Aimed at the executive market, Business Flyers Basel, Ltd. is formed as an air taxi service on February 14, 1975 by Swissair, A. G. DC-9 pilot Moritz Suter. Employing a Cessna Citation executive jet, flights are initiated from both Basel and Zurich to destinations throughout Western Europe. Suter’s company is renamed Crossair, Ltd. on November 14, 1978 in preparation for the start-up of scheduled operations.
BUSINESS JETSHARES, LTD.: 8631 Lemmon Ave., Hangar J, Dallas, Texas 75209, United States; Phone (214) 357-7477; Fax (214) 352-3066; Year Founded 1992. This concern is set up as an FBO at Dallas in 1992. It also undertakes executive and small group passenger charters. By 2000, BJ employs seven pilots and stations aircraft at three different locations.
Four Grumman G-1159A Gulfstream Ills are flown from Dallas (DAL) along with 2 British Aerospace BAe (HS) 125-800 Hawkers and 2 BAe (HS) 125-700 Hawkers. A BAe (HS) 125-600 Hawker is based at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport in Florida and 1 Canadair 604 Challenger is flown from Salt Lake City.
BUSOL AIRLINE: 46 Leiptzgskaja Street, Kiev, 252015, Ukraine; Phone 380 (44) 290 4391; Fax 380 (44) 290 4278; Code BUA; Year Founded 1992. Busol is established at Kiev in 1992 to provide all-cargo charters around the CIS and throughout Europe. Grigory Bododisty is president and his fleet includes 1 Antonov An-26 and 6 Ilyushin Il-76MDs.
It is understood that flights continue without change during the remainder of the decade; exact information is, however, unavailable.
BUSY BEE AIR SERVICES, A. S.: Norway (1966-1980). Oslo-based Busy Bee Air Services, A. S., the charter subsidiary of Braathens SAFE, A. S., is formed in 1966 and reorganized in 1972, receiving the upgraded title of Air Executive Norway-Busy Bee, A. S. Managing Director Hans A. Grotterad employs a small workforce of 30-35 and operates a fleet of 3 Fokker F.27-100s and 3 Shorts 330s.
A fourth F.27-100 arrives in 1976, followed by 3 more in 1977-1979. Flights around northern Europe as well as contract service flights for the Norwegian Armed Forces are continued until 1980. In early spring the carrier is renamed Busy Bee of Norway, A. S. and begins a concentration on military charters.
BUSY BEE OF NORWAY, A. S.: Norway (1980-1993). Reformed in early spring 1980, Busy Bee continues to provide inclusive tour and executive charter flights and to provide contract service to the Norwegian government, especially military charter. The fleet now includes 8 Fokker F.27s and 3 Shorts 330s. In addition, it now begins to undertake regularly scheduled replacement flights for both Braathens SAFE, A. S. and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System). Customer bookings for the year are 214,630.
In 1981, the 125-employee company possesses a fleet of 8 Fokker F.27s, to which is added 1 Braathens SAFE, A. S. B-737-205A under lease. Enplanements this year total 254,000, a 15.5% boost. They will rise to 374,000 in 1982 and 435,000 in 1983.
Additional replacement flights are added in 1984-1985, as Managing Director Hans A. Gretterud’s company also becomes a subcarrier for Netherlines, B. V. and Wideroe Norskair, A. S. The workforce in the latter year totals 168 and enplanements are 630,000. Revenues reach $3.18 million. Busy Bee celebrates its twentieth anniversary late in the year.
In 1986-1987, 4 F.27-200s, leased by Braathens SAFE, A. S. for its
Subsidiary, join the fleet’s 7 F.27-100s and 1 F.27-300.
Airline employment grows by 13.3% in 1988 to 340. The F.27-300 is now replaced by 4 new Fokker 50s. On May 6, an F.27-100 with 36 aboard crashes near the coast; there are no survivors. Passenger boardings jump 24.4% over the previous year to 1,600,000.
A fifth Fokker 50 is added in February 1989. Einer Fjeldstad becomes managing director in 1991 and 1 F.27-100 is withdrawn. The fleet now includes 11 Friendships and 5 Fokker 50s.
Operations continue apace in 1990. The workforce stands at 150 in 1991. Per G. Braathens remains chairman while Managing Director Fjeldstad’s fleet now includes 5 Fokker 50s and 4 Fokker F.27-200s. Operations continue apace for the 175-employee airline in 1992. A significant government contract is lost at year’s end and this reversal so significantly impact’s Busy Bee’s finances that it is forced to declare bankruptcy and close.
In January-February 1993, Managing Director Fjeldstad is able to acquire financial backing from Chemical Bank. His airline is restructured and renamed Norwegian Air Shuttle, A. S.
BUTLER AIR TRANSPORT (PTY.), LTD.: Australia (19341959). C. Arthur Butler wins a contract in April 1934 for a mail route from Charleville to the Cootamundra rail junction to be flown under subsidy as part of the overall England-Australia airmail system. To undertake his service, Butler forms Butler Air Transport, Ltd., equipping it with a de Havilland DH 84 Dragon. On December 10 and again on December 21, Butler participates in his portion of the opening of the England-Australia route, picking up the mail at the QANTAS Charleville field and handing it off at Cootamundra.
The route is continued with little change in 1935-1937.
On August 4, 1938, Sydney replaces Cootamundra as the terminus on Butler’s mail route. On November 11, 1940, the carrier takes over the Sydney-Bega via Moruya route, a daily service previously flown between the New South Wales coastal towns by Adastra Airways (Pty.), Ltd. This service continues in 1941-1946.
On April 1, 1947, the company purchases 93% majority control in Queensland Airlines (Pty.), Ltd., which is allowed to continue operations under its own identity.
While on a June 3 training mission, a DC-3 with two crew fails its takeoff from Schofield; although the aircraft must be written off, there are no fatalities.
New destinations and frequencies are introduced on the New South Wales network in 1948. Routes and schedules are further integrated in April 1949 when New England Airways (Pty.), Ltd. is acquired and merged, its Avro Ansons being passed on to Queensland Airlines (Pty.), Ltd.
The first DH 114 Heron arrives in late fall 1952; christened War-rawee, it is placed in service in November. Orders are placed for Vickers Viscount 747s in 1953. Service continues in 1954.
The first Viscount 747 is delivered on September 27, 1955; christened Warral, it is placed on the New South Wales routes in October. Butler is the ninth operator in the world to operate the British turboprop.
While climbing away from Bourke on December 15, a DC-3 with 3 crew and 10 passengers suffers an engine failure, but is able to make a successful emergency landing; although the plane is destroyed, there are no fatalities.
Another Viscount 747 joins the fleet in 1956.
During late spring of 1957, 3 Airspeed Ambassadors are purchased from British European Airways Corporation (BEA); they are placed into service on August 5. Ansett Transport Industries buys the Butler subsidiary Queensland Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. on October 4. There follows a period of protracted, unhappy negotiations between Butler officials and those of Ansett-ANA, Ltd.; on February 5, 1958, Butler is purchased by the larger carrier.
Butler is allowed to retain its own name during a period of integration that ends on December 17, 1959 when the Ansett subsidiary is named Airlines of New South Wales (Pty.), Ltd.
BUTLER AIRLINES (PTY.), LTD.: Australia (1977-1982). Butler Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. is formed at Brisbane in 1977 to offer charter services to various small destinations in Queensland. At the same time, twice-daily scheduled service is offered from Brisbane to North Strad-broke Island. The carrier’s fleet grows to include 1 Mitsubishi MU-2B, 1 Beech B-58 Baron, 1 Cessna 206, and 1 Hughes 269.
Unable to absorb the losses caused by the higher fuel prices of the early 1980s, the company stops flying in 1982.
BUTLER AVIATION: United States (1979-1980). Butler Aviation begins flying San Francisco-Eureka Cessna services in the summer of 1979 employing a de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102. The turboprop, with 2 crew and 10 passengers, strikes trees on the crest of Surveyor Mountain at Klamath Falls, Oregon, on September 14 and crashes; there are no survivors.
Unable to recover and refinance, the carrier closes down at the start of 1980.
BUZZ: Endeavour House, Stansted Airport, Essex, England, CM24 1RS, United Kingdom; Phone 44 (0870) 240 7070; http:// Www. buzzaway. com; Year Founded 1999. This new entrant is formed by KLM uk, Ltd. in the fall of 1999 to offer low-cost service from London (STN) to various European destinations employing the former Air UK, Ltd.’s fleet of 8 BAe 146s painted in yellow, purple, and lime green livery. BUZZ will fit into KLM uk’s plans to reorganize its scheduled services into a concentrated focus on feeder services to and from Amsterdam. KLM uk CEO Floris van Pallandr commits ?10 million ($16.1 million) to start-up costs and promises that the airline will break even by the end of 2001.
The company’s booking phones are opened on October 31 and take
3,000 calls on the first day. By December 3, ?1 million in advance booking sales have been completed.
During December, the company polishes its plans to make both ticketless travel and pay-as-you-go passenger services available on the ground and in the air.
Revenue flights commence on January 4, 2000 with Done Deal restricted and flexible Open Deal fares on roundtrips between Stansted Airport and Berlin, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Milan, Paris and Lyon.
To take advantage of the summer tourist trade, Buzz, on March 26, introduces holiday flights from London (STN) to Montpellier and Toulouse, as well as Jerez, in southern Spain. These flights will cease on September 28. Employing a pair of B-737-3L9s purchased from Deutsche BA Luftfahrtgesselschaft, GmbH., Buzz simultaneously opens more permanent routes from London (STN) to Helsinki, Hamburg, and Bordeaux. Introduction of its “Baby Boeings” allows Buzz to become the only European low-cost airline offering food service both on the ground and in-flight.
Frequencies are initiated on March 27 from London (STN) to Bordeaux, Marseilles, Hamburg, and Helsinki. Simultaneously, KLM uk, Ltd. withdraws from its last two domestic British routes, Stansted to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The thrice-daily London (STN) to Hamburg route is suspended on October 28 and the next day the aircraft that had been employed for that service is used to boost capacity for parent KLM uk, Ltd.’s London (STN) to Amsterdam service.
BWIA WEST INDIES AIRWAYS, LTD.: Administration Building, Golden Grove Road, Piarco International Airport, P. O. Box 604, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Phone (809) 669-3000; Fax (809) 669-1865; Http://www. bwee. com; Code BW; Year Founded 1999. In honor of the new millennium, British West Indies Airways, Ltd. (2) (BWIA) is renamed on December 2, 1999. In a special ceremony at Port of Spain, the company’s new “steel pan” livery is unveiled on an L-1011-500 TriStar.
The first of 6 leased ILFC Next Generation B-737-8Q8s arrives at Trinidad from Seattle on January 8, allowing the company to become the first operator of the type in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. The new aircraft, incidentally, has brought 5,000 pounds of donated medical supplies, which will be transshipped to flood-ravaged Venezuela.
A tentative agreement is reached with Helen Air, Ltd. on February 7 under which the St. Lucia-based commuter will operate as a BeeWee Express carrier. Twice-weekly B-737-8Q8 return flights are launched on February 10 from Bridgetown, Barbados, to Boston, with continuing service to Port of Spain, Trinidad.
With its license due to expire on March 8, BWIA is recertified by the government on February 26 to operate BeeWee Express air bridge services between Trinidad and Tobago. For the next four months, it will be permitted to add another daily roundtrip to the two currently its regional affiliate already operates.
The second Next Generation B-737-8Q8 enters service in March. Frequencies throughout the Caribbean are consequently increased and enhanced, while new flights are started to Washington, D. C. (lAD).
To feed its increasing number of international services, the carrier, in April, begins to operate on the “hub-and-spoke” system, employing two newly established major hubs at Trinidad and Barbados. On April 14, BWIA becomes the first Caribbean-based airline to receive regulatory permission for ETOPS operations. The new B-737-8Q8s will be the first to enjoy the designation, which will be employed to cut 20 min. off the Trinidad-New York (JFK) run.
A new daily nonstop roundtrip is inaugurated on May 24 between Trinidad and Jamaica; the three earlier one-stops are also maintained.
In honor of 60 years of flying, BWIA now applies special decals to all its aircraft.
A code-sharing agreement is signed with United Airlines on July 25, with an immediate linkage of frequent flyer programs. Dual designator flights with United commence on September 1 on routes from Washington, D. C. (IAD) and New York (JFK) to Trinidad, from Miami to Antigua, Barbados, and Port of Spain, and on connecting flights to Tobago.
The introduction by BWIA of thrice-weekly services from Trinidad to Montego Bay causes Air Jamaica, Ltd. to terminate its recently resumed daily frequency on that route as of October 22.
The collapse of Air Caribbean, Ltd. on October 23 leaves BWIA as the only carrier on the Trinidad and Tobago air bridge. Accordingly, it steps in and increases the number of its daily frequencies to eight, with three being operated by MD-83s or B-737-8Q8s. Although it honors true “hardship” cases, the airline does not, in general, honor the tickets of most passengers who had booked with Air Caribbean. Chairman Ale-ong, commenting upon his competitor’s receivership, indicates that he may hire a few of its employees, but has no interest in purchasing any of the AC fleet.
In the wake of the Air Caribbean failure, Caribbean Star, Ltd. on October 27 applies to the Air Transport Licensing Authority to operate a service on the Trinidad and Tobago air bridge. After an objection by BWIA, ATLA Chairman Ramsaran Bissessar announces that law and international treaties exclude the Antigua-based carrier’s bid.
World History
