Formed by British and Foreign Aviation, Ltd. on December 1, 1934; initial shareholding is ?1,000. Flight operations do not, however, commence until 1938 when a de Havilland DH 89A Dragon Rapide is acquired and employed to initiate scheduled service over a route from Liverpool to the Isle of Man via London (Croydon)/Belfast.
A de Havilland DH 90 Dragon Fly is added to the fleet in May 1939; however, after the carrier suspends operations on September 3 (following the declaration of war on Germany and the suspension of U. K. civil flying), it is sold in March 1940. A second available Dragon Rapide is purchased in November.
Following V-E Day in May 1945, the company resumes revenue service. On January 1, 1946 its original DH 89A is lost in a crash in County
Down. The company is purchased by Olley Air Services, Ltd. in December, but is allowed to continue operating under its previous identity.
Upon the activation of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) on February 1, 1947, ACL is one of several small independents whose scheduled routes are taken over by the new state carrier. Employing Olley aircraft, the carrier remains alive as a charter operation until 1950.
AIR COMMUTER, LTD.: United Kingdom (1969-1984). This small charter operator is formed at Coventry in late 1969. Equipped with a single de Havilland DH 104 Dove 1, AC begins an executive charter for Richard, Johnson and Nephew, Ltd. in January 1970. Late in the year, the company undertakes executive flights for Tyler Aviation from the latter’s base at Norwich. During the next two years, ad hoc charters are undertaken from Coventry to various destinations both within the U. K. and in northern France and Holland.
The company’s fleet is enhanced by delivery of a Piper PA-34 Seneca, in November 1973, which is employed to mount air taxi flights into the British Midlands. The Dove is sold during 1974.
Later in the decade, the company is granted a scheduled route from Coventry to Paris, which is flown daily with a purchased Hawker Sid-deley HS 748. In May 1984, the carrier is renamed Venture Airways, Ltd.; however, world economic conditions force the operator to cease flying late in the year.
AIR COMMUTER AIRLINES (1): United States (1967-1968). Established by Arthur King and F. Jerome Tone at Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport in late spring 1967, ACA-1 is equipped with a single de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100 Twin Otter and four Cessna 402s. These begin scheduled third-level flights on June 28 linking the company’s base with Columbus, Dayton, Findlay, and Lima. During the remainder of the year and into the next, three more Twin Otters join the fleet, allowing the number of flights to be increased to 200 per day.
Early in 1968, passenger flights begin across Lake Erie to Detroit (DET). Also, a scheduled night cargo service is inaugurated from Cleveland to Detroit, Columbus, Dayton, Findlay, Lima, and Youngstown. On March 4, the carrier is taken over by competing Wright Airlines.
World History
