Capitalized at ?20,000, Westminster Airways, Ltd. is founded by a group of members of Parliament and registered as an airline company on June 5, 1946. Air Commodore A. V. Harvey is named chairman/manag-ing director. Initial equipment consists of two Percival Proctors and one of these begins company revenue services on June 15 with the transport of a professional boxing team. An Airspeed AS.65 Consul is acquired in July along with an Avro 19, followed by three more Consuls in September and October.
During these months, various ad hoc charters are undertaken, including the transport of young Auschwitz concentration camp survivors to the U. K. During a long-haul trip to Rhodesia, the Avro is lost in a crash on October 31. Late in the fall, the company is transferred between London airports, from Heston to Kenley and Croydon. One of the Proctors is sold in November.
On behalf of Airwork, Ltd., company Consuls in January 1947 fly winter tourists to Sameden Airport, St. Moritz, becoming the first British commercial aircraft to land at that facility. In April, Westminster receives an Auster J/1 Autocrat and, more importantly, a Douglas C-47 converted to DC-3 civil standard. On April 23, four Consuls are leased to British European Airways Corporation (BEA) to operate the state carrier’s Helsinki service.
In June, Westminster aircraft return 540 people to the U. K. who had been stranded by a French rail strike, more than any other British airline. A second DC-3 is obtained in July and is operated on behalf of London Express Newspapers to carry newspapers from Leeds to London and from London to Glasgow. During October, both DC-3s are sent to India, under an Indian government contract, to fly refugees from India to Pakistan.
This airlift is concluded on December 5, by which time the Douglas transports have transported 4,500 passengers, including 69 by in a single sortie. In December, company business is transferred to Blackbushe Airport; three Consuls are sent on charters to South Africa while the remainder of the fleet flies holiday tourists to Switzerland.
A long-haul DC-3 charter to Cairo via Malta is made in January 1948, followed by another long flight to Nairobi and back in February. Company Consuls take over a British European Airways Corporation (BEA) scheduled route London (Croydon) to Cowes in July. During July and August, a DC-3 is chartered to the UN and sent to India and Pakistan.
On August 4, a Westminster DC-3 begins participation in the Berlin Airlift; both DC-3s are fully engaged by the end of October, flying supplies into the former German capital from Hamburg. On November 23, the two planes are withdrawn, having completed 228 sorties and flown in over 300 tons of supplies. They are sold during November and December. A Handley Page HP-70 Halton is purchased in November and on December 15 it is committed to the airlift.
The Halton is converted to tanker status and flies the company’s first fuel run into Berlin on January 1, 1949. Two more Haltons are obtained in February and March, together with an HP-61 Halifax 8 in April. After only 10 sorties, the Halton purchased in February crashes at Berlin on April 1.
Between them, the Haltons complete a total of 428 sorties by the time they return to Blackbushe from Germany in July. The post airlift depression in the charter business forces the carrier to stop flying at the end of the summer and to enter liquidation in November.
WESTOVER AIR: United States (1988-1989). A division of Long Island-based East Hampton Aire, Westover Air is established at Chicopee, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1988 to provide scheduled passenger services to New York (LGA). Daily Beech 99 and Beech 1900 roundtrips are inaugurated on September 26, but can only be sustained through January 5, 1990.
WESTPAC. See WESTERN PACIFIC AIRLINES
WESTWARD AIRWAYS, LTD.: United Kingdom (1969-1970).
Westward Airlines is set up at London (LGW) in the summer of 1969 to offer interairport shuttle service linking its base with London (LHR). It is anticipated that the service will be a success because there are no direct connections for the 25-mile trip.
Two newly acquired Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders launch the new service; plans to allow the new enterprise to land its little turboprops on a London (LHR) taxiway so as to avoid larger traffic are not approved.
In August, daily roundtrip flights are initiated from London (LGW) to St. Mary’s, Scilly Isles, via Plymouth and Newquay.
Flights continue in 1970 and during the summer a new stop begins at Bournemouth. Unable to generate either the traffic or profits required to maintain economic viability, the company shuts its doors in October.
WETRAFA AIRLIFT, S. A.: Airport Nidjili, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Phone 32 (59) 704 409; Fax 32 (59) 704 409; Code W8T; Year Founded 1994. Kinshasa-based Waltair, S. A. is renamed in 1994; however, the mission of providing regional and domestic charter services continues. Flights are operated with one each Aerospatiale Sud Est SE-210 Caravelle III and Boeing 727F.
Kalambayi M. Faustin is president in 1999 and oversees the work of 90 employees. Regional and domestic passenger and cargo services continue to be provided with two Caravelle III freighters, a B-727F, and a British Aerospace BAe 748-2A.
AirlinersOnline. com reports on December 28, 2000 that Wetrafa has acquired a Douglas DC-9-32. It will join the B-727-25F.
WHEELER AIRLINES: United States (1969-1985). Warren H. Wheeler forms Wheeler Flying Service at Raleigh, North Carolina, in early 1969 with the aid of a loan from the Small Business Administration. Revenue charter flights commence on February 1 with a single twin-engine Piper PA-23 Aztec. By the end of 1973, WFS has established itself as a moderately successful operation with 12 employees and five aircraft, including several Beech 18s and a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander.
A scheduled air transport division, Wheeler Airlines, is established in 1976. Reported in the aviation press as “the first Black airline,” this small North Carolina commuter begins to expand following passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978.
In addition to its original Charlotte, Norfolk, Newport News, and Ashville destinations, Wheeler begins flying daily roundtrips to New York City in 1979. In an effort to mitigate early developmental losses sustained on the New York service, an Atlantic City stopover is initiated in late 1980.
In order to enhance the New Jersey service, a joint fare and co-operative marketing agreement is negotiated with Piedmont Airlines (1) in 1981. Simultaneously, the fleet is enlarged to include 1 Fokker Fairchild F-27J, 2 Beech 99s, 1 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, and 2 Smith Aerostars.
New routes are added in 1982 to Tennessee’s TriCities Airport, Greensboro, Wilmington, and Washington, D. C. (DCA). The American-made Fokker is withdrawn in favor of a fleet of 3 Beech 99s.
A total of 48,000 passengers are flown in 1983. Operations continue in 1984 but, overexpanded, Wheeler files for Chapter XI bankruptcy in October 1985.
WHEELER AIRLINES, LTD.: Canada (1921-1964). Lightplane scheduled services are inaugurated in 1947 by this 26-year-old charter operator between Jovite and Montreal. Winning contracts to participate in support of the DEW Line in the mid-1950s, Douglas DC-3 and Curtiss C-46 routes are developed and maintained into the Hudson Bay region.
Two DC-4s join the fleet in 1956, followed by a third in 1958. The four-engine transports are employed to operate transatlantic passenger charters from Montreal (YUL), but one of these crashes at St. Cleophas on November 4, 1959.
A Curtiss C-46A with two crew crashes while on initial approach to DEW Line Site 28 in Canada on March 25, 1960; although the aircraft is destroyed, neither flyer is badly hurt.
The two remaining DC-4s, comprising the carrier’s heavy division, are sold to Nordair, Ltd. in April. The lightplanes continue to operate for Wheeler until 1964.
WHEELER FLYING SERVICE. See WHEELER AIRLINES
WHIDBEY FLYING SERVICE: United States (1964-1967). Wes
Lupien founds Whidbey at Oak Harbor, Washington, in the late fall of 1964 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo commuter flights to Seattle. Employing a single Piper Cherokee Six, Lupien inaugurates service on December 17.
Operations continue apace until June of 1967 when Lupien becomes president/CEO of the new, combined regional Puget Sound Airlines, which will begin services on August 28.
WHITE EAGLE AVIATION, S. A.: Airport Okecie, 17 Styeznia 47 Str., Warsaw, Poland; Phone 4822 650 10 30; Fax 4822 650 16 40; Http://www. whiteagle. com. pl; Year Founded 1995. White Eagle is established at Warsaw in 1995 to provide regional cargo and air taxi flights and to engage in helicopter work. Service is offered over the remainder of the decade without headline or incident, employing 1 each Yakovlev Yak-40, Let L-401UVP, Beech 36, and Bell 407.
Taking advantage of the airline market’s recent liberalization, in early 2000 White Eagle decides to offer passenger charters to sun destinations in Spain, Greece, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, and Morocco. Arrangements are completed for the charter of a jetliner and tour operators are invited to complete arrangements to fill its seats.
On May 6, a former Hapag-Lloyd Fluggesellschaft, mbH. B-737-4K5 is delivered from the Lufthansa Technik, A. G. Hamburg facility and christened Jurata. A white-titled fuselage is complemented by a dark blue tail that displays a white stylized eagle logo.
The first Polish airline other than LOT Polish Airlines, S. A. to offer charter passenger flights, White Eagle inaugurates service on May 8 from Warsaw to the Iraklion on Crete. Eleven more flights are offered during the month with the number growing through June to total 66 in July.
WHITE HORSE FLYING SERVICE, LTD. See PACIFIC WESTERN AIRLINES, LTD.
WHITE MOUNTAIN AIRE: United States (1986). WMA is set up at
White Mountain Lakes, Nevada, in the summer of 1986 to provide daily roundtrip scheduled Piper PA-31-310 Navajo passenger and cargo services to Phoenix. Unable to continue beyond the vacation season, the commuter stops flying on October 7.
WHITE RIVER AIR SERVICES, LTD. See AUSTIN AIRWAYS, LTD.
WHYALLAAIRLINES (PTY.), LTD.: 5 St. Whyalla Norrie, Oborn, South Australia, 5608, Australia; Phone 61 (86) 458 922; Fax 61 (86) 451 951; Http://www. whyalla. net. au/~wwair; Code WW; Year Founded 1991. Formed at the South Australian town of Whyalla in 1991, Chief Pilot/Managing Director Kym Brougham’s initial fleet comprises 1 Beech 58 Baron and 2 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains.
Scheduled services are undertaken linking the base with Adelaide and other nearby towns.
A single Chieftain is added in 1992 and 14 roundtrips are made each week between Whyalla and Adelaide. Frequencies on the route are boosted to 19 per week in 1993 and continue at this rate during 1994. To handle the increase, one more Navajo Chieftain and a Cessna 210 are acquired in 1995.
Revenue services continue apace without change in 1996-1999. During the former year, a homepage is opened on the Internet’s World Wide Web.
On May 31, 2000, the pilot of a Piper Navajo Chieftain with seven passengers radios that he is ditching into Spencer Gulf, having lost power on both engines. There are no survivors. Investigators will later rule out fuel exhaustion and cite evidence that both of the turboprop’s engines may have independently suffered mechanical failure.
As the result of the accident, Whyalla is grounded by the Australian government the same day. Thereafter, it converts into an FBO to provide ground services to private operators, with particular attention paid to Airlines of South Australia (Pty.), Ltd. that flies into Whyalla from Adelaide. The company surrenders its AOC on August 1.
WIA (WINDWARD ISLANDS AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL, N. V.): P. O. Box 2088, Phillipsburg, Princess Juliana Airport, St. Martin, Netherlands Antilles; Phone 599 (5) 52568; Fax 599 (5) 54229; Http://www. mrstm. com/winair; Code WM; Year Founded 1961. “Winair” is formed at Philipsburg, St. Martin, on August 24, 1961. With a single Piper PA-23 Apache, charters are offered to various Antillean destinations. Scheduled flights to St. Eustatius commence on August 5, 1962.
Traffic increases and in 1967 the first de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100 Twin Otter is purchased. At the end of the decade, regular frequencies are undertaken beyond the Netherlands Antilles.
Winair’s name is officially changed to WIA (Windward Islands Airways International) in 1971. Another Twin Otter is purchased and the route map grows to include stops at Anguilla, Nevis, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, and St. Thomas. In 1972-1973, the carrier leases a pair of Fairchild-Hiller FH-227s, which it flies to San Juan. The exercise nearly bankrupts the company.
As a result of the company’s brush with failure, it is sold to the government (to avoid its takeover) in December 1974 and management of the nation’s new regional commuter is assigned to ALM Antillean Airlines, N. V. In 1978 the fleet includes 2 Twin Otters and 1 Islander and the employee population is 42.
A third DHC-6-300 is acquired in 1981 and by 1983 enplanements total 97,847. Passenger boardings jump 11.1% in 1984 to 110,063 while freight traffic climbs 10.5% to 399,958 FTKs. Routes, fleet, and services are maintained throughout the remainder of the decade.
In 1989, the Islander is withdrawn and a NAMC YS-11-100 is acquired for cargo operations. The passenger fleet comprises 3 de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters. Customer bookings by the beginning of the 1990s average 150,000 per year.
On November 1, 1992, scheduled services are initiated to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The YS-11-100 is withdrawn at the end of the year and in 1993-1994 the fleet comprises three DHC-6-300s. Chairman N. C. Wathey and President I. Romer oversee a workforce of 110.
Enplanements in 1995 total 190,525. There are profits: $1.03 million (operating) and $930,000 (net).
The workforce is cut 13.5% in 1996 to 90. During the year, the company, which has provided connecting flights for American Airlines, is criticized by the major for its poor handling of AA customers baggage.
Customer bookings drop 23.8% to 153,898 and revenues decline 24.4% to $6.75 million. Even though expenses are down 4.9%, they still total $7.51 million and cause losses: $760,000 (operating) and $844,000 (net).
Destinations visited by new Chairman M. Ferrier’s 3 Twin Otters in 1997-1999 include Anguilla, Nevis, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Tortola.
The board of directors meet with Prime Minister Miguel Purier and other officials of the government of Cura9ao on February 9,2000, to discuss the airline’s financial condition, its outstanding tax obligations, and future direction. The political leadership suggests that the airline be privatized and both sides label the conference a success.
The cancellation of night flights to St. Eustatius on March 10 is not well received by that island’s leaders. Further conversations between the airline board and the government are held during the month. All come to realize that before the airline can be privatized, it must be reconstructed and made appealing to potential investors. The necessary process to accomplish this end may take a year or so.
On June 16, a new agreement permitting schedule coordination, joint marketing and ticketing, and various other services is signed with ALM (Antillean Airlines, N. V.).
Guaranteed by the central government (and backed by the U. S. Export-Import Bank), WINAIR is awarded a $2.6-million loan from the Windward Islands Bank on July 6. The funds are necessary to finalize the purchase of two Twin Otters being offered for sale as surplus by the Canadian government. The newer DHC-6-300s will replace two older units that have now reached the end of their cycle and are too expensive to repair. It is hoped that the new aircraft will allow an increase in the number of flights offered to the islands of Anguilla, Saba, St. Barths, St. Kitts, Statia, and Tortola.
Also during the month, the company headquarters and hangar, which had been damaged the previous fall by Hurricane Lenny, are repaired over the next two weeks.
Managing Director John Strugnell and Gary Cullen, CEO of LIAT (1974), Ltd. announce a new code-sharing and marketing agreement on July 28. Under terms of the pact, the two will quickly integrate their schedules and launch new services between the French islands, St. Martin, Antigua, and Santo Domingo.
At the end of July, the airline finalizes the purchase of two ex-Canadian government Twin Otters, including one from an Ohio company that had obtained it before WINAIR. Both need some repair. CEOs Strugnell and Cullen unveil a new regional networking plan on September 22. Under their concept, the pair link with Trans Island Airlines, Ltd. of Barbados, Carib Aviation, Ltd. of Antigua, and Air Caraibes Exploitations, S. A. of Guadeloupe to serve passengers in Miami, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, French Guiana, and Guyana. The new business confederation is tentatively labeled the CARIB Partner Alliance. With Michael Ferrier, WINAIR board chairman, as chairman of the combine, it will later be renamed CARIB Sky Alliance.
On September 26, State Secretary Marcel Gumbs writes to the board of WINAIR requesting that it adopt a new package of austerity measures to help stem its continuing losses. Board Chairman Ferrier writes back, pointing out the impossibility of the demand and noting that employees have not received a raise in five years. Since 1999, it has been able to reduce expenses on materials and services and has introduced a public tendering program. That one measure alone has allowed it to cut a $360,000 bid to provide a new computer system down to $190,000, to cut the cost of its recent hangar repair from $450,000 to $265,000, and to reduce a $170,000 bid for the upgrade of the Canadian Twin Otters to $136,000. Finally, he warns that any cutting of overtime or cost of living allowances could cause major problems with the airline’s unions.
As a first step under the CARIB Partner Alliance, WINAIR offers improved connections to St. Martin, beginning on November 1.
The first ex-Canadian Twin Otter arrives on November 14, with the second expected by the end of the year. In the interim, the company seeks a code-sharing agreement with American Airlines. The major refuses to sign a deal, however, choosing to remember WIA’s 1996 problems with losing passenger baggage.
As the year ends, the company anticipates full implementation of the CARIB Sky Alliance on April 1. The new multi-airline compact is expected to generate 690 daily flight movements serving a projected 1.4 million passengers and linking 46 destinations. With 1,400 employees and 32 aircraft, the group will hopefully enjoy a $145-million turnover.
World History
