Laker Airways (The Bahamas)

Last updated
Laker Bahamas / Laker Inc
IATA ICAO Callsign
1. 6F
(Laker Inc)
2. 7Z
(Laker Bahamas)
1. –
2. LBH
(Laker Bahamas)
1. –
2. LBH
(Laker Bahamas)
Founded1992 (Laker Bahamas)
1996 (Laker Inc)
Ceased operations2005
Hubs Freeport, Bahamas, Fort Lauderdale –
Hollywood International Airport
Fleet size
  • 8 (Laker Bahamas)
  • 2 (Laker Inc)
Destinations London Gatwick Airport
Manchester Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Miami International Airport
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Richmond International Airport
Nashville International Airport
Palm Beach International Airport (West Palm Beach)
Headquarters The Bahamas
Key people Sir Freddie Laker
Oscar Wyatt

Laker Airways (Bahamas) was an airline founded in 1992, [1] which operated until 2005.

Contents

History

Laker Airways (Bahamas) was a US-registered airline based in the Bahamas to which Sir Freddie Laker lent his name and operational expertise. The airline was established in 1992 with financial assistance from Oscar Wyatt, a Texas oilman and business partner of Sir Freddie Laker. [1] The initial fleet comprised two Boeing 727-200 Advanced narrow-bodied jet aircraft. [1] Laker Airways (Bahamas) stopped operating in 2005 when the firm was wound up.

Laker Airways "Mark II"

In 1996 Sir Freddie Laker and his business partner Oscar Wyatt, a self-made Texas oilman, established Laker Airways, Inc. as a sister airline to Laker Airways (Bahamas) to follow in the original, UK-based Laker Airways footsteps. [2] Laker Airways "Mark II" leased two McDonnell Douglas DC-10 widebodied jets to operate low-fare, high quality transatlantic scheduled services, which commenced on 5 July 1996 between Fort Lauderdale in Florida and London Gatwick at a frequency of two return flights per week. [2] [3] [4] Additional scheduled services subsequently linked Orlando with Manchester and Glasgow Prestwick. [3] Laker Airways, Inc. ceased operations in 1998. [5]

Destinations in 1994 and 1995

According to the September 15, 1994 edition of the Official Airline Guide (OAG), Laker Airway (Bahamas) was operating nonstop Boeing 727-200 jet service between its main base in Freeport, Bahamas (FPO) and the following U.S. destinations: [6]

The April 2, 1995 OAG edition listed nonstop Laker 727 service between Freeport and the same U.S. cities above with the exception of Birmingham, Greenville and Memphis which were no longer served by the airline by this time with the following new destinations being served by Laker nonstop from Freeport as well: [7]

According to other OAG flight listings, additional U.S. cities were served at various times as well during the airline's existence.

Historical Fleet

Laker Airways Boeing 727-200 Laker Airways Bahamas Boeing 727-200 at Piarco International Airport.jpg
Laker Airways Boeing 727-200
Laker Airways (Bahamas) / Laker Airways, Inc Fleet
AircraftTotalRegistrationNotes
Boeing 727-2J7 2N552NA, N533NALaker Airways (Bahamas)
Boeing 727-247 1N580CRLaker Airways (Bahamas)
Boeing 727-223 2N706AA, N707AALaker Airways (Bahamas)
Boeing 727-281 3N743US, N740US, N745USLaker Airways (Bahamas)
Douglas DC-10-30F 1N832LALaker Airways, Inc
Douglas DC-10-10 1N834LALaker Airways, Inc

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Laker resurfaces with new Bahamas airline, Air Transport, Flight International, 8-14 April 1992, p. 8
  2. 1 2 PR Newswire for Journalists (Florida Attorney General sets July mediation deadline in Laker Airways antitrust suit against British Airways, July 9, 1997)
  3. 1 2 HighBeam Research (PR Newswire, Laker Airways inaugurates Fort Lauderdale - London schedule service, July 5, 1996) [ dead link ]
  4. No Frills - The Truth behind the Low-cost Revolution in the Skies, Calder, S., Virgin Books, London, 2002, p. 63
  5. independent.co.uk>News>Obituaries>Sir Freddie Laker (B. Ritchie, The Independent, print edition, 11 February 2006)
  6. Sept. 15, 1994 OAG Desktop Flight Guide, North American edition, Freeport, Bahamas flight schedules
  7. April 2, 1995 OAG Desktop Flight Guide, North American Edition, Freeport, Bahamas flight schedules


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