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Registered on the 8th of May
1936 as a subsidiary of Olley Air Services Ltd. Employing a 'Short
Scion' the company began a daily summer-only Brighton-Ryde service
on the 23rd of May, These flights ceased in late September. In
the spring of 1937 the Great Western and Southern railroads purchased
a shareholding. On July the 3rd a new Croydon-Deauville weekend
'DH84 Dragon' service is undertaken with the frequency changed
to daily in August and September. Timed to connect with the Cornish
Riviera Express of the Great Western Railway, a weekday Penzance-Scilly
'Dragon' return service is initiated on the 15th of September.
From the new Lands End Airfield near St Just on the mainland
the 'DH84' flies to a golf course on St Mary's, Scilly. In order
to transport staff and gramaphone disks for Radio Luxembourg
a twice weekly Croydon to Luxembourg service is started in June
1938. On August the 8th alternating with Railway Air Services,
the company undertakes a Bristol-Cardiff-Plymouth route. Other
routes undertaken include Penzance-Scilly-Plymouth, Brighton-Bembridge-Bournmouth,
which becomes Croydon-Cardiff via Brighton-Bembridge-Bournmouth-Bristol.
Also a summer-only on demand Heston-Croydon is initiated. In
accordance with the Air Navigation order of the 16th September
the new Air Transport Licensing board issues a provisional permit
to the company for operating a Lands End- Scilly service. Following
the formation of Great Western & Southern Airlines Ltd on
the 5th of December the new entrant gradually assumes Channel
Air Ferries services plus several of Railway Air Services, operating
them under the name of Channel Air Services until the 24th of
March 1939. |
