British Continental Airways
was a British airline that operated between 1935 and 1936 when
it merged into British Airways. British Continental Airways Limited
was formed on the 15th of April 1935 to operate airline services
from Croydon Airport to the continent. The first services were
to Belgium, as well as Brussels other Belgian destinations were
added over the first year, including Ostend and Antwerp, services
were also run to Lille in France and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
In partnership with KLM the airline operated a service between
Amsterdam and Liverpool with a stop at Doncaster. Originally
formed as a private company it became a public company on the
31st of October 1935 with a share capital of £50,000. The
airline became part of a dispute at the start of 1936 when it
started a Scandinavian service as an extension of the Amsterdam
route in competition with British Airways, a government subsidy
and an mail contract had already been given to British Airways,
the government suggested that the two airlines should merge.
From the 1st of August 1936 BCA and the Scandinavian routes were
absorbed into British Airways, although the Belgian routes continued
to be operated under the BCA name for a further two months. At
the time of the merger with British Airways, British Continental
Airways had the following:
1 x De Havilland Dragon named
"St Christopher" had originally been owned by one of
the founders of the airline Graham Mackinnon.
1 x De Havilland DH.86 named "St George" delivered
in August 1935.
3 x De Havilland DH.86A, a further aircraft was on order and
subsequently delivered to British Airways.
3 x De Havilland Dragon Rapide's named "St Andrew",
"St Patrick" and "St George |
