Mike Keegan, who has sadly passed away, will be remembered as one of the outstanding characters of British commercial aviation. After cutting his aviation teeth as an apprentice on the Vickers Armstrong Wellington assembly line in Chester, Keegan saw war service in Avro Lancasters before joining Skyways, then Britain's largest airline.
Later teaming with Barnby and Stevens to form BKS Air Transport and Engineering, he went on to eventually own Transmeridian Air Cargo which grew to become Europe's largest all-cargo airline. Under Keegan's leadership "T-MAC" expanded to operate 14 CL-44s, two DC-8s and the unique CL44-0 Guppy. He later owned and revitalised Southend-based British Air Ferries, which at one time operated a fleet of up to 25 Vickers Viscounts and Handley Page Heralds on routes around Europe.
Keegan will be commemorated at a memorial service in the Farm Street Catholic Church, Mayfair, London, on 6 June at 2.30pm. For further details contact Kevin Keegan on: +44 77190 77823 or kevin_hanneke@hotmail.com.
Source: Flight International
