The Airline first Business Class
In 1978, a number of airlines have introduced a third class of carriage. Ahead was an Airline based in London Gatwick and roots in Scotland.
In November 1970, it was to the extent that: The Scottish Charter airline Caledonian Airways took over British United Airways and fulfilling the dream of entry into the airline business. Under the new name British Caledonian Airways, the merger, as Britain's largest independent Airline from the base London should make Gatwick from the state-controlled airline competition.
The oil crisis in 1973 to put British Caledonian financially. However, in the second half of the decade, it went up again. However, the competition soon rose on routes between the UK and the USA. The prices fell and the airlines no longer feared, to reach particularly in the winter months enough of a workload to fly in order to cover costs. British Caledonian responded with a new product: the Executive Cabin, probably the first Business Class in the world.
Larger Business 'than' Economy Class
"British Caledonian introduces a Three-class offering," was on 1. To read April 1978 in the magazine Flight International. 14. April would Sit Boeing 707 from Gatwick, about to Houston to fly with "24 First Class, an Executive Cabin, with 54 seats, as well as 48-Thrift-Sit." Thrift means frugality, and would be today in Economy Class.
Later, the Airline introduced the Executive Cabin on Europe routes and called: "it provides passengers with a separate Check-in, more legroom in the cabin area, more incidence of food and matched beverages rich during the flight." British Caledonian was a pioneer.
Air France and Pan American to pull the
In 1983, it was read in Flight International: "Air France was the first European Airline to a Business-Class concept, introduced in November 1978, at the same time as Pan American." Air France had demanded, on the Route Paris – New York in Business Class, 14 percent more money than the Economy Fare. In 1979, the magazine had written that British Caledonian had launched its Three-class concept in April 1978, "at least six months before the Other North Atlantic Airlines".
British Caledonian had some successful years. However, in 1986, the United States flew to the attack on the La Belle discotheque in Berlin in an air strike on Libya and Chernobyl, the nuclear disaster occurred. All the scared Americans are of Europe-travel. Political turbulence in Nigeria, met with British Caledonian also hard, since the Route in the capital of Lagos was very important for the Airline.
The end of British Caledonian
"From 21.4 million pounds profit, in 1985, a pre-tax loss of 19.3 million pounds in 1986," wrote the newspaper the Daily Telegraph. The Airline did not recover and was taken over by British Airways. 14. April 1988 – exactly ten years after the launch of the Business Class – it ended the history of British Caledonian.
In the above image gallery with Videos, you can see impressions from the life of British Caledonian.