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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0503.PDF
', FLIGHT International, 5 April 1962 501 AIR CO E R C E CUNARD EAGLE BOUNCES BACK WHEN Cunard Eagle's North Atlantic licence was refused last October, on appeal from BOAC, many people assumed that the parent Cunard shipping company's interests in air transport were in jeopardy. There was talk of a take-over of Cunard Steam-Ship, which lost heavily last year; and Cunard's chairman, Sir John Brocklebank, said that the company was "re-examining its invest ment in air transport." Mergers or no mergers, Cunard Eagle's purchase of two Boeing 707s for the North Atlantic route certainly appeared to be in jeopardy and, in fact, the company was a few months ago trying to dispose of the aircraft to other airlines—even, it is believed, to BOAC. Now Cunard Eagle announces that it is "proud to become the first private British operator to introduce jet aircraft into service." As reported last week, Cunard Eagle's first aircraft, delivered on February 27, is now in ad hoc service between New York and Bermuda, supplementing the Viscount schedules of Cunard Eagle Airways (Bermuda). On May 5 the 707 will take over from Britan- nias Cunard Eagle's mid-Atlantic route from London to the British colonies of Bermuda and Bahamas. These routes were Cunard Eagle's first break into international long-haul business, and have been in operation for about 18 months. The extension to Miami was successfully negotiated and opened just over a year ago (see "Cunard Eagle Western," Flight, Novem ber 2 and 30, 1961). Thus far these mid-Atlantic services have not been paying their way; first-class loads in particular have been disappointing. But the London - Miami potential is considerable; Cunard Eagle's service there from London is the only one (BOAC do not operate to Miami, except via Nassau by Bahamas Airways). New York is the big-jet gateway for Americans travelling to Europe, and many passengers from the southern states or from Central and South America wanting to go to London fly via New York rather than Miami by the slower Britannia. Because the 707 is a jet, it could well change via New York travelling habits, and attract new business to and from Miami. Services between London and Miami will be routed via Bermuda and the Bahamas; in London they will be advertised as "Cunarder Jet" services and in the western hemisphere as "Londoner" flights. Of particular importance is Cunard Eagle's successful negotia tion of traffic rights in Jamaica (Montego Bay). One of the three services a week from London will, for the first time, extend Cunard Eagle's mid-Atlantic route from Nassau down to Jamaica. The other two services a week will terminate in Miami. Cunard Eagle's jets will provide competition for BOAC, whose traffic from London to Jamaica is routed via New York, and whose direct flights to Bermuda and Nassau are operated by Britannias. The new jet services between London and Bermuda will, like the present Britannia services, be operated in the name of Cunard Eagle's Bermuda associate. Significant, perhaps, is the news that this company has withdrawn (as from March 28) its membership of IATA. In theory Cunard Eagle is free to fix its own jet prices on the Bermuda - London and Bermuda - New York routes. Obviously, these new Cunard Eagle services will not provide sufficient work for two 707s, the second of which is due to be delivered in the middle of June. The company must thus be seek ing other openings for their expensive new jets, which will have to be utilized for at least 2,500hr each a year and which at one stroke almost double the productivity of Cunard Eagle's long-haul propeller fleet of two Britannias and four DC-6s. It would not be surprising if Cunard Eagle having clearly convinced their Cunard parent of the wisdom of throwing more good money after a good air transport property, were now to re-apply for their North Atlantic licence. COMPUTERS COMPILE THE ABC THIS month's issue of ABC World Airways Guide, the Thomas Skinner publication which is used all over the world as the standard airline timetable, incorporates an additional area in its quick-refer ence section—the Middle East. Since last November the ABC has had a quick-reference section for the European area, distin- March 27 was the day on which a British independent airline first carried passengers in a jet aircraft. The company was Cunard Eagle, the aircraft was the first of two Boeing 707'-420s, and the route was Bermuda - New York. May 5 is the day set by the airline for the first "Cunarder Jet" scheduled timetable services, as related in a note on this page
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