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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0509.PDF
FLIGHT, 18 April 1958 525 This "Flight" compilation forms a comprehensive guide to the air transport operators of scheduled and unscheduled, international and domestic, passenger and freight services throughout the world. The British Corporations and independent operators are listed below and a separate section, starting on page 528, deals with overseas carriers. On pages 552 to 554 are presented tables of operating results of all scheduled carriers. WORLD AIRLINE DIRECTORY The British Carriers British European Airways Corporation. This has been a busyyear for B.E.A., from the viewpoint both of new orders and new routes. From the "handful of jets" that the Corporation intendedto buy (the contract for six Comet 4Bs was signed on March 28) to meet jet competition in Europe, the policy swung towards amuch more comprehensive jet re-equipment programme. Offered a dhoice of two short-haul jets by the British industry, B.E.A.remained constant in their favour of de Havilland as jet-transport suppliers and—subject to final approval—a £30m order is to besigned for 24 D.H.121s with an option on a further 12. Delivery will be in 1964, by which time the Corporation's 20 Vanguardswill be in full service. B.E.A. has retained its full fleet of DC-3 Pionairs and Leopards, but the Elizabethan fleet will be retiredduring the summer (except for two aircraft that will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Tynes for development flying preparatory todelivery of the first Vanguard). In the past few months B.E.A. have made big strides towardsopening services with east European countries. Reciprocal ser- vices between London and Warsaw with LOT started on April 8and an interchange of visits with a Russian civil aviation delega- tion resulted in the signing of an agreement in Moscow onFebruary 26 for the joint inauguration later this year of London - Moscow services by B.E.A. and Aeroflot. During theyear B.E.A. acquired a one-third interest in Cambrian Airways and a 25 per cent interest in Jersey Airlines, and in January tookover Cyprus Airways' routes on a charter basis. Financially, 1957-58 may well be the Corporation's best year.A record net profit of £1.2m was achieved m the calendar year 1957 and, despite the largest month's deficit ever in January,B.E.A. are confident of making their biggest annual profit yet. Board members of B.E.A. are : Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, chairman;Sir John Keeling, deputy chairman; Anthony H. Milward, chief execu- tive; Lord Balfour of Inchrye; S. Kenneth Davies, chairman, WelshAdvisory Council; Sir Patrick Dollan, chairman, Scottish Advisory Council; W. A. Edmenson, chairman, Northern Ireland AdvisoryCouncil; Sir Arnold Overton; M. A. C. Ping. Executive management: C. A. Herring, personnel director; Capt.J. W. G. James, flight operations director; P. C. F. Lawton, commercial and sales director; H. E. Marking, secretary; B. S. Shenstone, chiefengineer; R. L. Weir, financial controller; E. P. Whitfield, traffic director; W. Simpson, chief public relations officer; Dr. A. BuchananBarbour, director of medical services. Fleet: 46 Pionair/Leopard DC-3, 14 Elizabethan As.57, 25 Viscount701, 22 Viscount 802, 12 Viscount 806. On order: six Viscount 806, six Comet 4B, 20 Vanguard. British Overseas Airways Corporation. At the start of thefinancial year 1957-58, two new aircraft types, the DC-7C and the Britannia 102, were operating respectively on the Corpora-tion's transatlantic routes and on those to South Africa and Australia. Britannia operations suffered various setbacks inthe early months and delays to services provoked some sharp criticisms, although the popularity of the type was little affected.But by the end of the year the 102 fleet had settled down and was achieving an average daily utilization of eight hours. The first long-range Britannia was delivered to B.O.A.C. in Novemberand (after a brief tussle with El Al for the honours) the first scheduled turboprop service across the North Atlantic wasoperated by the British airline on December 19, 1957. As the Britannia is the first British aircraft of any kind to operatescheduled services across the North Atlantic the occasion was a high-spot in B.O.A.C.'s year. Last September, after the deliveryof two Comet 2Es, the airline began a period of intensive flying to accumulate RA.29 engine hours, operating almost daily betweenLondon and Beirut. By the beginning of this month the two Comets had flown over 2,900 hours. The first Comet 4s are toenter service on the Empire routes next spring, but B.O.A.C. are considering the possibilities of operating them across theNorth Atlantic in competition with PanAm's Boeing 707s. In May of last year the Corporation announced its intentionof buying a fleet of Vickers VC.10 medium jets to replace its Comets and supplement its Boeing 707s. When the contractfor 35 aircraft (and an option on a further 20) was signed on January 14 it proved, at £60 million, to be the biggest singlecivil order ever placed. The VC.lOs enter service in 1963. In spite of apparently making a profit on its Britannia opera-tions, the Corporation expects a loss on the results of the year 1957-58. This may be as high as £2 million; Sir Gerard d'Erlangersaid recently that his earlier forecast of a heavy loss "had proved only too true." The Corporation's route network remains largely unchangedbut an application has been filed with the A.T.A.C. for permission to operate between London and Paris.Board members of B.O.A.C. are: Sir Gerard d'Erlanger, chairman; Sir George Cribbett, deputy chairman; Basil Smallpeice, managingdirector; Major J. R. McCrindle, adviser international affairs; J. W. Booth; Sir Francis Brake; H. L. Newlands; Lord Rennell; Sir JohnStephenson; Lord Tweedsmuir. Executive management: Keith Granville, deputy managing director;K. H. Staple, secretary and legal adviser; C. Abell, chief engineer; K. W. Bevan, financial comptroller; G. H. C. Lee, general manager, westernroutes; J. R. Stainton, general manager, eastern routes; Derek H. Glover, general manager, southern routes; H. C. Spear, chief personnel officer;Capt. J. N. Weir, chief of flight operations; F. C. Gillman, chief Press and information officer; Dr. K. G. Bergin, chief medical officer; SirDuncan Cumming, managing director of B.O.A.C. Associated Companies, Ltd.Fleet: 17 Argonaut, 15 Britannia 102, 10 DC-7C, five Lockheed 749A Constellation, 16 Stratocruiser, four Britannia 312. On order:14 Britannia 312, 19 Comet 4, 15 Boeing 707, 35 Vickers VC.10. INDEPENDENT OPERATORS Air Charter, Ltd., was founded in 1947. Scheduled services nowconsist of the Channel Air Bridge from Southend and coach-air services from London to Calais, Ostend and Rotterdam. The company alsoconducts trooping flights to Cyprus, and widespread charter operations from its bases at Southend and Stansted. Associated companies areAviation Traders, Ltd., and Aviation Traders (Engineering) Ltd. Air- work, Ltd. recently acquired a large share in the capital of these com-panies. Head Office: 21 Wigmore Street, London, W.I. Executives: F. A.Laker, managing director; E. N. Jennings, operations manager; G. W. Forster, commercial manager; D. A. Whybrow, manager Channel AirBridge. Fleet: six York, three Bristol 170 Mk. 31, six Bristol 170 Mk. 32, three DC-4.
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