page_title: Basil Smallpeice
section_title: BOAC
hierarchical_section_title: Basil Smallpeice / Business career / BOAC
caption_attribution_description: English: DH.106 Comet 3 G-ANLO in BOAC-style markings at Farnborough SBAC Show. Français&#160;: De Havilland Comet 3 G-ANLO dans la livrée de la BOAC au salon aéronautique de Farnborough, en septembre 1954.
context_page_description: Sir Basil Smallpeice, KCVO was an English accountant and businessman, who served as a director of several companies, including the state owned airline British Overseas Airways Corporation, the shipping company Cunard and the mining based conglomerate Lonrho.
  Smallpeice, as financial comptroller and later, managing director, was one of the board of BOAC who was instrumental in purchasing and introducing jet powered aircraft into passenger service. He was responsible for the purchase of the de Havilland Comet, the Boeing 707 and the Vickers VC10. His time at BOAC included the introduction of the Comet 1, the subsequent Comet disasters where metal fatigue caused the in-flight destruction of three aircraft, with a loss of 99 passengers and crew, the re-introduction of the Comet 4 and the inauguration of the first jet-powered transatlantic services in October 1958. He would later be instrumental in the purchase of the Boeing 707, which introduced the first by-pass turbofan engine, the Rolls-Royce Conway into passenger service.
context_section_description: Smallpeice formally joined BOAC on 1 January 1950, taking the title and role of financial comptroller. The title reflected his intention to provide useful financial information to managers within the company, allowing them to take informed decisions, rather than dictating what the company would be doing from head office. The financial comptroller position became a board position in 1953, and accordingly Smallpeice was appointed to the board. He would then be promoted to the additional position of deputy chief executive in June 1954.
  He was instrumental in the decision to purchase the de Havilland Comet, believing the efficiencies and benefits of jet powered military aircraft would be useful if replicated in a civilian environment, and recognising the outdated aircraft the airline would otherwise be left with. The early operation of the de Havilland Comet was characterised by the series of fatal crashes which would result in the resignation of Miles Thomas as chairman in 1955. The root cause was eventually attributed to metal fatigue and no blame was attached to either Smallpeice or indeed to Thomas. Smallpeice would initially retain his position as financial comptroller under the incoming chairman, Gerard d'Erlanger, this would be a temporary arrangement and in 1956 Smallpeice was promoted to the role of chief executive, albeit with the title managing director.
  d'Erlanger and Smallpeice, who developed a particularly strong working relationship, were supporters of the British aviation industry, pursuing British built aircraft for BOAC. Smallpeice in particular had been a strong supporter of de Havilland throughout the period of the Comet crashes and re-introduction to service, but concerns about the reintroduction of the Comet, delays with the Bristol Britannia and a lack of any other suitable British aircraft nearing production would force BOAC into purchasing the Boeing 707 aircraft. Smallpeice was instrumental in their purchase, discreetly arranging for BOAC staff to visit America and examine the Boeing 367-80 prototype before persuading the government to authorise the purchase, as was necessary at the time.
  The purchase of the Boeing 707 aircraft would be followed by several orders for Vickers competing design, the VC10, with BOAC having ordered 35 VC10 aircraft by 1959 and an additional ten (bringing the total on order to 45) by 1961. Payments for these aircraft together with a downturn in transatlantic traffic, increased competition on the transatlantic route by additional carriers equipped with jet aircraft, and a whole host of additional costs associated with the Vickers VC10 and Bristol Britannia purchase would result in BOAC becoming extremely unprofitable from late 1961 onwards.
  It was during this period that Smallpeice began to work with Sir Edward Fielden, Captain of the Queen's Flight on arrangements to fly Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family overseas on BOAC aircraft. Smallpeice, who generally took personal responsibility for the organisation of these flights, was recognised for this work in 1961 when he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
  d'Erlanger retired as chairman in 1960, and was succeeded by Matthew Slattery. Smallpeice remained as managing director, and together Slattery and Smallpeice set about cutting costs at the airline as the financial performance continued to deteriorate. BOAC would incur significant losses in 1961 and 1962 amidst decreasing passenger loadings, comparatively high maintenance costs and ongoing payments to Vickers for the VC10 orders. The financial situation was further endangered by competition from independent British operation Cunard Eagle Airways, a joint venture between British Eagle and Cunard Line. The venture had ordered two Boeing 707 aircraft in March 1961, intending to recapture Cunard's transatlantic market which was traditionally the preserve of their ocean liners, the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth. They received permission to operate services between London and New York in J
caption: Smallpeice was instrumental in the decision to purchase the jet powered de Havilland Comet
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