GREAT WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AIR LINES, LTD.: United Kingdom (1938-1947). Great Western and Southern is formed on December 5, 1938 by the owners of Railway Air Services, Ltd. and Capt. Gordon Olley’s Channel Air Ferries, Ltd. John Elliott is named chairman and initial capitalization is ?100,000.
The new entrant purchases two RAS de Havilland DH 89A Dragon Rapides and a DH 84 Dragon and takes over certain of the southern routes of RAS as well as those of CAF, operating initially under the latter name. Among the more popular destinations from London are Deauville, Le Tou-quet; the Land’s End-Scilly Isles service is also acquired.
The Channel Air Ferries, Ltd. identity is abandoned on March 24, 1939. Daily Liverpool to Brighton via Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton, and Ryde flights begin on May 1. Four days later, company Dragon Rapides launch daily Bristol-Scilly service, via Exeter (on demand), Plymouth, and Land’s End. Cardiff-Brighton via Bristol, Bournemouth, and Ryde operations start on May 8. Twice-weekly flights to Luxembourg begin on May 16. On May 26, four new services from London (Croydon) are offered four times per day to Deauville and Le Touquet, to Le Touquet via Brighton, and from London (Heston) to London (Croydon) to Ryde.
War is declared on Germany on September 3 and all civil flying ceases. On September 25, the company receives government approval to restart Land’s End-Scilly flights.
Total passenger traffic since start-up to March 31, 1940 is announced as 12,898. On May 5, the carrier is one of seven independents joining together, under auspices of the Secretary of State for Air, to form the Associated Airways Joint Committee for the wartime governance of domestic air transport operations and services.
Between May 22-June 2, the company’s aircraft join those of other AAJC members in the evacuation of British Expeditionary Force troops from Dunkirk. On June 15, certain of the carrier’s planes are sent to France via Exeter for additional evacuation duties, being released on June 24.
Scilly-Land’s End mail flights are restarted in October. Bookings for the year total 3,252.
While operating a Scilly-Land’s End mail flight, a DH 84 Dragon with a pilot and five passengers disappears on June 3, 1941 and is presumed shot down by the Luftwaffe. The service is suspended until October 27 and on November 4, is shut down again. The year’s enplane-ments are only 1,375.
The ferry and mail flights are resumed in 1942, during which year boardings accelerate to 3,869.
Traffic figures for 1943 are not revealed, but enplanements for 1944 are 6,593.
The war in Europe ends on May 8, 1945 and, in July 1946, new routes are introduced from Cardiff to Weston-super-Mare and to Bristol. On August 1, the new British European Airways Corporation (BEA) is established. Bristol-Southampton flights commence on October 7. Passenger traffic for the final year soars to 12,306 passengers carried.
On February 1, 1947, British European Airways Corporation (BEA) acquires the aircraft, personnel, and services of all the former Associated Airways Joint Committee members, including Great Western and Southern thus end.
GREAT WESTERN AVIATION: United States (1990-1991). Rodney Skillman sets up GWA at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the fall of 1990 to provide scheduled daily passenger and cargo services to Rapid City. Fairchild Metro III roundtrips commence on October 30 and continue less than a year.
GREAT WESTERN AVIATION (PTY.), LTD.: Perth Flight Centre, Fautieroy Ave., Perth, Western Australia, 6105, Australia; Code GWA; Year Founded 1996. Great Western is established at Perth in 1996 to offer domestic passenger charters. Revenue flights begin with 1 each Beech 1900C and Beech King Air 100.
GREATER JAPAN AIR LINES COMPANY, LTD. See JAPAN AIR LINES COMPANY, LTD. (1) GREATER SOUTHWEST AVIATION: United States (1985). GSA is set up at Roswell, New Mexico, during the first week of January 1985 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo service to Santa Fe. Piper PA-31T Cheyenne flights commence on January 14, but cannot be maintained more than a few months.
GREEN BAY AIRLINES: United States (1978-1980). Terry Kunes purchases Green Bay Airways at Green Bay, Wisconsin, in January 1978 and continues its scheduled passenger flights to the state capital of Madison and other destinations under a changed corporate identity. Employing two Cessna 402s, the company inaugurates revenue schedules on February 20.
Operations continue until 1980, when the carrier is reformed and renamed Central States Airline.
GREEN BAY AIRWAYS: United States (1965-1978). GBA is established at Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the first quarter of 1965 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo flights to various intrastate locations. Employing Cessna lightplanes and Aero Commander 500Bs, the company inaugurates revenue services on March 2, linking its base with Sturgeon Bay, Ephram, and Gills Rock.
Operations continue apace over the next 13 years, with the route network expanded to take in Land O’Lakes, Antigo, Eagle River, and Madison. In January 1978, the company is sold to Terry Kunes and renamed Green Bay Airlines.
World History
