British Overseas Airways Corporation
Encyclopedia
The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways
Ltd. and British Airways Ltd.
Following a 1971 Act of Parliament
, BOAC was merged in 1974 with British European Airways
Corporation (BEA) to form British Airways
. BOAC had its head office in the Speedbird House on the grounds of London Heathrow Airport
in the London Borough of Hillingdon
.
During the 1930s and post-World War II
1940s until November 1950, Imperial Airways and then BOAC operated scheduled flying boat
services to colonial possessions
in Africa and Asia (until September 1939 they departed from Southampton
, then after the war until April 1948 from Poole, and then from Southampton Marine Air Terminal at Berth 50). Aircraft such as the Short Empire
and Short S.8 Calcutta
flying boats transported their pre-war passengers and mail
. After the war, BOAC flew converted Short Sunderland
s under the class names of Hythe and Plymouth. Latterly, the airline flew the completely new Short Solent
flying boat on their service up the Nile and through East Africa to Johannesburg.
In addition to training pilots in the UK, BOAC operated a tropical training school in Soroti
, Uganda
.
BOAC's initial land plane equipment during the years immediately following World War II was based on converted or adapted military aircraft including the Avro Lancastrian
, Consolidated Liberator, Handley Page Halton
and Avro York
. In summer 1948, the unpressurised Yorks were still operating passenger services as far afield as Nairobi
(Kenya
), Accra
(Gold Coast, later Ghana
), and Delhi
and Calcutta (India
) and the type continued to operate freight schedules until late 1957.
The pressurised Lockheed Constellation
was operated from April 1946, initially on routes to the United States
and Canada
and from 1949 also to Australia
. These were supplemented by the Boeing Stratocruiser for their key transatlantic routes from October 1949, as this type could reliably fly non-stop eastbound from New York City
to London Airport (later Heathrow). The Handley Page Hermes
and Canadair DC-4M Argonaut
joined the BOAC fleet between 1949 and 1950, replacing the last of the non-pressurised types on passenger services.
From late 1956, BOAC received ten Douglas DC-7C
s, enabling the airline to operate non-stop westbound flights from London and Manchester to New York and other North American East Coast destinations, in competition with Pan American World Airways
with their DC-7Cs and the Lockheed Super Constellations of Trans World Airlines
(TWA).
In May 1952, BOAC became the first airline to introduce a passenger jet, the de Havilland Comet
. All Comet 1 aircraft were grounded in April 1954 after four Comets crashed, the last two being BOAC aircraft. Investigators discovered serious structural cracks caused by metal fatigue
due to the repeated pressurisation
and depressurisation of the aircraft as they ascended and descended. While rectifying this problem, de Havilland
engineers improved the Comet in many ways and improved its range, creating the Series 4. In 1958, BOAC used the new Comets to become the first airline to fly jet passenger services across the Atlantic.
During the 1950s and 1960s, BOAC flew the Bristol Britannia
and Comet but these aircraft were not competitive so in October 1956 they ordered 15 Boeing 707
s which entered service in 1960. Sir Giles Guthrie, who took charge of BOAC in 1964, preferred the Boeing aircraft for economic reasons, and indeed BOAC began turning a profit in the late 1960s. The preference for US-made aircraft caused a political row in Parliament
, however, and the government ordered BOAC to purchase 17 Vickers VC-10 aircraft from a 30-aircraft order which Guthrie had cancelled. However, BOAC initially believed that the VC-10 had somewhat higher operating costs than the 707, largely as a result of BOAC's own demands for the aircraft to have excellent hot and high
performance.
BOAC later became the largest Boeing customer outside North America. The next major order of Boeing aircraft was for 11 747-100s
. BOAC received its first 747 on 22 April 1970 but due to strike action
by the British Air Line Pilots' Association
the aircraft did not enter commercial service for almost a year, on 14 April 1971.
In 1962, BOAC and Cunard
formed BOAC-Cunard Ltd to operate scheduled services to North America, the Caribbean and South America. BOAC provided 70% of the new company's capital and eight Boeing 707s. The independent Cunard Eagle Airways, of which Cunard held a 60% shareholding, provided two more 707s. BOAC-Cunard leased any spare capacity to BOAC which could use it to supplement the main BOAC fleet at peak demand and in a reciprocal arrangement BOAC would provide capacity to BOAC-Cunard on some operations when it had a shortfall. The effect was to remove competition on western routes. The operation was dissolved in 1966.
BOAC would have become one of the first operators of the Concorde
had it not merged to become British Airways. BA's Concordes carried registrations of G-BOAA to G-BOAG. The first Concorde delivered to British Airways was actually registered G-BOAC.
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
Ltd. and British Airways Ltd.
British Airways Ltd.
British Airways Ltd was a British airline company operating in Europe in the period 1935–39. It was formed in 1935 by the merger of Spartan Air Lines Ltd, United Airways Ltd , and Hillman's Airways...
Following a 1971 Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, BOAC was merged in 1974 with British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
Corporation (BEA) to form British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
. BOAC had its head office in the Speedbird House on the grounds of London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
in the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
.
History
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
1940s until November 1950, Imperial Airways and then BOAC operated scheduled flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
services to colonial possessions
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in Africa and Asia (until September 1939 they departed from Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, then after the war until April 1948 from Poole, and then from Southampton Marine Air Terminal at Berth 50). Aircraft such as the Short Empire
Short Empire
The Short Empire was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, that flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia...
and Short S.8 Calcutta
Short S.8 Calcutta
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Barnes C.H. and D.N. James. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-819-4.*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . London: Orbis Publishing, 1985....
flying boats transported their pre-war passengers and mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
. After the war, BOAC flew converted Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
s under the class names of Hythe and Plymouth. Latterly, the airline flew the completely new Short Solent
Short Solent
- External links :* * *...
flying boat on their service up the Nile and through East Africa to Johannesburg.
In addition to training pilots in the UK, BOAC operated a tropical training school in Soroti
Soroti
Soroti is the main municipal, commercial and administrative centre of Soroti District in Eastern Uganda, lying near Lake Kyoga. It is known for the rock formation near the town as well as a variety of Muslim mosques, Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras as well as several churches that meet in various...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
.
The breakup
The Civil Aviation Act 1946 led to the de-merger of two divisions of BOAC to form three separate corporations:- BOAC: for Empire, North American and Far East routes
- British European AirwaysBritish European AirwaysBritish European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
(BEA): for European and domestic routes - British South American AirwaysBritish South American AirwaysBritish South American Airways or British South American Airways Corporation was a state-run airline in Britain in the 1940s. It was originally called British Latin American Air Lines Ltd....
(BSAA): for South American and Caribbean routes (merged back into BOAC in July 1949)
Early post-war operations
Avro Lancastrian
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6....
, Consolidated Liberator, Handley Page Halton
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
and Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
. In summer 1948, the unpressurised Yorks were still operating passenger services as far afield as Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
(Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
), Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
(Gold Coast, later Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
), and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Calcutta (India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) and the type continued to operate freight schedules until late 1957.
The pressurised Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
was operated from April 1946, initially on routes to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and from 1949 also to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. These were supplemented by the Boeing Stratocruiser for their key transatlantic routes from October 1949, as this type could reliably fly non-stop eastbound from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to London Airport (later Heathrow). The Handley Page Hermes
Handley Page Hermes
The Handley Page HP 81 Hermes was a British civilian airliner built by Handley Page in the 1940s and 50s. Closely related to Handley Page's Hastings military transport, the Hermes was a low-wing monoplane powered by four piston engines...
and Canadair DC-4M Argonaut
Canadair North Star
The Canadair North Star was a 1940s Canadian development of the Douglas C-54 / DC-4 aircraft. Instead of radial piston engines found on the Douglas design, Canadair employed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in order to achieve a 35 mph faster cruising speed. The prototype flew on 15 July 1946 and...
joined the BOAC fleet between 1949 and 1950, replacing the last of the non-pressurised types on passenger services.
From late 1956, BOAC received ten Douglas DC-7C
Douglas DC-7
The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
s, enabling the airline to operate non-stop westbound flights from London and Manchester to New York and other North American East Coast destinations, in competition with Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
with their DC-7Cs and the Lockheed Super Constellations of Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
(TWA).
Introduction of jets
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
. All Comet 1 aircraft were grounded in April 1954 after four Comets crashed, the last two being BOAC aircraft. Investigators discovered serious structural cracks caused by metal fatigue
Metal Fatigue
Metal Fatigue , is a futuristic science fiction, real-time strategy computer game developed by Zono Incorporated and published by Psygnosis and TalonSoft .-Plot:...
due to the repeated pressurisation
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
and depressurisation of the aircraft as they ascended and descended. While rectifying this problem, de Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
engineers improved the Comet in many ways and improved its range, creating the Series 4. In 1958, BOAC used the new Comets to become the first airline to fly jet passenger services across the Atlantic.
During the 1950s and 1960s, BOAC flew the Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
and Comet but these aircraft were not competitive so in October 1956 they ordered 15 Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
s which entered service in 1960. Sir Giles Guthrie, who took charge of BOAC in 1964, preferred the Boeing aircraft for economic reasons, and indeed BOAC began turning a profit in the late 1960s. The preference for US-made aircraft caused a political row in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, however, and the government ordered BOAC to purchase 17 Vickers VC-10 aircraft from a 30-aircraft order which Guthrie had cancelled. However, BOAC initially believed that the VC-10 had somewhat higher operating costs than the 707, largely as a result of BOAC's own demands for the aircraft to have excellent hot and high
Hot and high
In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. Lower air density reduces the amount of lift generated by the wings or the rotors of an aircraft, which may hamper...
performance.
BOAC later became the largest Boeing customer outside North America. The next major order of Boeing aircraft was for 11 747-100s
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
. BOAC received its first 747 on 22 April 1970 but due to strike action
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
by the British Air Line Pilots' Association
British Air Line Pilots Association
The British Air Line Pilots' Association represents well over 75% of all the fixed wing pilots and helicopter aircrew based in the UK - as well as many working overseas. The Association has a membership of over 10,000 professional flight crew, working in companies large and small...
the aircraft did not enter commercial service for almost a year, on 14 April 1971.
In 1962, BOAC and Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
formed BOAC-Cunard Ltd to operate scheduled services to North America, the Caribbean and South America. BOAC provided 70% of the new company's capital and eight Boeing 707s. The independent Cunard Eagle Airways, of which Cunard held a 60% shareholding, provided two more 707s. BOAC-Cunard leased any spare capacity to BOAC which could use it to supplement the main BOAC fleet at peak demand and in a reciprocal arrangement BOAC would provide capacity to BOAC-Cunard on some operations when it had a shortfall. The effect was to remove competition on western routes. The operation was dissolved in 1966.
Dissolution
On 1 September 1972, the British Airways Board was formed, a holding board that controlled BOAC and BEA. On 31 March 1974, both the BOAC and BEA were dissolved and their operations merged to form British Airways.BOAC would have become one of the first operators of the Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
had it not merged to become British Airways. BA's Concordes carried registrations of G-BOAA to G-BOAG. The first Concorde delivered to British Airways was actually registered G-BOAC.
Aircraft operated
- Airspeed ConsulAirspeed Consul-See also:-References:...
(1949) - Airspeed OxfordAirspeed OxfordThe Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
(1948) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley 5Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyThe Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
(1942) - Armstrong Whitworth EnsignArmstrong Whitworth Ensign|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. New York: Crescent Books, 1988. ISBN 0-517-67964-7.-External links:* *...
(1939) - Avro LancasterAvro LancasterThe Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
(1944) - Avro LancastrianAvro Lancastrian|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6....
(1945) - Avro Tudor 1Avro TudorAvro's Type 688 Tudor was a British piston-engined airliner based on their four-engine Lincoln bomber, itself a descendant of the famous Lancaster heavy bomber, and was Britain's first pressurised airliner...
(1946) - Avro YorkAvro YorkThe Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
(1944) - Bristol BritanniaBristol BritanniaThe Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
(1955) - Boeing 314ABoeing 314The Boeing 314 Clipper was a long-range flying boat produced by the Boeing Airplane Company between 1938 and 1941 and is comparable to the British Short S.26. One of the largest aircraft of the time, it used the massive wing of Boeing’s earlier XB-15 bomber prototype to achieve the range necessary...
(1941) - Boeing 377 StratocruiserBoeing 377 StratocruiserThe Boeing 377, also called the Stratocruiser, was a large long range airliner which was built after World War II. It was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter, a military derivative of the B-29 Superfortress used for troop transport...
(1949) - Boeing 707Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
(1960) - Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
(1969) - Canadair C-4 ArgonautCanadair North StarThe Canadair North Star was a 1940s Canadian development of the Douglas C-54 / DC-4 aircraft. Instead of radial piston engines found on the Douglas design, Canadair employed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in order to achieve a 35 mph faster cruising speed. The prototype flew on 15 July 1946 and...
(1949) - Consolidated Model 28 CatalinaPBY CatalinaThe Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
(1940) - ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
(test flown during the latter years of BOAC, before being passed on to British Airways for passenger services.) - Consolidated Model 32 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(1941) - Curtis Wright CW-20 (1941)
- de Havilland DH.91 AlbatrossDe Havilland Albatross|-See also:...
(1940) - de Havilland DH.95 FlamingoDe Havilland Flamingo|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bain, Gordon. De Havilland: A Pictorial Tribute. London: AirLife, 1992. ISBN 1-85648-243-X.* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "De Havilland's War Orphan." Air Enthusiast. Number 30, March-June 1996, pp. 1—10. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press.*...
(1940) - de Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland MosquitoThe de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
(1943) - de Havilland DH.104 DoveDe Havilland DoveThe de Havilland DH.104 Dove was a British monoplane short-haul airliner from de Havilland, the successor to the biplane de Havilland Dragon Rapide and was one of Britain's most successful post-war civil designs...
(1946) - de Havilland CometDe Havilland CometThe de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
(1951) - Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
(1940) - Douglas DC-7CDouglas DC-7The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
(1956) - Focke-Wulf Fw 200B CondorFocke-Wulf Fw 200The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
(1940) - Handley Page HalifaxHandley Page HalifaxThe Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
(1946) - Handley Page Halton (1946)
- Handley Page HermesHandley Page HermesThe Handley Page HP 81 Hermes was a British civilian airliner built by Handley Page in the 1940s and 50s. Closely related to Handley Page's Hastings military transport, the Hermes was a low-wing monoplane powered by four piston engines...
(1949) - Lockheed ConstellationLockheed ConstellationThe Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
(1946) - Lockheed HudsonLockheed HudsonThe Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
(1941) - Lockheed LodestarLockheed LodestarThe Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
(1941) - Short EmpireShort EmpireThe Short Empire was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, that flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia...
(1936) - Short SunderlandShort SunderlandThe Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
(1942) - Short S.26Short S.26|-See also:-External link:* after conversion for RAF use...
(1939) - Short Empire (1938)
- Short SandringhamShort Sandringham- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
(1947) - Short SolentShort Solent- External links :* * *...
(1946) - Vickers VC10Vickers VC10The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...
(1964) - Vickers WarwickVickers WarwickThe Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
(1942)
Fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAC/Sud Concorde | 0 | 0 | Eight on option |
| Boeing SST Boeing 2707 The Boeing 2707 was developed as the first American supersonic transport . After winning a competition for a government-funded contract to build an American SST, Boeing began development at its facilities in Seattle, Washington... |
0 | 0 | Six on option |
| Boeing 707-300 | 6 | 4 | |
| Boeing 707-400 | 18 | 0 | |
| Boeing 747-100 | 3 | 12 | |
| BAC VC10 | 11 | 0 | |
| BAC Super VC10 | 17 | 0 | |
| Total | 52 | 16 |
Incidents
- On 23 May 1940, Armstrong Whitworth EnsignArmstrong Whitworth Ensign|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. New York: Crescent Books, 1988. ISBN 0-517-67964-7.-External links:* *...
G-ADTA Euryalus crash-landed at RAF LympneRAF LympneRAF Lympne was a Royal Air Force station used during the First and Second World Wars. It opened in 1916 by the Royal Flying Corps as an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returned from, France. It was later designated as a First Class Landing Ground...
and was damaged. The aircraft was one of six that escaped after a LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
raid on Merville Airfield, France. The intended destination was Croydon. Approaching the English coast, first she lost her port inner engine and the pilot set course for RAF HawkingeRAF HawkingeRAF Hawkinge was an airfield in Kent, near to the south coast and the closest airfield to the French coast.It took part in the Battle of Britain and it was home to No. 79 Squadron RAF. After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as...
. A short time later her starboard inner engine also had to be shut down. The pilot changed course for Lympne. On landing, the starboard undercarriage was not fully down, causing the wing to scrape the ground and the aircraft to go through a fence as no braking was attempted. Euryalus was flown to RAF Hamble in June, but it was decided to cannibalise her to repair G-ADSU Euterpe which had been damaged in an accident at Bonnington on 15 December 1939. Euryalus was officially written off on 15 November 1941 and scrapped in September 1942. - A Consolidated Liberator C I, registered G-AGDR, was shot down by a Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Supermarine SpitfireSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
in error over the English Channel near Plymouth, England on 15 February 1943. - On 1 June 1943 a Douglas DC-3 registered G-AGBB on Flight 777BOAC Flight 777BOAC Flight 777-A, a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation civilian airline flight on 1 June 1943 from Portela Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, to Whitchurch Airport near Bristol, United Kingdom, was attacked by eight German Junkers Ju 88s and crashed into the Bay of Biscay, killing 17 "souls...
was shot down over the Bay of BiscayBay of BiscayThe Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
by GermanNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Junkers Ju 88Junkers Ju 88The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
s. All seventeen crew and passengers were killed, including actor Leslie HowardLeslie Howard (actor)Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
. There has been widespread speculation that the downing was an attempt to kill British Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. - 28 July 1943 A Short Sunderland, registered G-AGES, crashed into a hill in Dingle PeninsulaDingle PeninsulaThe Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsulae in County Kerry. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.-Name:...
near the village of BrandonBrandon, County KerryCé Bhréannain or Bréanainn is a Gaeltacht village on the northern coast of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland...
in the Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on a flight from LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to FoynesFoynesFoynes is a village and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. The population of the town was 606 as of the 2006 census.-Foynes's role in aviation:...
. The crash killed 10 passengers and crew out of 25 on board. - 17 December 1943 A Lockheed Lodestar, registered G-AGDE, crashed into the sea off LeucharsLeucharsLeuchars is a small town near the north-east coast of Fife in Scotland.The town is nearly to the north of the village of Guardbridge, which lies on the north bank of the River Eden where it widens to the Edenmouth estuary before joining the North Sea at St Andrews Bay. Leuchars is north-east of...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on a flight from RAF LeucharsRAF LeucharsRAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
to Stockholm-Bromma AirportStockholm-Bromma AirportStockholm-Bromma Airport is an airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm-Bromma Airport is located west northwest of downtown Stockholm and is the closest to the city...
. The accident killed all 10 passengers and crew on board the flight. - 11 January 1947, Douglas C-47A G-AGJX crashed1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 crashThe 1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 Crash occurred on 11 January 1947 when Douglas C-47A G-AGJX of British Overseas Airways Corporation crashed into a hill at Stowting, Kent, in southeast England, killing five people outright, with a further three dying from injuries received. The aircraft had been...
at StowtingStowtingStowting lies between Canterbury, Folkestone, Ashford and Hythe. In 1947, a Douglas C-47A crashed on the hillside above the village, killing eight of the 16 people on board.There is a Church of England Primary school.-External links:*...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
whilst on an international scheduled flight from Heathrow to West Africa via Bordeaux. A number of attempts were made to divert in poor weather. The aircraft crashed whilst attempting to land at LympneLympne AirportLympne Airport , , was a military and later civil airfield at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France during the First World War...
. Eight people were killed and eight injured of the five crew and 11 passengers. - 2 May 1953 A de Havilland Comet I registered G-ALYV crashed near Calcutta, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
after a structural failure of the airframe, when the flight took off from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International AirportNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International AirportNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...
on a flight to Delhi. The crash killed all 43 passengers and crew on board the Comet aircraft. - 10 January 1954 - Flight 781BOAC Flight 781On 10 January 1954, British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 781 a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 registered G-ALYP, took off from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, en route to Heathrow Airport in London, England, on the final leg of its flight from Singapore...
, a de Havilland Comet I registered G-ALYP ("Yoke-Peter"), took off from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy en route to Heathrow Airport in London, England when it suffered an explosive decompression at altitude and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing everyone on board. - On 13 March 1954 a Lockheed Constellation, registered G-ALAM, crashed landed at Kallang AirportKallang AirportThe Kallang Airport , also known as the Kallang Aerodrome, Kallang Airfield and RAF Kallang, opened in 1937 as Singapore's first purpose-built civil airport, together with an anchorage for seaplanes. Land was reclaimed in the Kallang Basin to turn the swampy area into a circular-shaped airfield and...
after a flight from JakartaJakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
. Killing 33 people out of 40 passengers and crew on board. - 8 April 1954 - de Havilland Comet I, registered G-ALYY ("Yoke-Yoke"), was operating as South African Airways Flight 201South African Airways Flight 201South African Airways Flight 201, a de Havilland Comet 1, took off at 18:32 UTC from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy en route to Cairo, Egypt, on the second stage of its flight from London to Johannesburg, South Africa. The flight crashed, killing all aboard at around 19:07 UTC on 8 April 1954...
when it crashed into the MediterraneanMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
near NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy. - Early on Christmas Day 25 December 1954, at 0330 hours, a British Overseas Airways Corporation Boeing 377 Stratocruiser crashed on landing at Prestwick, killing 28 of the 36 passengers and crew onboard. The aircraft had been en route from London to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, when, on approach to Prestwick, it entered a steep descent before levelling-out too late and too severely, hitting the ground short of the runway. A number of factors have been attributed to the cause of the crash, including pilot fatigue (the captain was well over his duty limit due to the aircraft being delayed), the landing lights at Prestwick being out of action due to repair and the First Officer either not hearing a command from the Captain for landing lights (which may have helped judge the low cloud base) or mistakenly hitting the flaps, causing the aircraft to stall. - A Canadair ArgonautCanadair North StarThe Canadair North Star was a 1940s Canadian development of the Douglas C-54 / DC-4 aircraft. Instead of radial piston engines found on the Douglas design, Canadair employed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in order to achieve a 35 mph faster cruising speed. The prototype flew on 15 July 1946 and...
registration G-ALHL crashed on its fourth attempt to land at Tripoli International AirportTripoli International AirportThe Tripoli International Airport is an international airport that serves Tripoli, Libya. It is operated by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau of Libya and is the nation's largest airport...
after a flight from LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on the 21 September 1955. The accident killed 15 passengers and crew out of 47 people on board. - On 24 June 1956 Canadair Argonaut registration G-ALHE crashed after taking off1956 BOAC Argonaut accidentThe 1956 BOAC Argonaut accident occurred on 24 June 1956 when a British Overseas Airways Corporation four-engined Canadair C-4 Argonaut airliner registered G-ALHE crashed into a tree on departure from Kano Airport in Nigeria, three crew and 29 passengers were killed.-Accident:At 17:21 the...
from Mallam Aminu Kano International AirportMallam Aminu Kano International AirportMallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same...
on a flight to Tripoli International Airport. The crash killed 32 passengers and crew out of 45 people on board. - A Bristol Britannia 312 G-AOVD crashed during a test flight near Winkton England on the morning of 24 December 1958.
- On 5 March 1966 Flight 911BOAC flight 911BOAC Flight 911 was a round-the-world flight operated by British Overseas Airways Corporation.On 5 March 1966, the Boeing 707-436 operating this flight was commanded by Captain Bernard Dobson, 45, from Dorset, an experienced 707 pilot who had been flying these aircraft since November 1960.The...
operated by a Boeing 707 registered G-APFE, crashed on Mount FujiMount Fujiis the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
after experiencing clear air turbulence. All 124 on board died. - On 9 April 1968 Flight 712BOAC Flight 712BOAC Flight 712 for Monday 8 April 1968 was a British Overseas Airways Corporation service operated by a Boeing 707-465 from London Heathrow Airport bound for Sydney via Kloten, Zürich and Singapore, which suffered an engine failure at takeoff that quickly led to a major fire. The engine fell...
crashed after a Rolls-Royce Conway engine exploded and broke-off the wing of a Boeing 707 (G-ARWE) following take-off from London Heathrow Airport and attempting an emergency landing at Heathrow and caught fire. A stewardess and four passengers were killed and 38 other passengers were injured. The stewardess, Barbara Jane HarrisonBarbara Jane HarrisonBarbara Jane Harrison, GC , was a British air stewardess. She is one of four women to have been awarded the George Cross for heroism, and the only one of the four not to have served with the Special Operations Executive in occupied France during the Second World War...
, was awarded a posthumous George CrossGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for her part in helping passengers escape. - Flight 775 became the first British plane to be hijacked on 9 September 1970 as part of the Dawson's Field hijackingsDawson's Field hijackingsIn the Dawson's Field hijackings five jet aircraft bound for New York City were hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine...
. - On 23 July 1971, BOAC Flight 045, from London to Khartoum, was forced by military jets to landing at BenghaziBenghaziBenghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
at 3.30am. New Sudanese President Babiker El Nur, instated a week previously in a political coup, was instructed to leave the aircraft, otherwise the fighter planes would bomb it. President Babiker El Nur quickly agreed to leave in order to save the lives of the other passengers. He was quickly taken off the aircraft along with his companion, Major Farouk Osman Hamadullah, to be held at gunpoint. Despite the best efforts to save the President and his staff-member, both men were ultimately executed. - On 3 August 1971, BOAC Flight 600 from Montreal to London was diverted to Denver, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
due to a bomb hoax inspired by a TV film Doomsday Flight. The plane travelled 3,200 miles out of its way to land in Denver. The supposed bomb was thought to be triggered by flying below 5,000 feet. Denver's airport was above 5,000 feet.
Popular culture
- Evolutions of the BOAC logo inherited from Imperial Airways, the SpeedbirdSpeedbirdSpeedbird is a call sign used by British Airways during air traffic control procedures, as well as the name for the stylised Imperial Airways and later, British Overseas Airways Corporation emblem.-History:...
, continue to be used as the logo for British Airways, and continues to be used as BA's call signCall signIn broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
. A recent commercial summarizing the history of British Airways shows a BOAC VC10 aircraft. - The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song "Back in the U.S.S.R." (released in 1968 on the White AlbumThe Beatles (album)The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
) begins with the line "Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC". - Bobby BloomBobby BloomRobert "Bobby" Bloom was an American singer-songwriter. He is known best for being a one-hit wonder with the 1970 song, "Montego Bay," which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.-Biography:...
's song "Montego BayMontego Bay (song)"Montego Bay" is a song by Bobby Bloom about the city in Jamaica. The song was a Top 10 hit for Bloom in September 1970 on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart, #5 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles Chart, #7 on the Australian Go-Set Singles Chart and #8 on the US...
" in its first line refers to a jetliner as a "BOAC", pronouncing it as an acronym rather than as an initialism, which was more usual. - The acronym/title "Better on a Camel" was a popular nickname for BOAC