Skyways Ltd. was an early post-World War II British airline re-formed in 1946 out pre-1945 assets that soon became well-established as the biggest operator of non-scheduled air services in Europe.Dix, Barry, Fly Past: I just want to go home, The Hounslow Chronicle.co.uk, 25 June 2008Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... Skyways), p. 57, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010
Its principal activities included the operation of worldwide non-scheduled passenger and cargo services, including trooping and oil industry support flights, inclusive tour (IT) and ad hoc charters for automobile industry executives as well as specialist freight services.Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... Skyways), p. 58, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010
The re-formed airline operated its first flight in May 1946 with an Avro York that had been chartered by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to carry oil personnel and freight from Langley to Basra via Manston, Malta, Cairo and Lydda.Airliner World (Skyways), p. 62, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
Skyways was a major civilian participant in the Berlin Airlift and became one of Britain's foremost independentindependent from government owned corporations airlines during the 1950s and early 1960s.Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... Skyways), pp. 57-59, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010
Following the airline's liquidation in March 1950 and transfer of the bankrupt carrier's assets to a new company again incorporating the name Skyways, control passed to the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in March 1952. LAC's acquisition of Skyways resulted in concentration of the combined group's operations at London Stansted Airport. All this was completely carried out on 31 March with the legal establishment of Skyways of London Ltd. which started flight operations at once.
Low-fare scheduled services commenced in November 1953.Britain Goes It Alone, Air Commerce, Flight International, 15 April 1960, p. 543Crusader Coach - Stansted-Nicosia by Skyways, Flight International, 13 November 1953, p. 644World Airline Directory ..., Flight International, 18 April 1958, p. 528World Airline Survey — The UK Carriers ..., Flight International, 12 April 1962, p. 548
Launch of the world's first Coach-Air operation in 1955 resulted in a demerger that saw those services transferred to new subsidiary Skyways Coach-Air Limited but not before 1958.
A number of financial reorganisations during the 1950s provided the funds for a major expansion of Skyways's activities and fleet, culminating in the buyout of the company in 1961 by Eric Rylands, LAC's former co-owner and managing director.Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... Skyways), pp. 57/8, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010Airliner World (Skyways: The charter specialist), p. 65, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
Loss of a major freight contract that had accounted for 75% of Skyways's revenue, a failed investment in a regional Caribbean airline and an expensive aircraft lease led to renewed financial difficulties in 1962. This resulted in Skyways's takeover by newly formed charter operator Euravia the same year.Stansted Airport Consultative Committee, Stansted - The Early Years (1942-1966), Flying Troops from across the World
A new Skyways emerged in 1975 when, still under Eric Rylands's stewardship, Skyways Cargo Airline assumed the original Skyways's air freight business. Financial difficulties following a period of expansion during the second half of the 1970s led to the cessation of operations in 1980, resulting in the final disappearance of the Skyways name from the UK air transport scene.Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... Skyways), pp. 56, 60, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010
History
Pre WWII
Skyways was incorporated in 1929 to provide "instruction in aviation and aerial navigation, aerial and ground signalling", with a W. Knox as chairman and managing director.
Following the end of World War II, the Skyways name was transferred to a newly formed airline operating worldwide, non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights. Former British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Director General Brigadier General A.C. Critchley was appointed Skyways's new chairman while inflight refuelling pioneer Sir Alan Cobham became its deputy chairman. Veteran aviator Captain R.J. Ashley assumed the role of managing director.
Early operations in 1940s
Skyways Ltd. was established in March 1946 and commercial operations commenced on 14 May with an Avro York christened Skyway and featuring 30 red leather, armchair-type seats. Captain Ashley was at the controls of the inaugural flight carrying oil industry personnel and freight under contract to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company from Langley Airfield to Basra, Iraq, via RAF Manston, Malta, Cairo, Egypt, and RAF Lydda, Palestine. This flight formed part of a charter contract for regular passenger and cargo services between the United Kingdom and Persian Gulf, operated with Yorks at a frequency of two return flights per week. Originally, this had envisaged the use of RAF Northolt as London terminal. However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation's refusal to grant private airlines access to Northolt together with Langley's lack of Customs facilities necessitated a stop at Manston before leaving the UK. There was also a night stop in Cairo on each leg of the journey. Each round-trip involved 35 flying hours and took four days to complete.
The initial fleet comprised six aircraft: two Avro Yorks, two Avro Lancastrians, a de Havilland Dove and a de Havilland Dragon Rapide. The Yorks and Lancastrians were employed on long-range passenger and cargo flights while the Doves and Rapides were used for shorter distance passenger charters.
Following the launch of operations from Langley, Berkshire, by November 1946, Skyways had moved its main operating base to Dunsfold Aerodrome near Guildford in Surrey.Airliner World (Skyways), p. 63, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
The first year of operations saw Skyway joined by a second York named Sky Courier. Both aircraft were kept busy transporting oil company personnel between the UK and Iraq.
In addition to oil industry support flights, which accounted for the bulk of its operations, Skyways undertook 'aerial cruises' to Zürich in Switzerland for Sir Henry Lunn Ltd, one of the pioneers of the British package holiday industry. The latter were complemented by 'aerial cruises' from Northolt to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria via Lisbon, which launched on 15 June 1947 at a frequency of three return flights per week.Airliner World (Skyways), pp. 63/4, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
Skyways was one of the major civilian participants in the Berlin Airlift, where up to seven of the company's aircraft — three Yorks and four Lancastrians — were employed between November 1948 and August 1949. The former served on the airlift from 16 November 1948 until 15 August 1949 and the latter from early-January until 17 July 1949. The latter were also fitted with additional fuselage tanks to carry diesel and petrol.L.A.C. buys Skyways, Civil Aviation, Flight International, 28 March 1952, p. 361Airliner World (Skyways: The charter specialist), p. 64, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
1950 coincides with a big change
In 1950, the War Office began awarding trooping flight contracts to Britain's contemporary independent airlines. Skyways was one of the main beneficiaries,as a result of assuming responsibility for the contract the War Office had awarded Lancashire Aircraft Corporation prior to the LAC-Skyways merger along with Airwork, Hunting and Eagle. Following the award of the War Office contract, the airline purchased a large fleet of Avro Yorks from BOAC. These operations included frequent flights between the UK and Singapore in co-operation with Airwork.Fly me, I'm Freddie!, Eglin, R. and Ritchie, B., Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1980, p. 29Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... Skyways), pp. 56/7, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Christmas 2010
Other areas of activity in which Skyways engaged during its formative years included a growing number of ad hoc passenger and cargo charter flights carrying car manufacturers' executives and various types of freight.
Some examples of their freight contracts include the transport of three Fordson tractors from Dunsfold to Kuwait, fruit from Italy to UK in Lancastrians, and milk from Northern Ireland to Liverpool in 1947. A service was also established using a Lancastrian to fly twice weekly between Singapore and Hong Kong, taking five and a half hours, against BOAC's two days with an overnight in Bangkok. This led to the creation of Skyways (Far East) Ltd in 1947. Skyways also had ambitions to carry mail between the UK and Hong Kong. The proposed service using a Lancastrian via Karachi would take a day and a half, in competition with BOAC's 8 day service, however, political pressures supporting the nationalised airline prevailed and the service was not started.
The rapid growth in business resulted in a major expansion of the fleet and workforce that saw the acquisition of additional Yorks and Lancastrians as well as several DC-4sfour ex-KLM examples, the first two of which joined the fleet in October 1947 and DC-3s providing employment for more than 1,600 (350 aircrew and 1,300 ground staff).by May 1947 This made Skyways Europe's biggest contemporary charter airline.
To support its fledgling operation, Skyways established a maintenance base at Dunsfold Aerodrome. The new maintenance division initially traded as Samlesbury Engineering Ltd.
As the late 1940s' boom turned to bust, Skyways began selling aircraft and laying off staff. Management attempted to deal with this situation by putting the airline into voluntary liquidation in March 1950 and transferring the remaining assets to a new company bearing the Skyways name on the last day of that month.
Lancashire Aircraft takeover and move to Stansted
The new company resumed operations from Dunsfold with a fleet of six DC-3s the following month. It was Skyways of London Ltd. legally established on 31 March. The re-launched company continued to deteriorate and operations ceased again by January 1952, resulting in disposal of remaining aircraft (a pair of DC-3s).Airliner World (Skyways: The charter specialist), pp. 64/5, Key Publishing, Stamford, November 2011
In March 1952, David Brown and Eric Rylands, owners of the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC), acquired all Skyways ordinary shares together with two non-airworthy aircraft that had formed part of Skyways's fleet (a York and a Lancastrian). This takeover resulted in the combined group's headquarters and main operating base relocating to Bovingdon and the award in June 1952 of a new War Office contract to transport 4,000 troops, their dependents and civilian defence personnel between the UK, Bermuda and Jamaica. Joint trooping flights commenced on 2 July 1952.entailing twice-monthly joint LAC-Skyways trooping flights from Bovingdon to Bermuda and Jamaica These used modified Yorks with a new 70,000lb (31,751kg) maximum takeoff weight and 36, rear-facing seats. It took 27 hours to reach the Caribbean from the UK, including two intermediate stops at Keflavík, Iceland, and Gander, Canada, respectively. Service frequency eventually increased to three to four monthly round-trips.Troops to the Caribbean, Civil Aviation, Flight International, 11 July 1952, p. 54