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| Founded | 1931 (as Gibraltar Airways) | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 3 January 1989 (as GB Airways Ltd) | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 30 March 2008 (sold to easyJet) | ||||||
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| Alliance | Oneworld (affiliate; 1999–2008) | ||||||
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| Headquarters | Crawley, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom | ||||||
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GB Airways was a British airline; prior to its sale, it was headquartered in 'The Beehive', a former terminal building, at City Place Gatwick, London Gatwick Airport in Crawley, West Sussex, England.[1]
The airline was originally created as 'Gibraltar Airways' in 1931, being an offshoot of Gibraltarian shipping company MH Bland. It initially operated a single Saunders-Roe A21 Windhover, its first route connecting Gibraltar to Tangier in Morocco. During the Second World War, the airline represented Imperial Airways / British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). In 1947, Gibraltar Airways formed a business relationship with the British European Airways (BEA), eventually cumulating in the two companies jointly planning and promoting air services between Gibraltar and London / Madrid. The airline also continued to operate its own routes, benefiting from the expansion of Gibraltar Airport.
During the late 1980s, it was decided to relocate the company from Gibraltar to Britain; accordingly, a new base was established at The Beehive, and the airline was formally rebranded 'GB Airways Ltd' on 3 January 1989. During its latter years of operations, GB Airways operated scheduled services as a British Airways franchise to thirty destinations in Europe and North Africa from Gatwick, and as well as Heathrow and Manchester.[2] The company was profitable throughout much of its existence, but encountered hardship during the 2000s, largely due to the increasingly competitive European market, as well as an inflexible franchising agreement. GB Airways ceased operations on 30 March 2008, following its acquisition by budget airline easyJet during January 2008; many of its aircraft and staff were redeployed to the latter entity.
- ^ "The Beehive". GBAirways.co.uk. GB Airways. Archived from the original on 14 February 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: 85–86. 3 April 2007.