1963). On October 24, 1956, BCA (British Colonial Airways, Ltd.) is purchased by British West Indies Airways, Ltd. (2) (BWIA), becoming a wholly owned subsidiary. Equipped with two Cessna 180s and renamed British Honduras Airways, Ltd., the company begins nonsched-uled flights to 15 public and private airfields.
Douglas DC-3s join the fleet in 1957 and one of these, with 12 aboard, fails its takeoff on August 30 and crashes near Juticalpa.
Service is maintained until 1963, when the carrier is purchased by the Maya Corporation, Ltd. and merged into its subsidiary, Maya Airways, Ltd.
BRITISH INDEPENDENT AIRWAYS, LTD.: United Kingdom (1990-1991). British Independent is organized by former Pan American World Airways (1) executive Kenneth Hilton at Lydd’s Ashford Airport in Kent in 1990; Peter Elwell is named managing director. With a workforce of 30 and a fleet of 2 British Aerospace BAe (HS) 748-B2s, scheduled passenger services are inaugurated to Le Touquet and Beauvais.
Unable to secure economic viability, the carrier ceases operations on July 5, 1991. Prior to shutdown the company hauls a total of 24,429 passengers.
BRITISH INTERNATIONAL, LTD.: Buchan Road, Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB21 0BZ, United Kingdom; Phone 44 (0) 1224 771353; Fax 44 (0) 1224 771632, Year Founded 2000. Working with the Welsh Development Agency, the U. K. managers of British International Helicopters, Ltd. open negotiations with their parent organization, Canadian Helicopter Corporation (CHC), during the first quarter concerning a possible management-buyout. With the acquisition of Bond Helicopters, Ltd., now CHC Scotia, Ltd., BIH has become a redundant U. K. subsidiary for the giant North American concern.
A satisfactory arrangement is concluded on May 17 under which BIH, sold for $51 million, once again becomes the largest U. K.-owned helicopter operator. The Canadian corporation’s U. K. offshore activities will now center fully on CHC Scotia, Ltd.
Trading as British International, Ltd., the new company retains or acquires from CHC 6 Sikorsky S-61Ns, 2 Eurocopter AS-365N2 Dauphins, and 2 light helicopters. The scheduled passenger service to Penzance is maintained, as are operations for the Ministry of Defence in Plymouth, England, and the Falkland Islands. Light helicopter operations are also undertaken in Cardiff.
In June, executives note that planning has begun for the possible initiation of new scheduled helicopter flights between Cardiff and London. In early September, BIH officials announce that plans are now definitely afoot to expand onshore helicopter operations, probably into the area of rotary-wing feeder flights between London (LHR) and several regional airports, including Cardiff. The EH Industries EH 101 and Sikorsky S-92s are being considered for possible future scheduled services.
BRITISH INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS, LTD.: British West Indies (1947-1948). Having obtained control of this carrier from its original owner, TACA (Transportes Aereos Centro Americanos, S. A.), on October 1, 1947, British South American Airways Corporation combines British West Indies Airways, Ltd. (1) (BWIA) and British International Airways, Ltd., under the latter’s name, into a single airline.
Service is maintained over the previous routes and, in February 1948, a route is started to Kingston via Caracas; in March, flights begin to Curacao. On June 24, the company is reorganized once more and becomes British West Indies Airways, Ltd. (2) (BWIA).
World History
