Court Line fifty years ago today

[atuk]

Yes folks, believe or not, 15 AUG74 was a black day in the holiday airline business.

Court Line Aviation, owners of Airfair, Clarksons Holidays, Horizon Holidays, Meon Villas and OSL, collapsed into bankruptcy leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded abroad, thousands more out of pocket as paid for holidays and deposits were non refundable not to mention the loyal, hard working and dedicated staff unemployed.

Their colourful fleet of BAC1-11 500 aircraft in pastel colours of lilac, pink, turquoise and yellow plus two TriStars AA (yellow banana)and AB (Pink Lady) were grounded. Although not a launch customer of either aircraft the 1-11 was widely used by British and German holiday airlines. Despite BEA, later BA receiving government subsidies to operate an aircraft not of their own choice, the independents were not afforded this benefit despite being profitable obtaining the highest hour utilisation of 1-11s by Court Line.

The aftermath was a game changer. The launch of ATOL to protect holidaymakers funds, a return to sensible seat rates in the charter market and the emergence of Britannia Airways as the UK’s largest holiday airline, eclipsing Dan-Air London and later, Laker Airways.

So despite being a tragedy to lose such a trailblazing company the lessons learned, or should have been by later competitors such as Air Europe, paved the way for today’s easyJet and Ryanair to provide low cost, efficient and effective travel across the European continent and further afield.

[bill]

Good info atuk, cheers. Was it really 50 years ago?

[Sharpal7]

Yes folks, believe or not, 15 AUG74 was a black day in the holiday airline business.

Court Line Aviation, owners of Airfair, Clarksons Holidays, Horizon Holidays, Meon Villas and OSL, collapsed into bankruptcy leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded abroad, thousands more out of pocket as paid for holidays and deposits were non refundable not to mention the loyal, hard working and dedicated staff unemployed.

Their colourful fleet of BAC1-11 500 aircraft in pastel colours of lilac, pink, turquoise and yellow plus two TriStars AA (yellow banana)and AB (Pink Lady) were grounded. Although not a launch customer of either aircraft the 1-11 was widely used by British and German holiday airlines. Despite BEA, later BA receiving government subsidies to operate an aircraft not of their own choice, the independents were not afforded this benefit despite being profitable obtaining the highest hour utilisation of 1-11s by Court Line.

The aftermath was a game changer. The launch of ATOL to protect holidaymakers funds, a return to sensible seat rates in the charter market and the emergence of Britannia Airways as the UK’s largest holiday airline, eclipsing Dan-Air London and later, Laker Airways.

So despite being a tragedy to lose such a trailblazing company the lessons learned, or should have been by later competitors such as Air Europe, paved the way for today’s easyJet and Ryanair to provide low cost, efficient and effective travel across the European continent and further afield.

Halcyon days atuk

[atuk]

Good info atuk, cheers. Was it really 50 years ago?

Yes I’m living proof. Those who remember Donaldson International Airways who flew from Glasgow on behalf of Mercury Air Holidays which also collapsed one week previously on 08AUG74.

Thanks Al, Halcyon Days indeed but sadly they didn’t last long enough.