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Laker Airways
Laker Airways was a private British airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966. It was originally a charter airline flying passengers and cargo worldwide. Its head office was located at Gatwick Airport in Crawley, England.
It became the second long-haul, low-cost, "no frills" airline in 1977, operating low-fare scheduled services between London Gatwick Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport (after pioneering Icelandic low-cost carrier Loftleiðir). In the early 1980s, the company went into bankruptcy during the recession, operating its last flight on 5 February 1982.
Freddie Laker announced the creation of Laker Airways in February 1966. The airline commenced commercial operations from its Gatwick Airport base on 29 July 1966 with two former British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Bristol Britannia 102 series turboprops, initially operating under contract to Air France. The aircraft's livery was a combination of black, red and white – an adaptation of Laker's racing colours. The Britannias were supplemented and eventually replaced by five BAC One-Eleven 300 short-haul jet aircraft from December 1967. This included an initial 1966 order with the manufacturer for three aircraft valued at £4 million.
Laker spent more than £200,000 of his own money on the newly-ordered aircraft's deposits, with a consortium of City banks led by Clydesdale Bank funding the remainder. He placed a follow-up order for a fourth aircraft to be delivered in 1968 and acquired a former-British Eagle aircraft from Bahamas Airways in 1971. These airline's short- and medium-haul charter operations to holiday resorts in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands were primarily operated with these aircraft.
Laker Airways offered 30% discounts to tour operators to charter the airline's aircraft during the winter, when demand was lower, and implemented other promotions to incentivise longer-term use of the aircraft by tour operators. This ensured that the fleet was in use for almost the entire year.
August 1968 saw the establishment of its first overseas base at Tegel Airport in what was then West Berlin. The company had up to three BAC One-Elevens stationed there until 1981, when these aircraft were replaced with one of its three newly acquired Airbus A300 B4 series wide-bodies, at the time the largest aircraft operated out of any Berlin airport.
Its Berlin operation was staffed by ninety, mainly local, workers. Throughout this period, it carried thousands of holidaymakers from the Western parts of the then divided German capital to resorts in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
In 1972, Laker Airways co-founded Gatwick Handling, a Gatwick handling agent that has become part of the Aviance group, with Dan-Air. Each airline owned 50% of Gatwick Handling at its inception.
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Laker Airways
Laker Airways was a private British airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966. It was originally a charter airline flying passengers and cargo worldwide. Its head office was located at Gatwick Airport in Crawley, England.
It became the second long-haul, low-cost, "no frills" airline in 1977, operating low-fare scheduled services between London Gatwick Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport (after pioneering Icelandic low-cost carrier Loftleiðir). In the early 1980s, the company went into bankruptcy during the recession, operating its last flight on 5 February 1982.
Freddie Laker announced the creation of Laker Airways in February 1966. The airline commenced commercial operations from its Gatwick Airport base on 29 July 1966 with two former British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Bristol Britannia 102 series turboprops, initially operating under contract to Air France. The aircraft's livery was a combination of black, red and white – an adaptation of Laker's racing colours. The Britannias were supplemented and eventually replaced by five BAC One-Eleven 300 short-haul jet aircraft from December 1967. This included an initial 1966 order with the manufacturer for three aircraft valued at £4 million.
Laker spent more than £200,000 of his own money on the newly-ordered aircraft's deposits, with a consortium of City banks led by Clydesdale Bank funding the remainder. He placed a follow-up order for a fourth aircraft to be delivered in 1968 and acquired a former-British Eagle aircraft from Bahamas Airways in 1971. These airline's short- and medium-haul charter operations to holiday resorts in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands were primarily operated with these aircraft.
Laker Airways offered 30% discounts to tour operators to charter the airline's aircraft during the winter, when demand was lower, and implemented other promotions to incentivise longer-term use of the aircraft by tour operators. This ensured that the fleet was in use for almost the entire year.
August 1968 saw the establishment of its first overseas base at Tegel Airport in what was then West Berlin. The company had up to three BAC One-Elevens stationed there until 1981, when these aircraft were replaced with one of its three newly acquired Airbus A300 B4 series wide-bodies, at the time the largest aircraft operated out of any Berlin airport.
Its Berlin operation was staffed by ninety, mainly local, workers. Throughout this period, it carried thousands of holidaymakers from the Western parts of the then divided German capital to resorts in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
In 1972, Laker Airways co-founded Gatwick Handling, a Gatwick handling agent that has become part of the Aviance group, with Dan-Air. Each airline owned 50% of Gatwick Handling at its inception.