British Airways
1933 Saunders-Roe started an air-travel company, Spartan Airways, from Somerton. By the end of 1933 it had proved so successful that it became part of Southern Railways and the Railways Air Services network, with flights to Ryde, Isle of Wight, as well as services to London and Birmingham as well as a stop-over at Bembridge Airport, Isle of Wight.
1935 Spartan Airways merged with United Airways and Hillman's Airways[1])
1936 It became Allied British Airways, then British Airways Ltd
1936 British Airways Ltd operated services from Gatwick to Paris and Scandinavia[2]
1937 Gatwick became waterlogged so British Airways Ltd transferred its services to Croydon.
1938 The Cadman Committee recommended that steps should be taken to expand UK air services to Europe, Imperial Airways should concentrate on development of Empire air routes, and British Airways Ltd should in general develop air services in Europe.
1938 British Airways transferred all daytime operations from Croydon and Gatwick to Heston. Night mail services continued from Croydon.
1939 British Airways became part of British Overseas Airways Corporation, which later became the British Airways of today.
See Also
Sources of Information
- History of BA [2]