Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited was a British airline formed during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, a subsidiary of

Airco The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early United Kingdom, British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the wor ...

. It was the first airline to operate a regular international flight (between London and Paris).

History

On 5 October 1916, Aircraft Transport and Travel (AT&T) was formed by

George Holt Thomas George Holt Thomas (31 March 1869 – 1 January 1929) aviation industry pioneer and newspaper proprietor. Holt Thomas founded, in 1911, the business which became Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited or Airco. Son and grandson of successful ar ...

. Using a fleet of former military

Airco DH.4A The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Air ...

biplanes, it operated relief flights between

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

and

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

. On 15 July 1919, the company flew a proving flight across the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

, despite a lack of support from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

government. Flown by Lt. H. Shaw in an

Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 (from de Havilland 9) – also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 – was a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War. The DH.9 was a development of Airco's earlier successful ...

between

RAF Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...

and

Paris–Le Bourget Airport Paris–Le Bourget Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget) is an airport located within portions of the communes of Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, Dugny and Gonesse, north-northeast of Paris, France. Once Paris's principal ...

, the flight took 2 hours and 30 minutes, and cost £21 per passenger. On 25 August 1919, the company used DH.16s to start a regular service from

Hounslow Heath Aerodrome Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main r ...

to Le Bourget, the first regular (daily) international service in the world. The airline soon gained a reputation for reliability, despite problems with bad weather. In November 1919, it won the first British civil

airmail Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be the ...

contract. Six

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

Airco DH.9A The Airco DH.9A was a British single-engined light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. It was a development of the unsuccessful Airco DH.9 bomber, featuring a strengthened structure and, crucially, repl ...

aircraft, modified with

Napier Lion The Napier Lion is a 12-cylinder, petrol-fueled 'broad arrow' W12 configuration aircraft engine built by D. Napier & Son from 1917 until the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day and kept it in produ ...

engines were lent to the company from October 1919, to operate the airmail service between

Hawkinge Hawkinge ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3 km) due east of the present village centre; the village of Hawkinge wa ...

and

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, which Aircraft Transport and Travel took over from the RAF on 15 August 1919. In 1920, they were returned to the Royal Air Force. In February 1920, with its parent Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco), AT&T, also known as Airco Air Express, became part of the BSA Group. It continued operations, under the control of Frank Searle of

Daimler Hire Daimler Hire Limited provided a luxury chauffeur-driven Daimler limousine-hire-service from Knightsbridge in London. Incorporated in 1919 to take over the operations of Daimler's hire department, Daimler Hire was a subsidiary of Daimler Company. ...

. As well as the London (Hounslow) to Paris service, AT&T also operated a

Croydon Airport Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main air ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

service on behalf of

KLM KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally ''Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amste ...

. On 17 May 1920, a DH.16 (G-EALU) of AT&T operated the first

service between London and Amsterdam. AT&T continued to operate, but Daimler-BSA withdrew support, and overcome with debt in November 1920 it was placed in liquidation, and on 17 December 1920, it ran its last service. Early in 1921, its assets were purchased by Daimler and rolled with Daimler Air Hire Limited into a new company called Daimler Airway Limited which continued the services. By 1921, six companies operated a London to Paris service, three

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and three

. The French airlines were receiving subsidies from the French government, and in protest the three British airlines stopped services on 28 February 1921.Ray Bonds, ''The Story of Aviation: A Concise History of Flight'' (Greenhill Books, 1997) p. 37

Legacy

Through a series of takeovers and mergers, the modern-day

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...

can trace part of its legacy back to Aircraft Transport and Travel.

Aircraft

Airco DH.4 The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Air ...

A *

Airco DH.6 The Airco DH.6 was a British military Trainer (aircraft), trainer biplane used by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. Known by various nicknames, including the "Clutching hand" and "Skyhook", many survived to be used as a civil ligh ...

* Airco DH.9B *

de Havilland DH.16 The Airco DH.16 was a British four-seat commercial biplane of the 1910s designed by Geoffrey de Havilland, the chief designer at Airco. Design and development The DH.16 was a redesigned Airco DH.9A with a wider fuselage, accommodating an enclos ...

de Havilland DH.18 The de Havilland DH.18 was a single-engined British biplane transport aircraft of the 1920s built by de Havilland. Design and development The DH.18 was designed and built in 1919 by Airco as their first aircraft specifically for commercial wor ...

References

* * *

External links

British Airways history 1910-1919
{{Authority control Airlines established in 1916 Defunct airlines of the United Kingdom Airlines disestablished in 1921 1916 establishments in England 1921 disestablishments in England British companies disestablished in 1921 British companies established in 1916 sr:Ваздушни саобраћај

History

Legacy

Aircraft

See also

References

External links