Cambrian Airways

 ( Airlines Established In 1935 ) 

Cambrian Airways was an airline based in the United Kingdom which ran operations from Cardiff Airport and Liverpool airports between 1935 and 1974. It was incorporated into British Airways when BOAC, BEA, Cambrian and Northeast merged on 1 April 1974.

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History Cambrian was established on 25 April 1935 as Cambrian Air Services. The airline's base was at Pengam Moors Airfield east of Cardiff. The first aircraft to be operated was a de Havilland DH.60 Moth, mainly to train pilots and fly tourists. With the outbreak of World War II, Cambrian stopped its activities.March and Wright 1972, p. 100.Remembering Cambrian Airways Airliner World February 2025 pages 44-49

Commencing on 1 January 1946 it was the first British airline to restart operations after the war, with a charter flight with an Auster Autocrat with a cargo of wire rope and an aircraft seat between Cardiff and Bristol Airport. In 1948 Cambrian was flying in cooperation with BEA and used the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, the Autocrat and the Percival Proctor. During 1949 flights began between Birmingham and Jersey Airport. During 1953, Cambrian took over Olley Air Service and Murray Chown Aviation and began services between Southampton to Dinard and Paris. This route was served with the de Havilland Dove and later with the Douglas DC-3. In 1956 the name changed to Cambrian Airways.

By 1961, Cambrian was operating eight ex-BEA Douglas DC-3s. The service by the Vickers Viscount turboprop began on 20 February 1963 from Cardiff via Bristol to Dublin.Merton-Jones, 2000, P. 81 From 1964 the type was used on charter flights to Rimini, Palma, Nice, Valencia Airport and Barcelona. In 1967 BEA took over Cambrian, although it continued as a separate airline. The following year the last DC-3 was flown. Cambrian also operated jet , used for charter flights and on the scheduled network.

In 1972 Cambrian was incorporated into the new British Air Services and gradually lost its independence. On 1 April 1974, Cambrian was one of the four component companies merged to form British Airways. The Cambrian colour scheme was gradually replaced by an interim scheme with British Airways as the name and Cambrian in smaller text,Airlines Remembered by BI Hengi Midland Publishing

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Destinations in 1971 According to its 1 November 1971 system timetable, Cambrian was serving the following destinations with scheduled passenger flights.http://www.timetableimages.com, 1 November 1971 Cambrian Airways system timetable

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United Kingdom

• Belfast
• Bristol
• Bournemouth
• Cardiff
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow
• Guernsey
• Isle of Man
• Jersey
• Liverpool
• London - Heathrow Airport
• Manchester
• Southampton

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Ireland

• Cork
• Dublin

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France

• Paris - Le Bourget Airport

The 1971 timetable states the Cambrian fleet comprised four BAC One-Eleven jets and eight Vickers Viscount turboprops at this time.

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Fleet

• British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven
• de Havilland Dragon Rapide
• de Havilland Dove
• de Havilland Heron
• Douglas DC-3
• Vickers Viscount
• Vickers Viscount

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Accidents and incidents

• On 20 July 1965, Vickers Viscount G-AMOL crashed on landing at Speke Airport, Liverpool after a flight from Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man. Both crew were killed, as well as two persons on the ground.
• On 19 January 1970, Vickers Viscount G-AMOA was damaged beyond economic repair in a heavy landing at Bristol Airport, Bristol.

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See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom

• March, P.R. and A.J. Wright. "Airline History No. 26: Cambrian". Air Pictorial, March 1972. pp. 100–104.
• Merton-Jones, A.C. British Independent Airlines 1946–1976. 2000. The Aviation Hobby Shop.

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External links

• Fleet and code information
• Timetable images

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