WEST AIR SWEDEN, A. B.: Box 82, Karlstad, S-65103, Sweden; Phone 46 (54) 180 010; Fax 46 (54) 184 410; Http://www. westair. se; Code PT; Year Founded 1993. Time Air Sweden, A. B. is reformed in 1993 and given a new corporate identity, livery, and logo. Oskar Nilsson is president and his fleet includes a pair of Israel Aircraft Industry 1124 Westwinds. Scheduled passenger and ad hoc charter flights are undertaken from Karlstad to Avidsjaur, Storuman, and Arlanda Airport at Stockholm.
Two Boeing A75N1b Stearmen are acquired in 1994. Flights continue in 1995-1996, during which years the fleet is increased by the addition of five British Aerospace BAe (HS) 748-B2s. Scheduled services are initiated to Avidsjaur, Goteborg, Hagfors, Lidkoping, Ostersund, Storu-man, Stockholm (Arlanda Airport), Sundsvail, and Torsby.
In May, the company is reformed into an all-cargo operation. Flights are performed on behalf of the major air freight integrators, with special attention paid to next day air delivery of parcels and packages. Mail is also flown under contract to the Swedish Post Office and ad hoc freight services are offered throughout Europe.
Service is maintained in 1998-1999, during which years the fleet is reformed to include 5 BAe (HS) 748-2Bs, 5 748-2As, and 2 748-2Bs, the latter with large freight doors. Early in 2000, a jointly funded freighter conversion program is launched with BAe Systems Regional Aircraft. West Air purchases six ATPs formerly operated by United Feeder Service (UFS) in the U. S.; converted into freighters, the first three are delivered by the end of June, with the second three scheduled to arrive just after Christmas.
On June 25, it is reported that two of the three new ATPs are hauling mail, while the third remains in passenger configuration. Plans are underway between the carrier and British Aerospace for the development of a special ATP freighter door that can hopefully be retrofitted to these ATPs during 2001.
On July 24, the passenger-configured ATP appears with company Web site titles, “www. westair. se.”
WEST AUSTRALIAN AIRWAYS (PTY.), LTD.: Australia (1921-1936). With A?50,000 capital, Norman Brearly forms his pioneer carrier at Geraldton, a rail center north of Perth, in April 1921. In response to the Air Navigation Act of December 1920, Brearly now bids on one of four newly available subsidized airmail routes; his tender is accepted on August 2. A fleet of 6 three-seat Bristol Tourers (converted Bristol F.2B Fighters) is purchased in September and readied.
On December 4, Brearly begins the first subsidized mail service in Australian commercial air history (for that matter, the first regularly scheduled service not only in Australia but anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere) from Geraldton to Derby via Carnarvon, Onslow, Roe-bourne, Port Hedland, and Broome. During the course of the inaugural flight, a Tourer crashes on one of the segments, with both the pilot and engineer killed. Despite the tragedy, weekly flights begin the next day.
Frequencies and flight times along the route are improved during 1922-1923 and on January 17, 1924, the Derby leg is extended to Perth. An unsubsidized Derby-Wyndham via Fitzroy Crossing and Hall’s Creek route is briefly flown in 1925.
Several de Havilland DH 50As and DH 61s are acquired and placed in service in 1926-1928. Four DH-66 trimotors are obtained in 1929, allowing the inauguration on June 2 of a subsidized weekly Perth-Adelaide route via the Nullarbor Plain. Seasonal, weekly, subsidized Derby-Wyndham service is opened on July 13, 1930.
At the end of April 1931, Capt. R. Mollard and his crew attempt to complete the Karachi-Darwin segment of the first England to Australia experimental service. Mollard’s Imperial Airways, Ltd. DH-66 City of Cairo crashes at Koepang, Timor, and the entire crew is picked up by Australian National Airways, Ltd. co-owner Charles Kingsford-Smith and flown to Darwin. There, Mollard receives orders to go to Perth and purchase the WAA DH-66 City of Cape Town to employ on the return flight. Unable to reach his destination by rail, Mollard and his colleagues travel by ship, complete their transaction, and fly back to India. The first Australia to England mail sacks reach London by May 14.
On July 12, a Vickers Viastra flies the 1,450-mile Perth-Adelaide route in a record 22 hrs. 30 min. (11 air hours). While en route from Forrest to Alice Springs via the Great Victoria Desert on December 26, 1932, a DH 50A, flown by Harry Baker with two passengers, crashes-lands on a dry lakebed. Hastily repaired, the aircraft is able to lift one passenger back to Forrest the next day.
The second passenger is returned to Forrest without incident on January 5, 1933. Flights begin from Wyndham along the West Australia coast to Daly Waters on October 3, 1934. The spreading world depression has a significant negative impact on 1935 traffic figures. The fleet at this point includes 1 Vickers Viastra, 1 DH 89, 1 DH 84, and 3 DH 50As.
On July 1, 1936, the carrier is purchased by Adelaide Airways (Pty.), Ltd. just before that airline is absorbed into ANA (Australian National Airlines (Pty.), Ltd.).
WEST CARIBBEAN AIRWAYS, S. A.: San Andres Island, Colombia; Year Founded 1999. One of the least-noticed of the many small Caribbean area air transport concerns, West Caribbean is established at Aeropuerto Internacional General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, also known as Sesquicentenario, on the San Andres y Providencia archipelago in 1999. Scheduled roundtrip revenue flights from San Andres to Providencia begin with 1 (later 2) Let L-410UVP.
During the summer of 2000, orders are placed with a firm in Colombia for a used Avions de Transport Aerien ATR42-320 with which to expand the route network to the mainland. The aircraft, previously operated by TAROM Romanian Air Transport (Transporturile Aerienne Romane, S. A.) arrives at year’s end and is employed to offer daily return service from San Andres to Cartagena and Monteria.
WEST CENTRAL AIRLINES (1): United States (1966-1968). West Central is founded at Lincoln, Nebraska, in the fall of 1966 to offer scheduled third-level passenger and cargo flights to destinations in the central and western areas of Nebraska. De Havilland DH 104 Dove revenue flights commence on October 3 and are maintained until the company ceases operations in 1968.
World History
