|
Hillman's Airways was a 1930s
British airline that later became part of British Airways. The
company was formed in November 1931 as Hillman's Saloon Coaches
and Airways Limited by Edward Henry Hillman who was a coach operator
in Essex. His previous business had been sold to London Transport
following a change in government rules on the expansion of bus
routes. The airline's first service was a charter flight on the
25th of December 1931. It started a scheduled service on the
1st of April 1932 between Romford and Clacton using a de Havilland
Puss Moth and a de Havilland Fox Moth; with a fare of £1
return it was operated every three hours due to the popularity.
A de Havilland Dragon was bought to operate an international
service between Romford and Paris Le Bourget. From the 1st of
December 1934 the airline was given a contract to fly air mail
between London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast formerly operated
by the Railway Air Services. Following the award of the contract
Hillman changed the legal name from Hillman's Airways Limited
to Edward Henry Hillman Limited and the airline extended its
services to continental Europe, including Ostend and Brussels.
On the 1st of June 1934 the airline moved its operating base
to Stapleford Aerodrome. Just before Hillman died, on the 31st
of December 1934, aged 45, the company became a public company,
in 1936 it merged with two other airlines to form British Airways. |
