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Air Atlantique

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For the French airline of the same name, see Air Atlantique (France).

Air Atlantique
IATA ICAO Call sign
7M AAG ATLANTIC
Founded1969
Ceased operations1990
HeadquartersCoventry, United Kingdom

Air Atlantique was an airline based at Coventry Airport operating a number of classic aircraft, both for passenger operation and for cargo transportation. They operated both the Douglas DC-3 and Douglas DC-6 but did also have a few aircraft on wet lease such as some ATR-42s and ATR-72s. Many of their remaining classic aircraft were donated to Classic Flight for display at airshows. Two of their DC-3s are currently leased by Pollution Control but will be returned to Classic Flight (Classic Air Force) in due course. One DC-6 was converted to a restaurant.

History

The Air Atlantique Group was founded in 1969 under the name of General Aviation Services, based in Jersey, Channel Islands. Initially operating as an aircraft sales and distribution business, the company received an Air Operator's Certificate in 1971 and began air taxi operations with Cessna 310 and Cessna 336 aircraft.[1]

The Air Atlantique name was adopted in June 1977 when freight charter flights were launched with Douglas DC-3 aircraft. It was thought the name would both appeal to the French-speaking population of Jersey and appear near the top alphabetically in the Yellow Pages. Freight charter operations commenced on 19th July 1977 with the first flight transporting lobsters from Jersey to Morlaix.[1]

From October 1977, the company stationed a Dakota at Coventry airport to operate a contract transporting car components to Cologne for Ford. The second aircraft was based at Aberdeen operating oil charters.[1] In May 1979, two Douglas DC-6B aircraft were purchased from Greenlandair; however they proved uneconomical to operate due to the oil crisis and were disposed of soon after.[1][2]

G-AMRA at Jersey, May 1982. Wearing the colours of former operator Eastern Airways. A small Royal Mail logo can be seen on the door.

Between 1981 and 1982 the company purchased additional DC-3s and was awarded a lucrative postal contract on behalf of Royal Mail. A three year aerial survey contract was also awarded to Air Atlantique by the Ordinance Survey which led to the establishment of the Atlantic Surveys subsidiary. An engineering base was set up in the former British United Airways hangar at Blackpool airport which became the main UK operating base. Three Dakotas stationed at Blackpool operated newspaper flights to Belfast and the Isle of Man, with other aircraft operating nightly mail flights on the Glasgow-East Midlands-Luton and Newcastle-Liverpool runs.[3][2]

The Group moved to its base in Coventry in December 1985. Between then and the late 1990s, it expanded its operations to create pilot training facilities, aircraft engineering shops, survey and aerial reconnaissance work and other aviation-related activities. Between 1990 and 1994 scheduled passenger services were operated from the Channel Islands as Air Corbiere. Highland Airways was established in 1991 at Inverness Airport. Atlantic Airlines, which previously operated all-cargo airline activities within the Air Atlantique Group, was the subject of a management buy-out in July 2004 and now operates as an independent company.[4] Other parts of the Group were similarly spun off as owners Mike Collett and James Foden approached retirement. Atlantic Flight Training and Atlantic Reconnaissance (now renamed RVL Aviation) have also become independent businesses.

Air Atlantique later operated a number of historic aircraft as the Classic Air Force. It also owned CFS Aeroproducts and managed various minority investments for its owners.

Fleet

G-AMCA operating for Fairey Air Surveys, 1975. This would become the first aircraft to enter service with Air Atlantique in June 1977.
G-ANAF at Coventry, July 1978

The first DC-3, G-ANAF, was purchased from West Country Aviation in 1977 for £72,000. G-ANAF required extensive restoration so a second DC-3, G-AMCA was leased from Fairey Aviation and became the first DC-3 to enter service. G-AMCA was then also purchased outright for £45,000 later that year.[1][2]

G-SIXA at Coventry in June 1979, still wearing the livery of former operator Greenlandair.

Two Douglas DC-6B aircraft, G-SIXA and G-SIXB, were purchased in May 1979. Proving uneconomical to operate, the former was placed in to storage at Manston Airport and later scrapped, whilst the later was sold to Air Swaziland in December 1979.[1][2][5]

Between 1981 and 1982, eight further DC-3s were purchased although two were sold on within a month, bringing the total Dakota fleet to eight aircraft by 1982.[2]

DC-3 Fleet, 1982[2][6]
Registration Entry Date Fate
G-ANAF, G-AMCA 1977 In Service
G-AMPL,PO,RA,HJ,PY,SV 1981-1982 In Service
G-AMYJ, G-ANTC Dec-81, Jun-82 Sold to Aces High

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Woodley, Charles (2021). Air Atlantique. Amberley Publishing. pp. 5–6. ISBN 9781445693163.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Air Colombia DC-3". www.michaelprophet.com. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  3. ^ Woodley 2021, pp. 8-15
  4. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 27 March 2007. p. 52.
  5. ^ "Registration Details For G-SIXB (Air Atlantique) DC-6B- - PlaneLogger". planelogger.com. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Registration Details For G-AMYJ (Air Atlantique) C-47B Skytrain - PlaneLogger". www.planelogger.com. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
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