Britannia Airways: Holiday Carrier to the World

Britannia Airways is the world's largest holiday airline, offering service on a network of flights from the United Kingdom and Europe to destinations around the world.
Britannia began operations in !"# under the name Euravia. $he airline flew three %ockheed &onstellations based at %uton in the United Kingdom. %ate in the same year, Britannia ac'uired three more &onstellations and rights to operate additional services using two Avro (ork )reighters. *n !"+ the airline became Britannia Airways and renewed its fleet with Bristol Britannia turboprop airliners. $he total number of passengers carried in !"+ was , ,#!". $he following year Britannia, its sister tour operation Universal -kytours, and a number of other tour operators in the United Kingdom were bought by the $homson &orporation, forming what is today known as the $homson $ravel .roup. *n !"", Britannia ordered its first brand/new airplane, the 0,0/#11, to enter the 2et age. $he airline became the first in Europe to operate the 0,0/#11, which brought new standards of speed and comfort to holiday flights. 3ver the coming years, the 0,0 carried ,1 passengers per flight to destinations up to #,111 miles away. By !"0, the fleet consisted of seven Britannia airplanes carrying a total of ,#",41# passengers. Britannia soon became the first charter airline to offer assigned seating, as well as hot in/flight meals. Britannia carried nearly +# million passengers between !"4 and !4+, and the fleet grew to include twenty/nine Boeing 0,0s and two Boeing 0"0s. *n !4+, Britannia became the first U.K. holiday airline to offer passengers free in/flight audio and video entertainment when it became the first airline to operate the Boeing 0"0 in Europe. *n !44, these airplanes were used to begin regular charter flights from Britain to Australia, as well as to 5ew 6ealand the following year. $hat same year Britannia took over 3rion Airways, following the purchase of 3rion's parent company, 7ori8on $ravel, by the $homson $ravel .roup.

Britannia moderni8ed its fleet in the !!1s and e9panded its route network to holiday destinations in Asia, &anada, -outh Africa, and the United -tates.:uring !!0, ,+ percent of Britannia's flights were to long/haul destinations. $o operate holiday flights for .erman tour operators, Britannia formed a wholly owned subsidiary company based in .ermany in !!0. $he airline, known as Britannia Airways .mb7, operates a fleet of two 0"0/,11s. $he inaugural flight departed from Berlin to the :ominican ;epublic on 5ov. ,, !!0. Britannia Airways .mb7 currently employs about #11 people, with flights originating from Berlin, &ologne, )rankfurt, 7amburg, 7anover, <unich, and -tuttgart, as well as from Basel, -wit8erland. :uring the summer of !!4, Britannia operations in .ermany, -candinavia, and the United Kingdom operated a fleet of three Airbus A,#1s, one 0,0/411, twenty/ four 0=0s, and thirteen 0"0s.
Boeing Boeing &ommercial Airplane .roup is proud to present the history of Britannia Airways, an industry partner whose profitable and safe operations continue with the Boeing 0=0 and 0"0. All content is provided by Britannia Airways. / Editor