British Airways Ltd. was a British airline company operating in Europe in the period 1935–1939. It was formed in 1935 by the merger of Spartan Air Lines Ltd, United Airways Ltd (no relation to the US carrier United Airlines), and Hillman's Airways. Its corporate emblem was a winged lion.
thumb|DH.86 of British Airways Ltd at the [[Beehive (Gatwick Airport), July 1936]]
thumb|CASA 352 at RAF Museum Cosford, painted as Junkers Ju 52 (G-AFAP) of British Airways Ltd.
thumb|Lockheed 14 (G-AFGN) of British Airways Ltd at Heston, September 1938
History
On 30 September 1935, Allied British Airways Ltd was formed for the purpose of merging the publicly quoted company Hillman's Airways with the private companies of Spartan Air Lines and United Airways Ltd, both controlled by Whitehall Securities Corporation Ltd (WSC), owned by the Hon. Bernard Clive Pearson. Its directors were W. D. L. Roberts, Harold Balfour and John DeC Ballardie from WSC, plus John R. McCrindle, Edgar L. Granville and Gerard L. D'Erlanger from Hillman's. On 29 October 1935, the name was changed to British Airways Ltd, and on 11 December 1935 it converted to a public company. Whitehall Securities was joined as investor in the merged airline by banking house Erlangers Ltd, through its Chairman, Leo d'Erlanger. The combined assets of 37 operational aircraft included Armstrong Whitworth Argosy II, Spartan Three Seater, DH.60 Moths, DH.84 Dragons, DH.89 Dragon Rapides, DH.86As and Spartan Cruisers.
In early 1936, aircraft and services of Hillman's Airways were transferred from Stapleford Aerodrome to Heston Aerodrome, the principal base of Spartan Air Lines and United Airways; the single-engined types and most of the DH.84s were then sold. The London to Liverpool services of United Airways were discontinued, and the services between Liverpool, Blackpool, Isle of Man, Belfast and Glasgow were transferred to Northern & Scottish Airways, a sister company. The ownership of DH.89s and Spartan Cruisers was progressively transferred to Northern & Scottish, and the Argosy was withdrawn from use at Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool).
On 7 February 1937, all services were transferred to Croydon Airport, after surfaces at Gatwick became water-logged due to heavy traffic on immature turf and drains that collapsed; some training operations remained there. In March 1937, the first four of seven Lockheed 10 Electras were delivered. On 12 August 1937, Scottish Airways Ltd was formed to merge the operations of Northern & Scottish Airlines with Highland Airways Ltd, and British Airways Ltd held a 50% stake. On 29 May 1938, most aircraft and services were transferred from Croydon to Heston, due to congestion and unpredictable fog, but night mail operations continued from Croydon. On 3 September 1938, the first of nine Lockheed 14s was delivered.
During 1939, new services were operated to Berlin, Frankfurt, Budapest, Warsaw and Lisbon.
Fleet
British Airways Ltd operated the following aircraft:
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ British Airways Ltd fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|Airspeed AS.40 Oxford I
|1
|1938
|1939
|
|-
|Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
|1
|1935
|1936
|
|-
|de Havilland DH.60 Moth
|2
|1935
|1936
|
|-
|de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth
|2
|1935
|
|
|-
|de Havilland DH.84 Dragon
|2
|1935
|
|
|-
|de Havilland DH.86 Express
|11
|1935
|1938
|
|-
|de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
|13
|1935
|
|
|-
|Fokker F.VIII
|2
|1936
|1939
|
|-
|Fokker F.XII
|6
|1936
|1939
|
|-
|Junkers Ju 52
|3
|1937
|1939
|
|-
|Lockheed Model 10 Electra
|7
|1936
|1939
|
|-
|Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior
|3
|1938
|1939
|
|-
|Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra
|9
|1938
|1939
|
|-
|Spartan Three Seater
|1
|1935
|
|
|-
|Spartan Cruiser
|8
|1935
|1936
|
|-
|}
Accidents and incidents
- On 16 May 1936, a Spartan Cruiser (G-ACYL) crashed on landing at Hall Caine Airport, Ramsey, Isle of Man. The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Glasgow (Renfrew) Airport. Despite the loss of a wing in the accident, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
See also
- Aviation in the United Kingdom
- History of British Airways
- List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom
Notes
- Doyle, Neville. 2001. The Triple Alliance: The Predecessors of the first British Airways. Air-Britain.
- Moss, Peter W. 1962. Impressments Log (Vol I-IV). Air-Britain.
- Moss, Peter W. October 1974. British Airways. Aeroplane Monthly.
- Sherwood, Tim. 1999. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911–1946. Heritage Publications (Hounslow Library)
References
External links
- Photo of Spartan Cruisers of British Airways Ltd at Hall Caine Aerodrome IoM, 1936
- Photo of Dragon Rapide (G-ADAG) of Hillmans Airways
- Photo of De Havilland Dragon (G-ADCT) 'Orcadian' of Highland Airways
- Photo of Lockheed 10A (G-AEPR) at Heston, 15 September 1938
- Polish National Archives photo of Lockheed 14 (G-AFGN) with Chamberlain at Heston, 24 September 1938
- Polish National Archives photo of Lockheed 14 with pilot Giles Guthrie
- Polish national Archives photo of Lockheed 14 (G-AFKE) at Warsaw, 1939