8/13/2019 1998 Q4-Britannia Airways-Holiday Carrier to the World

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Britannia Airways: Holiday Carrier to the World

Britannia Airways is the world's largest holiday airline, offering serviceon a network of flights from the United Kingdom and Europe todestinations around the world.Britannia began operations in !"# under the name Euravia. $he airline flew

three %ockheed &onstellations based at %uton in the United Kingdom. %ate in thesame year, Britannia acuired three more &onstellations and rights to operateadditional services using two Avro (ork )reighters. *n !"+ the airline becameBritannia Airways and renewed its fleet with Bristol Britannia turboprop airliners.$he total number of passengers carried in !"+ was ,#!".

$he following year Britannia, its sister tour operation Universal -kytours, and anumber of other tour operators in the United Kingdom were bought by the$homson &orporation, forming what is today known as the $homson $ravelroup. *n !"", Britannia ordered its first brand/new airplane, the 00/#11, toenter the 2et age. $he airline became the first in Europe to operate the 00/#11,

which brought new standards of speed and comfort to holiday flights. 3ver thecoming years, the 00 carried 1 passengers per flight to destinations up to#,111 miles away.

By !"0, the fleet consisted of seven Britannia airplanes carrying a total of#",41# passengers. Britannia soon became the first charter airline to offerassigned seating, as well as hot in/flight meals. Britannia carried nearly +# millionpassengers between !"4 and !4+, and the fleet grew to include twenty/nineBoeing 00s and two Boeing 0"0s.

*n !4+, Britannia became the first U.K. holiday airline to offer passengers free

in/flight audio and video entertainment when it became the first airline to operatethe Boeing 0"0 in Europe. *n !44, these airplanes were used to begin regularcharter flights from Britain to Australia, as well as to 5ew 6ealand the followingyear. $hat same year Britannia took over 3rion Airways, following the purchaseof 3rion's parent company, 7ori8on $ravel, by the $homson $ravel roup.

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Britannia moderni8ed its fleet in the !!1s and e9panded its route network toholiday destinations in Asia, &anada, -outh Africa, and the United -tates.:uring!!0, + percent of Britannia's flights were to long/haul destinations.

$o operate holiday flights for erman tour operators, Britannia formed a wholly

owned subsidiary company based in ermany in !!0. $he airline, known asBritannia Airways mb7, operates a fleet of two 0"0/11s. $he inaugural flightdeparted from Berlin to the :ominican ;epublic on 5ov. , !!0. Britannia

Airways mb7 currently employs about #11 people, with flights originating fromBerlin, &ologne, )rankfurt, 7amburg, 7anover,