Highland Express Airways
Encyclopedia
Highland Express Airways was an airline
based in Scotland
. Its main base was at Prestwick International Airport
. It ceased operations in 1987.
and operated a daily service between Prestwick
and Newark
Initially scheduled to begin flying on the day of the Scottish International Airshow at Prestwick on Sat 30-May-1987 to New York / Newark and Toronto, things began to go wrong quite early when the Toronto route licence was not forthcoming and their sole B747 was delivered weeks late.
Operations finally began between Stansted / Prestwick and Newark with flight VY201 routing STN-PIK-EWR on Tuesday 30-June-1987, operations ex Birmingham were operated from Sat 4-July-1987, flight VY211. Initially 4 STN and 3 BHX rotations were planned weekly, however after a few weeks the Monday am EWR-PIK-STN flight routed onto BRU for maintenance with Sabena, returning on a Tuesday.
With passengers numbers not meeting targets and debts mounting, a short lived service starting at Gatwick to Newark via Prestwick was launched in November but some three weeks later the lessors of the 747, Citicorp called in the receivers and repossessed the 747 which was in Brussels on maintenance.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland 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...
. Its main base was at Prestwick International Airport
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is an international airport serving the Greater Glasgow urban area, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and 32 miles from the city centre of Glasgow....
. It ceased operations in 1987.
History
The airline was formed in 1984 by Randolph FieldsRandolph Fields
Randolph Fields was an Anglo-American lawyer who founded British Atlantic Airways which later became Virgin Atlantic Airways. After differences with Richard Branson, Fields sold his share of Virgin Atlantic in 1985, becoming a sterling millionaire...
and operated a daily service between Prestwick
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is an international airport serving the Greater Glasgow urban area, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and 32 miles from the city centre of Glasgow....
and Newark
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
Initially scheduled to begin flying on the day of the Scottish International Airshow at Prestwick on Sat 30-May-1987 to New York / Newark and Toronto, things began to go wrong quite early when the Toronto route licence was not forthcoming and their sole B747 was delivered weeks late.
Operations finally began between Stansted / Prestwick and Newark with flight VY201 routing STN-PIK-EWR on Tuesday 30-June-1987, operations ex Birmingham were operated from Sat 4-July-1987, flight VY211. Initially 4 STN and 3 BHX rotations were planned weekly, however after a few weeks the Monday am EWR-PIK-STN flight routed onto BRU for maintenance with Sabena, returning on a Tuesday.
With passengers numbers not meeting targets and debts mounting, a short lived service starting at Gatwick to Newark via Prestwick was launched in November but some three weeks later the lessors of the 747, Citicorp called in the receivers and repossessed the 747 which was in Brussels on maintenance.
Fleet
The Highland Express fleet consisted of one aircraft. The registration was G-HIHO which was eventually bought by Virgin Atlantic before being scrapped.- 1 Boeing 747-100Boeing 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...