Britannia Airways

Britannia Airways was a British charter airline based in London and based on the London Luton Airport. Her successor was since 2005 Thomsonfly, today's Thomson Airways.

History

Founding and first years as Euravia

Britannia Airways was established on December 1, 1961 under the name Euravia. The home base of the company was the London Luton Airport. In spring 1962, the company received the first three Lockheed L -049 Constellation. The air traffic was opened on the route from Manchester to Palma de Mallorca on 5 May 1962 at the request of the travel provider Universal Sky Tours. With the takeover of the airline Skyways and the purchase of additional aircraft, the fleet increased to the summer season in 1963 to eight Lockheed Constellation.

Further development as Britannia Airways

On August 16, 1964, the company changed its name to Britannia Airways. On December 6, 1964, the Company received its first turboprop aircraft of the type Bristol Britannia and replaced with these successively older Constellations.

The airline was taken over by the tour operator Thomson Travel on 25 April 1965. As of July 7, 1968, the company sold a factory new jet aircraft of type Boeing 737-200, the Bristol Britannia ablösten gradually until the end of 1970.

From April 1971 to the spring of 1973 two Boeing 707 were operated on long-haul flights, mainly to Canada and the United States. Due to the bankruptcy of the charter airlines Court Line and Donaldson International Airways Britannia Airways is able to secure additional market share and continue to expand in 1974. By 1982, the fleet increased to 30 Boeing 737s

On February 18, 1984, put into service with the Boeing 767-200, the first widebody aircraft, its range allowed the initiation of long-haul flights to the Caribbean and Asia. In the same year the company carried for the first time more than 4,000,000 passengers. On 26 January 1989, the airline Orion Airways has been integrated into the company. In the spring of 1989, Britannia Airways was the route rights for flights to Australia, which were continued from 1992 to New Zealand. In German military airfields of RAF Germany Britannia machines were regular visitors to charter flights for the British Armed Forces. The last start on the basis of RAF Gütersloh was executed on 31 March 1993 of a Boeing 767 of Britannia.

In January 1991, the first Boeing 757 was delivered, with which one the smaller Boeing 737 replaced until the beginning of summer 1994. Starting in 1997, Britannia took charter flights from Germany to the Caribbean. Headquartered at the airport Berlin- Schönefeld subsidiary was but little success and put to flight operations in April 2001 again. In 1998, Britannia Airways took over the airline Blue Scandinavia and led under his own name by charter flights from Sweden. In the summer season 1999, the Company continued with four leased Airbus A320 aircraft for the first time a European manufacturer Airbus.

Development since 2000 as part of TUI

In 2000, the Thomson Travel Group was acquired by Preussag AG (since 2002 known as TUI) that was flying among others since 1997 owner of the German airline Hapag -Lloyd. From summer 2002, the aircraft of the TUI airlines have been painted in a uniform shade of blue.

In 2005, all airlines of the TUI Group received new names with the uniform extension " fly". Accordingly, on 1 November 2005 the company was renamed Britannia Airways Thomsonfly.

Destinations

Britannia Airways flew mainly to tourist destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North America.

Fleet

Britannia Airways continued in its history, following a pattern:

  • Airbus A320 -200
  • Boeing 707-300
  • Boeing 737-200
  • Boeing 737-800
  • Boeing 757-200
  • Boeing 767-200
  • Boeing 767-300
  • Bristol Type 175 Britannia
  • Lockheed L -049 Constellation
  • Lockheed L -749 Constellation
  • Former airline ( United Kingdom)
  • Former company (Luton )
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