The Formative Years
Freddie Laker unveiled his airline — Laker Airways — to the press in February 1966. The airline commenced commercial operations from its London Gatwick Airport base on 29 July 1966 with two former British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Bristol Britannia 102 series turboprops, initially operating under contract to Air France. The aircraft's livery was a combination of black, red and white — an adaptation of Laker's racing colours. The Britannias were supplemented and eventually replaced by five BAC One-Eleven 300 short-haul jet aircraft from December 1967. This included an initial order for three aircraft valued at £4 million. Laker had placed this order directly with the manufacturer in 1966. He provided more than £200,000 of his own money for the newly ordered aircraft's deposits and arranged for the remainder to be borrowed from a consortium of City banks led by Clydesdale Bank. He placed a follow-on order for a fourth aircraft to be delivered in 1968 and acquired another relatively new aircraft that was originally delivered to the failed British Eagle airline from Bahamas Airways in 1971. These were the mainstay of the fleet for its short to medium-haul charter operations to holiday resorts in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands for many years.
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