Dakotas: G-AMPO , G-AMHJ, G-AMPZ , G-AMRA, G-AMSV & MACEDONIAN AVIATION 1971-1974

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Macedonian Aviation was formed in 1971 to operate passenger and cargo charter flights from Southend Airport. The airline was a subsidiary of Roger Byron-Collins’ property company Macedonian Securities whose offices were located in Capital House, Craven Road, London, W2.
The head office of Macedonian Aviation was at Southend Airport and the managing director was Roger Byron-Collins and the Chief Pilot/General Manager was Harry Chang. Their fleet comprised Five DC-3 and one DH104 Dove.
The new airline was initially based at Luton airport operating under McAlpine Aviation’s AOC with a DH Dove G-APZU that was acquired from Lulsgate Air Services. Macedonian then secured their own AOC. In July 1972 they acquired from British Aircraft Corporation their Filton based DC3 G-AMPO. It immediately went into operation after a change of livery at Leavesden by flying to Beirut Lebanon. Macedonian’s CEO and a group of 25 British guests attending a wedding were caught up in the aftermath of the murder of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics and had to be rescued under fire from Beirut airport. Escorted by Israeli fighter aircraft G-AMPO and its passengers escaped to Nicosia Cyprus. Full commercial charter began operations on November 5, with a passenger flight by the Dakota between Southend to Rotterdam. Freight charters were also undertaken, amongst which was a series of movements to Brussels and Saarbrücken carrying car parts for the Ford Motor Company.
1973 proved very busy for this emergent airline, with passenger and cargo flights to numerous destinations around the UK and Europe many for Conoco oil company ranging as far afield as Bergen, Malta and Libya. Occasional scheduled services were also carried out on behalf of Intra Airways.
In December 1973, Macedonian’s Dakota headed north to Aberdeen to undertake a series of oil-rig support sub-charters on behalf of Site Aviation. Developing business in this area warranted the purchase of additional aircraft and thus in March 1974, the company obtained three additional Dakotas from British Island Airways. Two of these machines, G-AMHJ and G-AMRA, were in convertible passenger-cargo configuration and were placed in service on the Aberdeen-Sumburgh (Shetlands) route with a scheduled service in conjunction with BEA. The original Dakota operated primarily from Southend on ad-hoc charters, which took it to such European destinations as Lisbon and Gibraltar as well as the near Continent.
From April 1974, Macedonian briefly became a scheduled operator for a second time when it took over the Rotterdam-Le Havre service of Maastricht-based Limburg Airlines, then undergoing reorganisation. By this time oil support work had became the prime source of the airline’s revenue, but the contractors were now demanding the use of turboprop equipment for their air services. Faced with this fait accompli, tentative negotiations were initiated with Air Canada, Aer Lingus and Eastern Provincial for the purchase of either surplus Vickers Viscounts or several of EPA’s HP Heralds. The managing director Roger Byron-Collins realised at the time that an entire turbo prop operation was a necessity and made a decision to dispose of the business as a going concern.
Unfortunately, the new owners were unable to obtain the necessary finance to support this new equipment and lacking any viable alternative, Macedonian was forced to cease operations on November 6, 1974.
Fleet List: DH.104 Dove 6: G-APZU (04511) Douglas Dakota: G-AMPO (16437/33185), G-AMHJ (13468), G-AMPZ (16124/32872) Intra Airways 11/12.73, G-AMRA (15290/26735), G-AMSV (16072/32820)