became the first DC-3 to enter service. G-AMCA was then also purchased outright for £45,000 later that year.

In 1987, G-AMCA was removed from freight work and flown to Greybull, Wyoming for conversion to spray configuration by Hawkins & Powers. Air Atlantique then converted a second DC-3, G-AMHJ, which was re-acquired having been sold off with the postal contract two years earlier. The first aircraft, G-LOFA, was retired in 1998 bringing the operational fleet to seven. At a cost of $500,000 per aircraft, Air Atlantique modified each Electra for two-crew operation and installed new mode-S transponders, TCAS, electrical generators, and 8.33 kHz capable radios in order to meet new regulatory requirements.

The first ATR 42-300, G-IONA, joined the Atlantique fleet in December 2002. It operated for various subsidiaries within the group including Highland Airways and Atlantic Express and was used by the Liberal Democrats during the 2005 UK General Election. Two further ATR 42-300s, G-RHUM and G-DRFC, were delivered in 2004 and 2005. A larger ATR 72-200, G-HERM, joined the fleet in October 2005.

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File:G-BBBX Cessna 310 Air Atlantique CVT 17-10-87 (30091643190).jpg|Cessna 310

File:G-SOUL Cessna 310 Air Atlantique CVT 31-08-88 (32619909763).jpg|Cessna 310

File:Douglas DC-3, Air Atlantique AN2227395.jpg|Douglas DC3 in the very first colors

File:G-AMPZ DC3 Air Atlantique CVT May 1991 (47004084251).jpg|G-AMPZ at Coventry in May 1991 wearing the livery with osprey tail logo

File:Douglas DC-3 Air Atlantique G-AMRA, CVT Coventry (Baginton), United Kingdom PP1055330606.jpg|Douglas DC3 in retouched livery

File:Douglas C-47B Dakota 4 (DC-3), Air Atlantique AN1330151.jpg|Douglas DC3 in a more colorful livery

File:Douglas C-47B Dakota 4 (DC-3), Air Atlantique AN1295798.jpg|Douglas DC3 in colorful livery variation

File:Air Atlantique DC-3 G-AMHJ at NCL (15523689053).jpg|Douglas DC3 in colorful livery variation

File:G-AMHJ DC3 Air Atlantique CVT 04-01-88 (19553105318).jpg|Douglas DC3 operated for pollution control

File:G-AMPY DC3 Air Atlantique CVT Aug '97 (24120853540).jpg|Douglas DC3 operated for pollution control

File:Douglas C-47B Dakota 4 (DC-3), Empire Airways (Air Atlantique) AN2228184.jpg|Douglas DC3 in the livery of a fictional airline for the filming of a movie

File:G-AXZK BN Islander Air Atlantique CVT 23-12-1988 (34352240891).jpg|BN2 Islander operated for pollution control

File:Douglas DC-6 Air Atlantique G-APSA, CVT Coventry (Baginton), United Kingdom PP1054937581.jpg|Douglas DC6

File:Bristol Freighter Instone Airlines G-BISU, DUS Düsseldorf (Duesseldorf International), Germany PP1156841601.jpg|Bristol B-170

File:G-BEKG B.Ae (Avro) 748 Srs 2 Air Atlantique MAN OCT88 (13793584985).jpg|BAe (Avro) 748

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Subsidiaries and associated brands

Atlantic Air Transport (1984-1989)

From 16 May 1984 till January 1989, the airline relocated all cargo operations to Stansted Airport under Atlantic Air Transport brand. It mainly operated DC 3s and B-170s.

Atlantic Flight Training

The subsidiary was formed in 1987 after the acquisition of two Cessna 310 aircraft and the later addition of seven Cessna 152 aircraft for flight training.

Atlantic Reconnaissance (1988-2007)

The subsidiary was formed in 1988 to look after the pollution control work alongside other airborne remote sensing, survey, and patrol contracts. Cesssna Titan, Cessna Caravan and DC 3 were the types of aircraft involved in the activities. In 1994 it was awarded a contract from US-based Marine Oil Spill Response Corporation to operate a Shorts 360 aircraft in a surveillance role. The company was subject to a management buyout in 2007 and moved to a new East Midlands Airport base after being reformed as RVL Aviation.

Air Corbiere (1991-1993)

From July 26, 1991, scheduled services were operated under this brand with Cessna Caravan II and Cessna 402C. A Fairchild Metro III was purchased in 1992 to operate alongside the Cessna 406s. The Metro was the only example of the type on the UK aircraft register. Scheduled services included daily flights linking Coventry-Gloucester, Jersey/Guernsey to Rennes, and Liverpool to the Channel Islands. In late 1993, the brand was abolished and the passenger operations combined with those of Air Atlantique under Atlantic Airways brand.

Air Alba (1991-1997)

In 1991, on account of two pollution control DC-3s being based at Inverness Airport, the Group founded the company as a flight training school based at the airport. Airline-type operations started after it was renamed Highland Airways in February 1997.

Atlantic Airways” (1993-1998)

Trading name of Air Atlantique and Air Corbiere passenger scheduled operations from early 1993 to spring 1998 operated with Air Atlantique aircraft.

Atlantic Cargo” (1993-1998)

Trading name of Air Atlantique freight operations from early 1993 to spring 1998.

Atlantic Airlines” (1998-2009)

Trading name of Air Atlantique charter operations from March 1998 and of L.188F cargo operations from summer 2001.

The main trading activities were subject to a management buy-out in July 2004 which saw all Lockheed L-188 Electra cargo operations transferred to a fully registered independent company, Atlantic Airlines Ltd.

In 2009 it merged operations with West Air Sweden and in Autumn 2017 into West Atlantic UK Ltd.

Atlantic Express (2002-2006) and Atlantic Express Ltd. (2006-2008)

In August 2002, the Group estabilished Atlantic Express brand to cater for executive passenger and ad-hoc freight charter work. Operations began with the group's Fairchild Metro III and Cessna 406 aircraft along with a leased Embraer 120 Brasilia. Operations expanded with the introduction of leased ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft between 2003 and 2005. On 6 July 2006 the brand was transformed into a fully registered airline - Atlantic Express Ltd. - which operated a scheduled route between Jersey and Stansted which did not last. Even residual passenger and charter flight operations were interrupted in early February 2007. Under the new ownership of Bravo Aviation and Skyblue Aviation the resumption of activities was announced for the beginning of 2008 but nothing came to fruition.

Atlantic Surveys

A three-year aerial survey contract was also awarded to Air Atlantique by the Ordnance Survey which led to the establishment of this subsidiary.

Other subsidiaries included Atlantic Aeroengineering which provided maintenance and special mission modification services to the Group in Coventry ground base.

A short lived Ireland-based operation, Aer Atlantic, offered ad-hoc cargo and passenger services using the Shorts 360 aircraft which had returned from operations with Atlantic Reconnaissance in the USA.

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File:G-SOUL Cessna 310R Atlantic Flight Training Coventry (54121765237).jpg|Cessna 310R of Atlantic Flight Training

File:G-MPCU Cessna 402 Air atlantique CVT 11-04-88 (43475588144).jpg|Cessna 402 fitted with the side looking radar

File:G-EYES Cessna 402 Air Corbiere CVT 05-07-91 (35792044852).jpg|Cessna 402 with Air Corbiere titles

File:G-BUKA Fairchild Sa227 Metro III Air Corbiere CVT 07-06-93 (47906849611).jpg|Swearingen SA-227AC Metro III with Air Corbiere titles

File:G-BUKA 1 SA.227AC Metroliner Atlantic Aws MAN 17MAR95 (6783786118).jpg|Swearingen SA-227AC with Atlantic Airways titles

File:Douglas DC-6A, Atlantic Cargo AN0205313.jpg|Douglas DC6 with Atlantic Cargo titles

File:COVENTRY 06 MAY 1996 ATLANTIC CARGO LOCKHEED ELECTRA G-LOFB,DOUGLAS DC-6 G-SIXC (49894171627).jpg|L.188 Electra with Atlantic Cargo titles

File:38ak - Atlantic Airlines DC-6A B; G-SIXC@ZRH;23.08.1998 (5888034830).jpg|Douglas DC6 with Atlantic Airlines titles

File:Atlantic Airlines G-LOFB L188electra CVT(4) (36869172582).jpg|L.188 Electra with Atlantic Airlines titles

File:Lockheed L-188 Electra G-LOFE Atlantic Airlines, CVT Coventry (Baginton), United Kingdom PP1055346424.jpg|L.188 Electra cargo with Atlantic Airlines titles

File:Atlantic Airlines G-BTPF ATP CVT (20742821191).jpg|BAe ATP with Atlantic Airlines titles

File:MANCHESTER 23 JULY 2004 ATLANTIC AIRLINES ATR42 G-IONA (9409832894).jpg|ATR42 with Atlantic Airlines titles

File:Reims F406 Caravan II, Atlantic Express AN0689506.jpg|Cessna F406 Caravan II with Atlantic Express titles

File:G-BUKA Fairchild Swearingen SA-227AC Metro III Atlantic Express Coventry (54122885638).jpg|Swearingen SA-227AC Metro III with Atlantic Express titles

File:Atlantic Express G-DRFC ATR42-300 Coventry (33393671016).jpg|ATR42 with Atlantic Express titles

File:Atlantic Express G-HERM ATR 72-200 Coventry (3) (22508726289).jpg|ATR72 operating for Atlantic Express

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See also

  • RVL Aviation
  • Atlantic Airlines
  • Highland Airways
  • List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom

References

  • Air Atlantique
  • RVL Group
  • The Cloudmaster Six