Heavylift Cargo Air
| File:G-BEPS Short SC.5 Belfast C.1 of HeavyLift Cargo Airlines @ STN 1991.jpg | |
| Founded | 31 October 1978 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 15 March 1980 |
| Ceased operations | 11 September 2002 |
| Secondary hubs | London-Stansted, Bournemouth |
| Alliance | Air Foyle |
| Subsidiaries | Prime Airlines |
| Parent company |
|
| Headquarters | Takeley (Herts) |
| Key people | Michael Hayes Managing Director (at closure9 |
| Website | www.heavylift.co.uk |
Heavylift Cargo Airlines was cargo charter airline based in England. It was specialized in the transport of large and heavy loads.
History
TAC-Heavylift was formed on 31 October 1978 from the heavy transport unit of Trans Meridian Air Cargo (TMAC), originally established in 1962 under the chairmanship of Mike Keegan, whose majority shareholding had been acquired by the Trafalgar House Group in June 1977. Transmeridian's technical director, P.J. McGoldrick held the remaining of the new company and succeeded to the chairmanship.[1] He later would be CEO of Ryanair and founder of both TransAer and EU-Jet. The company had to be the right answer to the growing demand for the transport of outsize loads across the Atlantic by air, for which five Short SC.5 Belfast freighters were purchased surplus from the RAF.[2][3]
After substantial re-engineering work, the first of these achieved its CofA early in March 1980. The first commercial operation took place on 15 of the same month, uplifting a cargo of agricultural machinery from Amsterdam to Sebha in Libya. With its capacious 321.3 cu.m cargo hold and 38.6 tonne lifting potential, there was an immediate demand for the Belfast's capabilities and a contract was soon concluded.[4]
Heavylift Cargo Airlines
On 1 September 1980 the airline was renamed Heavylift Cargo Airlines Ltd..[5] By the end of 1981 three Belfasts were in service allowing contract charters on behalf of the aerospace industry, including the movement of major BAC One-Eleven components, and Boeing 767 tail panels. Similar work on behalf of Fokker involved the airlifting of complete F27 airframes back to Holland for repair. The airline began a cooperation with Irish airline Aer Turas in 1983, from whom a Conroy CL-44-0 was wet-leased and flown in Heavylift livery for the next ten years, joined briefly by a Canadair CL-44 for a few months until its withdrawal in 1990.[6][7]
In 1989, Boeing 707 freighters were leased preparatory to delivery of Heavylift's own aircraft at the beginning of 1990.[8] The air carrier developed its relationship with the automotive industry by securing a contract with Ford to fly car parts in the winter of 1990/91. For this purpose, three Europe-based Lockheed Hercules were wet-lease, with a fourth machine positioned at Singapore to handle Far East business.
Ukrainian connection
A major change in operations came late in 1991 with the establishment of a joint operation with Antonov Design Bureau-backed Volga-Dnepr Airlines (at Ulyanovsk, in Ukraine) to offer the 150-tonne capacity Antonov An-124 Ruslan freighter to high-volume customers. Up to six of these giant aircraft were made available for charters, with three permanently based at London-Stansted airport.[9] In 1997 these aircraft began transporting HS Nimrod airframes from RAF Kinloss to Bournemouth for refurbishing and re-equipment with new electronics. To augment the two Belfasts still in service, further Russian aircraft, in the shape of Antonov 12s and Ilyushin 76s, operating in Heavylift colours, were leased from various East European air carriers.[10]
A change of ownership took place around this time, when the airline passed from Trafalgar House to the Norwegian oil and shipbuilding group, Kvaerner SA. In 1997 contracts were concluded with KLM, Lufthansa and latterly, Air France to Airbus A300, in-house converted to freighters, were leased-in for such operations.[11] In March 1999, Kvaerner announced disposal of its $19m holding in the air carrier to a management buy-out consortium.
In February 2001, the long-standing arrangement with Volga-Dnepr came to an end and in the meantime, Heavylift's major UK competitor, Air Foyle, had reached a similar agreement with the Antonov Design Bureau to market and broker the manufacturer's An-124s.[12] In October 2001, the two British airlines joined forces under the title, Air Foyle-Heavylift, a joint venture to continue this mutually satisfactory arrangement with Antonov Airlines, as it had been renamed the Ukrainian counterpart.[13] The joint venture became the worldwide General Sales Agent of the Antonov Design Bureau of Kyiv, a function previously held by Air Foyle only.
A brief diversion came in the spring of 2001 with the launch of a passenger charter operation under the trading name of Prime Airlines, for which an Airbus A300-200 in 314-seat all- economy configuration was leased.[14] Although the Belfasts continued to be in demand, especially for long-haul transatlantic charters, after more than two decades of continuous civil operations their days were numbered and in March 2002, only a single aircraft remained operational.
Without warning, on 11 September 2002,[15] HC Airlines, as it was trading from 2001, the air carrier ceased trading and called in the receivers, although the co-operative Air Foyle/Antonov venture remained in force until 2006. On 13 September, the airline's lone Belfast returned from its last commercial flight, inbound to Stansted.
The HeavyLift name continued with two new and independent airlines, HeavyLift Cargo Airlines in Australia and HeavyLift International in the UAE, founded by former employees and investors.
Fleet
The airline fleet consisted of the following aircraft types all along operational years:[16]
| Aircraft | Total | In fleet | Decommissioned | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4-203F | 4 | 1997 | 2002 | 1 used for spares only |
| Boeing 707-300C | 3 | 1990 | 1996 | |
| Canadair CL-44J | 1 | 1989 | 1990 | leased from Aer Turas |
| Conroy CL-44-O | 1 | 1982 | 1993 | leased from Aer Turas |
| Lockheed L-382G Hercules | 6 | 1990 | 1991 | all leased |
| Short SC.5 Belfast | 5 | 1978 | 2002 | 1 not converted and scrapped |
Various Antonov 12, Antonov 12B, Antonov 124–100, Ilyushin 76TD operated at different times.
References
- ↑ Wickstead, M.J. (2014). Airlines of the British Isles since 1919. Staplefield (West Sussex - U.K.): Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. pp. 254–255. ISBN 978-0-85130-456-4. Search this book on
- ↑ "TAC Heavy Lift: take off". Cunarder: Journal of the Cunard Shipping Companies: 1. Spring 1980.
- ↑ "One-plane firm arrives at Stansted". Cambridge Daily News. 7 March 1980. p. 19.
- ↑ E., G.G. (26 July 1980). "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 359.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 1431. 16 May 1981.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 843. 31 March 1984.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 97. 14 March 1990.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 97. 14 March 1990.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 86. 25 March 1992.
- ↑ Wickstead, M.J. (2014). Airlines of the British Isles since 1919. Staplefield (West Sussex - U.K.): Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. pp. 254–255. ISBN 978-0-85130-456-4. Search this book on
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 77. 18 March 1998.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 90. 2001.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 84. 2002.
- ↑ "HeavyLift plans passenger flights". Flight Global. 2001-02-06. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ↑ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. London: 90. 2003.
- ↑ Wickstead, M.J. (2014). Airlines of the British Isles since 1919. Staplefield (West Sussex - U.K.): Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-85130-456-4. Search this book on
Further reading
- Brown, David A. (21 April 1980). "U.K. carrier specializes in ouside cargo". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Lower Mahattan: 105-108.
- "HeavyLift report". Flight international. London: 1717-1719. 1 November 1980.
- "HeavyLift". Air Cargo News. Dandalion Heath: 1-4. 16 March 1983.
- "HeavyLift Cargo Airlines". Airline Data News. Feltham (Middlesex - U.K.): 1-4. March 1983.
- Martin, Paul K. (1985). The airline handbook. Cranston (R.I. - USA): Aerotravel Research. pp. 291–292. ISBN 0-914553-85-2. Search this book on
- Apps, john (February 1987). "HeavyLift Cargo Airlines". Air Pictorial. Shoreham Beach: 49-52.
- Endres, Gunter G. (1987). World Airline Fleets. Feltham (Middlesex - U.K.): Browcom Publishing Ltd. p. 92. ISBN 0 946141 30 4. Search this book on
- Endres, Gunter G. (1996). Major airlines of the world. Shrewsbury (U.K.): Airlife Publ. p. 66. Search this book on
- Smith, M.J. jr. (2002). The Airline Encyclopedia. Lanham (Maryland - USA): Scarecrow Press. pp. 1420–1422. Search this book on
- Halford-MacLeod, G. (2010). Britain’s Airlines - Volume III - 1964 to deregulation. U.K. Search this book on
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