BEA British European Airways was the UK’s short haul government owner air carrier during post war period up until the airline was merged into BOAC to become British Airways in 1973.

BEA Vanguard G-APEH possibly at Manchester winter of 1970.

Along with their associate companies BEA Scottish and BEA Channel Island Airways BEA provided domestic UK services as well as flights to many popular points within Continental Europe during the 1960s. BEA had an all British built fleet that included the De Havilland Comet, De Havilland Heron, Vickers Viscount, Vickers Vanguard, BAC One Eleven, Trident, SC-7 Skyvan, S-61 helicopter, and other types in the 1950s including the AS.57 Elizabethan and DC-3.

BEA’s main operating bases were at London Heathrow and Manchester and the airline operated the famous London-Scotland shuttle service using pretty much all the larger types in their fleet of the day. The Vanguard was specially well utilized on the shuttle service.

The images presented here are from the slide collection of Henry Tenby.

I am looking to purchase 35mm Kodachrome aircraft slide collections. Please contact me: henrytenby at gmail dot com

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Passenger air travel specially in Britain boomed dramatically throughout the 1960s. The UK’s State owned international air carrier was BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation, and like many nationalized industries at the time, efficiencies of private enterprise proved difficult to compete with during these times of massive air travel expansion.

BOAC 707-436 G-ARRC at Manchester May 1971.

By the early 1970s it became apparent that something had to be done and the decision was made for extensive amalgamation of the larger air carriers in the UK. The short haul domestic BEA was combined with even smaller feeder carriers and BEA along with BOAC were joined to become British Airways. The images presented here are from the slide collection of Henry Tenby.

At the time BOAC and British Airways operated a fleet largely made up of UK designer airliners including Viscounts, Vanguards, Tridents, BAC One Elevens, VC-10s, which ar also complemented by US built 707s and 747s for the long haul services.

I am looking to purchase 35mm Kodachrome aircraft slide collections. Please contact me: henrytenby at gmail dot com

Thank you very much for visiting this page, and enjoy!