FAIRFLIGHT, LTD.: United Kingdom (1948-1952). Air Vice Marshal D. C. T. Bennett, having given up his managing directorship of British South American Airways, Ltd., forms the charter carrier Air-flight, Ltd. on June 4, 1948. The company is based at Langley, later Blackbushe, Airport and is equipped in August with two Avro 689 Tudor 5s. These are immediately assigned to the civil portion of the Berlin Airlift, one as a tanker.
In March 1949, the company’s two aircraft set an operation record of 50 roundtrip sorties in a single week. On May 31, the Tudors are withdrawn from the airlift; however, an Avro Lincolnian is acquired in June and is employed in the German rescue mission until withdrawn on July 12. During the Berlin Airlift, company Tudors fly 921 sorties and the Lincolnian 46 sorties, most of which were in tanker configuration.
Returned from Germany, the Tudors are converted to passenger status and are ready for charter work when Bennett forms Fairflight, Ltd. on August 25 to take over the work of Airflight, Ltd.
The first passenger charter is inaugurated on September 2 with a flight of apprentices from Karachi to Blackbushe.
The first sustained service is participation in the airlift of Jewish refugees from Aden to Palestine during October and November.
On March 12, 1950, one of the two Tudors, with 5 crew and 78 passengers, mostly Welsh rugby fans returning home from a Dublin match, crashes at Llandow, near Cardiff (80 dead). The disaster is the world’s worst air crash to date.
The surviving Tudor and the Lincolnian continue to accept long-haul passenger and freight charters. Bennett registers the travel subsidiary Fairtravel, Ltd.
A variety of charters are flown during the summer, including a significant airlift of pilgrims from Karachi to Jedda under contract to Orient Airways, Ltd.
Long-distance nonscheduled destinations are flown during January-July 1951, but in August the Tudor is dispatched to West Berlin to fly 350 cargo sorties to Hamburg during the next five months.
In November, Bennett sells Fairflight, Ltd. to Aviation Traders subsidiary Surrey Flying Services, Ltd. and the company is gradually amalgamated into Air Charter, Ltd. during 1952, losing its identity completely during July.
World History
