Laker Airways: British Air’s Original Challenger Before Richard Branson and Virgin stared shaking up the British airline industry, there was Sir Freddie Laker. An Air Transport Auxiliary member during the war, Freddie Laker had the idea to offer a no-frills approach to trans-Atlantic aviation. In 1966 he founded Laker Airways an airline that would thrive for nearly 2 decades and generate a very loyal following.
Laker would be the first airline to challenge the British Airways monopoly.
Within a few short years Laker Airways would add a second hub in Berlin.
Eventually, the business would grow to 26 planes!
Laker Airways was flying a lot of shorter and medium range flights. Especially for vacationers all over the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
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Innovations such as a faster climb at the beginning of the flight. In order to save on gas would help the airline offer lower fares. Freddie Laker was always on the lookout for anyway to shave off cost from the flights in order to offer more reasonable fares.
Laker Airways would receive a then record fine from the The Civil Aeronautics Board in 1973 for flying flights not properly registered. The question of whether this was governmental and bureaucratic overreach was asked at the time. With many feeling it was a large government body picking on a small newcomer.
The Civil Aeronautics Board came under heavy fire years earlier for having sponsored a bill that would have only allowed for one domestic, US carrier, Pan Am Airlines to fly trans-Atlantic flights. So the Board’s credibility was under fire.
