Laker Airways (The Bahamas)
| |||||||
| Founded | 1992 (Laker Bahamas) 1996 (Laker Inc) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size |
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| Destinations | London Gatwick Airport Manchester Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport Miami International Airport Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Raleigh-Durham International Airport Richmond International Airport Nashville International Airport Palm Beach International Airport (West Palm Beach) | ||||||
| Headquarters | The Bahamas | ||||||
| Key people | Sir Freddie Laker Oscar Wyatt | ||||||
Laker Airways (Bahamas) was an airline founded in 1992,[1] which operated until 2005.
History
Laker Airways (Bahamas) was a US-registered airline based in the Bahamas to which Sir Freddie Laker lent his name and operational expertise. The airline was established in 1992 with financial assistance from Oscar Wyatt, a Texas oilman and business partner of Sir Freddie Laker.[1] The initial fleet comprised two Boeing 727-200 Advanced narrowbodied jet aircraft.[1] Laker Airways (Bahamas) stopped operating in 2005 when the firm was wound up.[2]
In 1996 Sir Freddie Laker and his business partner Oscar Wyatt established Laker Airways, Inc as a sister airline to Laker Airways (Bahamas) to follow in the original, UK-based Laker Airways's footsteps.[3] Laker Airways Mark II leased two McDonnell Douglas DC-10 widebodied jets to operate low-fare, high quality transatlantic scheduled services, which commenced on 5 July 1996 between Fort Lauderdale in Florida and London Gatwick at a frequency of two return flights per week.[3][4][5] Additional scheduled services subsequently linked Orlando with Manchester and Glasgow Prestwick.[4] Laker Airways, Inc ceased operations in 1998.[6]
Destinations in 1994
According to the September 15, 1994 edition of the Official Airline Guide (OAG]), the airline was operating nonstop Boeing 727-200 jet service between its main base in Freeport, Bahamas (FPO) and the following U.S. destinations:[7]
- Baltimore, Maryland (BWI)
- Birmingham, Alabama (BHM)
- Chicago, Illinois - O'Hare Airport (ORD)
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL)
- Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina (GSP)
- Memphis, Tennessee (MEM)
- Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (RDU)
- Richmond, Virginia (RIC)
- West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI)
Historical Fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Registration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 727-2J7 | 2 | N552NA, N533NA | Laker Airways (Bahamas) |
| Boeing 727-247 | 1 | N580CR | Laker Airways (Bahamas) |
| Boeing 727-223 | 2 | N706AA, N707AA | Laker Airways (Bahamas) |
| Boeing 727-281 | 3 | N743US, N740US, N745US | Laker Airways (Bahamas) |
| Douglas DC-10-30F | 1 | N832LA | Laker Airways, Inc |
| Douglas DC-10-10 | 1 | N834LA | Laker Airways, Inc |
Notes
- ^ a b c Laker resurfaces with new Bahamas airline, Air Transport, Flight International, 8-14 April 1992, p. 8
- ^ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=laker+airways+wikipedia
- ^ a b PR Newswire for Journalists (Florida Attorney General sets July mediation deadline in Laker Airways antitrust suit against British Airways, July 9, 1997)
- ^ a b HighBeam Research (PR Newswire, Laker Airways inaugurates Fort Lauderdale - London schedule service, July 5, 1996)
- ^ No Frills - The Truth behind the Low-cost Revolution in the Skies, Calder, S., Virgin Books, London, 2002, p. 63
- ^ independent.co.uk>News>Obituaries>Sir Freddie Laker (B. Ritchie, The Independent, print edition, 11 February 2006)
- ^ Sept. 15, 1994 OAG Desktop Flight Guide, North American edition
References/External links
- "Airliner Classics (Sir Freddie Laker - The Man Who Gave Us Skytrain, pp. 82-85)". Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. November 2009.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - AirlinersNet Photos
- Code and Aircraft Data[permanent dead link]
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