Linie lotnicze - Wielka Brytania: książki - historia (1/2)

Pictures the growth of British civil air transport from its inception in 1910 through to the formation of Imperial Airways in 1934 and the beginnings of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

Robin Higham shows the impetus given to aircraft production by the First World War, and presents a careful account of the operational and financial fortunes of each of the four principal British airlines, which began operations shortly thereafter.
The fight against official apathy and lack of foresight on the part of the government, the campaign for subsidies and the struggle with foreign competition are interestingly presented.

The development of the chosen-instrument concept in Great Britain is interestingly covered and the use of subsidies in this connection justified in order to place civil aviation on a firm financial base for the establishment of a great British airline to serve the Empire.
The result was Imperial Airways, which soon found itself in the awkward position of being expected to be both a successful commercial company and the chosen instrument of imperial policy.

The final emergence of British Overseas Airways was the result, and its organisation marks the close of the period covered in this volume. Included in the book are comprehensive statistical appendices and a complete bibliography.

In post-war Britain, several small airlines were founded and equipped with surplus military aircraft, the most popular being the Douglas Dakota. The British airliners we see today in our airports are the result of numerous takeovers and mergers, involving large and small companies.
This book covers some of these airlines that have ceased operating since 1946: some collapsed because of financial difficulties, some were taken over by larger airlines, and some ceased operating altogether.

The book is a guide to each airline, accompanied by a brief historical account, and interesting images of the aircraft in their distinctive colour schemes.
The airlines covered are a selection of large and small aircraft, who flew international and regional routes, as well as airlines involved in inclusive tours business.

In the decades leading up to 1970s, passenger air transport was the preserve of the well-to-do who flew on airliners driven by propellers. Over the next few years all this was about to change. The passenger air transport industry underwent a great transformation with the introduction of many innovations that established the foundations for today.
The state airlines, BEA and BOAC, were merged to form British Airways in 1972. Throughout the decade they were far and away the most important operator of scheduled services in the country. To provide competition, however, the independent carrier British Caledonian was created.

The first Boeing 747 jumbo jet was delivered to BOAC in 1970. This widebody airliner enabled fares to be reduced and opened up air travel to many people who could not previously afford it.
Laker Airways pioneered the concept of the low cost airline. It was the only British independent airline to operate a wide-bodied jet in the form of the DC-10 until British Caledonian received two examples in 1977.
Most of the other British independent airlines had to make do with a motley collection of old airliners, many of them turboprops.
The charter and holiday market was the main market for a large number of these carriers. They were regular visitors to the main airports throughout Britain, particularly at weekends.

In this book, Malcolm Fife uses his excellent collection of colour photographs to illustrate the airliners in commercial use that could be seen at airports during the 1970s.