There have been more start-up airline attempts than you might think over the years at Teesside, only three have made it to fruition, even then some were short-lived. Aircam Aviation operated a single Belfast City route in association with Gill Air from December 1993 to October 1994 having started life as an air charter operator in 1989. Casair Aviation Services are our best known home-grown airline, like Aircam they started life as an air charter operator in 1972, expanding into scheduled routes in 1980, building up an extensive regional connectivity network over the next two years when they were merged into two other carriers to form Genair. Following the failure of Genair in 1984, airport bosses valued the services more than owed fees and as such Casair was reborn, eventually going bankrupt in 1988. Finally Teesside Aviation with links to a based flying school began a London Stansted service from May through to December 1994, initially in partnership with BAC Express Airlines, before switching to Air Swift. Their relationship with the latter soured and Air Swift decided to continue the route on their own, with no further records of Teesside Aviation.
But what of the start-ups that never made it even that far? We’re sure this list is not exhaustive, but here are those we know of, most of which were to be headquartered at Teesside, others elsewhere but Teesside was included in their plans right from the off.
British Northern Airlines
The first reference we have to British Northern is from February 1990, all of our sources other than the attached timetable refer to British Northern Airways. The Teesside Aviation Letter in February 1990 states the following:
“A new airline – BRITISH NORTHERN AIRWAYS – has applied to the C.A.A. for a twice daily service between Teesside and Brussels plus a daily return flight between Teesside and Dublin. The operating licence will only be granted if the company can satisfy various financial and operating criteria. The new airline is also said to be interested in restarting the Carlisle — LHR link among others and could eventually start a Teesside – Paris service. Aircraft being looked at are known to be turbo-prop 30-50 seat types and will have an executive lay out.”
The April edition of TAL reports simply that discussions were continuing and that they have expressed interest in the recently vacated London Gatwick service.
The October edition offers a more elaborate update:
“BRITISH NORTHERN AIRWAYS have been awarded the licence for the Teesside-Brussels route which will commence at the end of March next year operated with ATR 42 equipment – an aircraft type which has not as yet been seen at Teesside. The flight will originate at Carlisle as will a number of continental destinations which the airline hopes to be operating in the future through Teesside.”
The airline is officially acknowledged in the Winter 1990/1 timetable as launching new services to Brussels and Dublin, the applications for Belfast and Paris in the same photo were also thought to be by them.
Back to the Teesside Aviation Letter and the November edition offers a further update which hints at a slight regression:
“The proposed new service to Brussels next Spring by BRITISH NORTHERN AIRWAYS now hinges on whether or not the airline is granted a slot for a Carlisle – LHR service. This route is seen as being the most lucrative by B.N.A. and without it no others could go ahead. The company hopes to persuade the Transport Secretary, Cecil Parkinson, it is taking over a former service rather than starting a new one, to gain permission to fly into London.”
The December edition is positive again and notes that in addition to the previously mentioned Brussels, Dublin and Paris, the start-up hopes to add an as yet undecided German destination. February 1991 suggests some frustration at the lack of progress:
“There is still no news of BRITISH NORTHERN AIRWAYS applications for route licences through Teesside although the one they want — CARLISLE to LHR — to make it viable to operate the others could be awarded following the C.A.A.’s advice to the Government that access to Heathrow should be open to every airline and not just the minority. The Dept. of Transport is considering scrapping the rule which prevents new services into London Heathrow.”
As the April 1991 start date comes and goes, TAL concedes in their April 1991 edition that they will not be commencing operations until late summer or autumn. Nothing further is heard until March 1992 where a passing reference is made noting talks are continuing, with no further detail. September 1992 offers another brief update stating Teesside is now to be the main base instead of Carlisle, with no changes to the proposed routes or aircraft type. The following months edition quotes March 1993 as the start date and notes that a purpose built operations block is in the planning stage for them. February 1993 reports another delay:
“BRITISH NORTHERN AIRWAYS are still hopeful of commencing services to European destinations from Teesside but start dates are continually being put back, mainly due to the prevailing economic climate. As yet B .N .A. are still very much a ‘paper airline’ with no aircraft allocated.”
April 1993 makes no reference to the airline but mentions new services to Paris, Dublin and Brussels should be in operation soon bringing three years of negotiations to an end.
In the May 1993 Teesside Aviation Letter it appears to be game over as B.N.A are reported to have withdrawn their application to the C.A.A for route licences. In August the saga continues as the start-up secures fresh financial backing. Things take an even stranger twist in September with the following report:
“BRITISH NOTHERN AIRWAYS who have long been connected with Teesside have now been joined by NORTH BRITISH AIRLINES who are also hopeful of doing business from Teesside. Dublin, Paris and a German destination are being coupled to these two companies.”
September 1994 states the local media are reporting the airport hopes to serve the above mentioned three destinations soon but no reference is made to the airline, nor is any further reference made thereafter.
City Wings
Not to be confused with the more recent Citywing based in the Isle of Man, City Wings was a proposed start-up looking to link Teesside with Plymouth via Manchester from the early part of 1995. We have no further references to this airline.
Transcity Airlines
Never appeared to operate any services yet existed on paper from 1995-2001 and shared some of the same directors as Teesside Aviation, from the limited information we have, it seems Transcity Airlines may have been attempting to start up at Stansted rather than Teesside.
Celtic Airways
The first mention of Celtic Airways was in December 1998, the below report in the Teesside Air Letter notes that the new start-up plans to operate as a franchise partner of Sabena, the Belgian flag-carrier at the time. Sabena had been sniffing around the route for a number of years prior, around the same time British Northern Airlines were looking to start-up on the same service.
“In the Spring Of 1999 a new airline is expected to commence operations out of Teesside with a service to Brussels. The airline, CELTIC AIRWAYS, will operate the service with a twin turbo prop aircraft of which the company will acquire two, so that other regional airports can also be linked to the continent – Sheffield City, Cork and Newquay have been mentioned. The airline is currently based in Sheffield and is advertising for a small enthusiastic band of cabin crew to be based at Teesside to operate the new service. CELTIC AIRWAYS was set up by Cornish businessman John Orpin, a European funding advisor based in Cornwall who will eventually base his company at Newquay. Negotiations are thought to be taking place for CELTIC to operate a franchise for SABENA, an announcement concerning this is expected in January.”
March 1999 simply states an announcement is expected soon and the next update isn’t until June 2000:
“It cannot be long now before the proposed service from Teesside to Brussels becomes a reality, the aircraft are in place – two ex Jersey European Friendships – and the airline CELTIC AIRWAYS, now known as EUROCELTIC, is in the final stages of planning the route structure. Marketing Manager, John De Uphaugh, is reported as saying they will be providing a quality service focusing on the business community. Local businesses who have expressed an interest in the potential of the new route include the Huntsman Corporation.”
September 2000 reveals a step backwards:
“EUROCELTIC are still having problems in getting their operation off the ground, the two Friendships which were to fly using the Air Operators Certificate of SKYTREK and which were in storage at Lydd have now been moved to Exeter, the AOC of Skytrek no longer available with the collapse of that company.”
October 2000 is once again positive as it appears there has been a mix-up and that EuroCeltic were an unrelated company!
“A further piece of positive news for the airport is that new airline CELTIC AIRWAYS has targeted April 2001 as the start date for a twice daily scheduled service to Brussels from Teesside. This is clearly not EUROCELTIC whose Friendships are currently in store at Exeter. Marketing manager John De Uphaugh says that plans for CELTIC AIRWAYS, who are thought to be going to use Dash 8 equipment, are well advanced and Teesside is an extremely important airport for the emergent airline.”
The final update comes in June 2001 with the news that the airline has ultimately failed:
“CELTIC AIRWAYS which was due to begin twice daily flights from Teesside to Brussels in the near future has been refused access to the airport due to the airlines financial situation. CELTIC were unable to provide the assurances asked for by Teesside Airport concerning their finances and the fact that the lease on their offices at Plymouth Airport had expired due to non—payment of rent made it clear that they were having difficulties. Despite the loss Of CELTIC Teesside continues to try and find ways of expanding its scheduled services.”
Excelsis Airways
The one most will remember and for all the wrong reasons. Most people saw through this from day one but such was the media coverage that we were almost obligated to track any progress. The first mention of Excelsis came in May 2009 with news that an American ex-U.S. Air Force veteran and former British Airways executive was hoping to operate into London Heathrow from July with a Boeing 737-300 in a 44-seat all-business class configuration.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4357684.bid-bring-back-heathrow-flights/
The article expressed the owners intentions to launch six round trips per day and eventually a triangular route between what was still Durham Tees Valley, London Heathrow and London City. With this information alarm bells rang right from the off, first of all was the questionable economics of operating a 737 with just 44-seats but this could perhaps be circumnavigated if done well enough. The main issues were acquiring non-existent slots into City and Heathrow which were both at capacity, but the obvious one was getting a 737 into London City without going for a swim.
Cutting it extremely fine, the website launched towards the end of July – the same month they were supposed to start flying. On the plus side however the website revealed the airlines intention was to now fly DHC-8-Q400 turbo-props three times per day into London City from September – far more viable. Unfortunately things fell apart again when it transpired the website was a carbon copy of that of Canada’s Porter Airlines, who went on recording saying they would take no further action.
In early August, their credibility increased again when an experienced senior management team was appointed with a good track record – the CEO had been involved in the start-up of Hapag Lloyd Express in Germany, and the Flight Operations Director had 20 years experience in the Royal Air Force and more recently the Operations Director position for Royal Jet of the Middle East.
By late August, the media were starting to grow sceptical forcing the man behind the airline to defend the project, revealing himself for the first time in the process. Not the previously quoted ex U.S. Air Force veteran, but rather a Nigerian businessman, which raised suspicion levels to fever pitch.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4560250.ill-prove-air-link-doubters-wrong/
To reclaim public support, the founder paraded his senior management team in front of the press at the end of August and revealed they had lined up £10m in funding (about the right amount for a start-up in that period), but declined to name the backers.
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/airline-behind-planned-tees-valley-london-3716298
On 13th October 2009, it all falls apart as the management team resigns having not received any form of payment and the fraud squad is called in.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4679281.excelsis-airlines—fraud-squad-called/
To this day we cannot see what Victor Bassey hoped to achieve, perhaps he thought if he gained enough traction the necessary financial investment would be forthcoming? He was later arrested, charged, sentenced to two years in prison, after which he was deported.
Unknown leisure operator
An attempt to start a leisure airline in late 2017/early 2018 was not successful.
Are you aware of any other attempts at airline start-ups involving Teesside International Airport? Let us know in the comments!