HUMBER AIRWAYS, LTD.: United Kingdom (1968-1975). Formed as an executive air taxi operator in 1968, Humber begins Piper PA-23 Aztec flights from Hull, Lincoln, and Grimsby, often leasing additional aircraft from other small operations. The carrier is purchased by Eller-man Wilson Shipping Line, Ltd., in early 1969 and receives a substantial boost in capitalization. Christopher Treen is appointed managing director in September and a Britten-Norman BN-2 is evaluated in October and November, leading to the long-term lease of two Islanders, christened Apollo and Juno, in December. Treen is killed in an auto accident on December 13.
Following a hearing, the ATLB grants a license for a scheduled route from Hull to London (Leavesden), which is initiated on March 16, 1970. Only 57 passengers are carried during the first week; however, by May 27, the 1,000th is boarded. A second scheduled service, Chester to London (Leavesden) is launched in October and by November 23, bookings reach 3,500. Meanwhile, company Piper PA-23 Aztecs continue to provide nonscheduled charters, being joined by the Islanders during the winter.
Having proven financially unsuccessful, the company’s scheduled services are suspended in August 1971. While the PA-23s continue air taxi flights, primarily between Hull and London (LHR), the BN-2s are employed in charter work in support of the North Sea oil industry. They are also, occasionally, leased to other small carriers.
The four Douglas DC-3s of the Macedonian Aviation, Ltd. are purchased in December 1974 in anticipation of additional oil industry charter contracts. When the contracts do not materialize out of on-going negotiations, the company is forced to cease operations on January 13, 1975; the DC-3 purchase is voided, the Islanders are returned their manufacturer, and the Aztecs are sold.
HUMMINGBIRD AIRWAYS, LTD.: Maldives (1997-1998). Hummingbird Helicopters, Ltd. is renamed in the spring of 1997 to reflect its new operating equipment, 2 float-equipped de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters. These, together with the 4 Mil Mi-8 helicopters already on hand, continue to operate scheduled service from the capital of Male to the nation’s 74 ocean-atoll resorts.
In October, the company’s ownership forms another subsidiary, SunEx-press Airlines Maldives, Ltd. to take over fixed-wing operations, leaving HA to return to helicopter charters. Shareholding is divided between UB Group (60%), Air Beach Resorts (30%), and Kit Chambers (10%).
HA chief pilot Capt. Garth Duncan is named flight operations manager. The two Twin Otters, along with an Mi-8, are wet-leased to his start-up, along with a Yakovlev Yak-40 chartered from Russia. Revenue flights from Male to the outer islands of the Maldives commence in March 1998.
When Kit Chambers departs the company in October 1998, UB Group and Air Beach Resorts purchase his equity and rename the company Hummingbird Island Airways, Ltd.
World History
