09:45 10 February 2006Light aircraft Airport People moves Routes opening Airports Corporate Finance Start up Airline Environment
<P><BR><IMG height=133 alt="Sir Freddie Laker 1924-2006 W200" src="../assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=11409" width=200 align=left>Sir Freddie Laker, who died in Miami yesterday aged 83, is remembered by the aviation community throughout the world for his entrepreneurial acumen, his flamboyant charm, but most of all for being the “people’s champion”. <BR><BR>He took on the incumbent flag-carriers across the Atlantic, and although he ultimately failed, for a time he made cheap air travel available to many and sowed the seeds for today’s low-fare revolution. Born on 6 August 1922 in Kent, Frederick Alfred Laker began his career with Short Brothers at Rochester in 1938 and aviation remained his first love throughout his life. He became a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary team during World War II and made his fortune supplying cargo aircraft for use in the Berlin airlift in 1948. <BR><BR>Sir Freddie considered that period as “the best piece of luck I’ve ever had”. But luck was only part of