Hi Luke some info for you about EAL.
European Air Charter began in 1989, as European Aviation. The equipment the airline used at first was rather old BAC-111 jets, which had been first built during the 1960s. The aircraft were flown over from Australia, as their previous owner was the Royal Australian Air Force.
European Aviation’s was initially based in the building where the British Aircraft Corporation used to make aircrft such as the Viscount and, coincidentally, the BAC-111s that the airline was operating. European Air Charter has flown from Bournemouth-Hum International Airport since its beginning, making the airport a hub for the airline. The airport has since become an alternative to London’s major airports, and Palmair also has a hub there.
The airline was profitable, so the company expanded its operation into other areas such as flight crew training, maintenance for other operators and leasing and selling aircraft.
In 1993, the company directors took the decision of changing European Aviation’s name to European Aviation Air Charter, or EAC for short. That same year, twenty other BAC-111s were bought from British airline industry giant British Airways.
This move was made so that the airline could include tour groups among its charter clients. By then the airline also operated the far newer Airbus A300 jets as well as examples of the American Boeing 737 type. Many of European’s Boeing 737s used to fly for the former national airline of Belgium, Sabena, an airline that disappeared after the September 11, 2001 attacks. By 1997 European had acquired some Boeing 727 airliners as well.
European Air Charter asked for permission to land at JFK International Airport in New York, Chicago and other US and Canadian destinations in 2001. Due to the volume of passengers the airline projected to transport on each flight to North America, Boeing 747s were bought, once again from British Airways. A total of six former British Airways aircraft of that type entered service with the airline after the permits were granted.
Although black and silver became prevalent colors in the airline’s livery after operating with a standard (for European Aviation) red and white livery, the airline reminded some of Braniff because, after the 747s arrived, the airline’s livery also featured lines that crossed both their airplanes’ fuselages and engines. The colors used for that line included pink, blue, yellow, red and others.
European Air Charter has formed an association with Palmair, which sometimes flies over passengers to Bournemouth so they can board the European Air Charter jets to North America. In 2003, the airline released a DVD with world air routes, a film company that dedicates to profile airlines, their routes and services. In addition, the airline has commissioned the C&C toy company of China to release aircraft models bearing their livery.
I also hear they are getting some BAe 146 is this true Jethro?
James
cheers for that mate i know have an idea of what there doing now.
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