page_title: Skyways Limited
section_title: Financial difficulties and Euravia takeover
hierarchical_section_title: Skyways Limited / History / Financial difficulties and Euravia takeover
caption_attribution_description: English: Lockheed L749A Constellation of Skyways of London operating an inclusive tour flight at Manchester (Ringway) Airport in August 1963.
context_page_description: Skyways Limited was an early post-World War II British airline formed in 1946 that soon became well-established as the biggest operator of non-scheduled air services in Europe.
  Its principal activities included the operation of worldwide non-scheduled passenger and cargo services, including trooping and oil industry support flights, inclusive tour and ad hoc charters for automobile industry executives as well as specialist freight services.
  The newly formed airline operated its first flight in 1946 with an Avro York that had been chartered by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to carry oil personnel and freight from Langley to Basra via Manston, Malta, Cairo and Lydda.
  Skyways was a major civilian participant in the Berlin Airlift and became one of Britain's foremost independent airlines during the 1950s and early 1960s.
  Following the airline's liquidation in 1950 and transfer of the bankrupt carrier's assets to a new company incorporating the name Skyways, control passed to the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation in 1952. LAC's acquisition of Skyways resulted in concentration of the combined group's operations at London Stansted Airport.
  Low-fare scheduled services commenced in 1953.
context_section_description: In 1961, the Bibby Line sold its minority holding in the Skyways group to Eric Rylands Ltd, henceforth the holding company for all Skyways subsidiaries. By that time, most of the Hermes had left the Skyways fleet, and Constellations were exclusively used for all passenger flights, including the weekly scheduled service between Heathrow, Tunis and Malta Skyways operated in association with British European Airways (BEA).
  This was also the time when Skyways began experiencing growing financial difficulties as a result of the high cost of the Constellation lease, the failed joint venture in the Bahamas and BOAC's cancellation of its freight contract with Skyways that had generated three quarters of the latter's revenue. This resulted in Skyways Ltd's ownership passing to Euravia (London) Ltd, a newly formed British independent airline concentrating on IT and group charter flights from Luton.
  In October 1962, Euravia (London) took over Skyways for a nominal £1, including four Yorks and three Constellations but excluding the Coach-Air operation, which remained a separate entity.
  Skyways Ltd became a wholly owned subsidiary of Euravia in 1963.
  Skyways continued trading under the Skyways of London name until 1964, with the Constellations contracted by Euravia parent Universal Skytours to operate IT flights from several UK airports to European holiday destinations. In that year, Euravia adopted the Britannia Airways name for all operations following its decision to re-equip its entire fleet with Bristol 175 Britannia turboprops.
caption: Skyways Lockheed Constellation operating an inclusive tour flight at Manchester in August 1963
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