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British South American Airways (BSAA) was a state-run airline in the United Kingdom in the late 1940s responsible for services to the Caribbean and South America. Originally named British Latin American Air Lines it was renamed before services started in 1946. BSAA operated mostly Avro aircraft: Yorks, Lancastrians and Tudors and flew to Bermuda, the West Indies, Mexico and the western coast of South America. After two high-profile aircraft disappearances it was merged into the British Overseas Airways Corporation at the end of 1949. Most of BSAA's aircraft were given individual aircraft names beginning with "Star", the heavenly bodies used in long-range celestial navigation. ==History== 1945 British Latin American Air Lines (BLAIR) was formed on 25 January 1944 by shipping interests (Royal Mail Lines, Pacific Steam Navigation Company, Lamport & Holt Line, Booth Steamship Company and Blue Star Line) to complement the shipping services to South America, at the end of 1945 the company was renamed British South American Airways.〔"News in Brief." Times (England ) 11 Oct. 1945: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 Chairman of the new company was W J Booth. The initial aircraft - until the Avro Tudor II was available - would be Avro Lancasters converted by Avro into the same configuration as Lancastrians and the crews were being sought from former Pathfinder Force members: the general manager Don Bennett had been the force commander during the war. The single route to be flown was Hurn- Lisbon-Bathurst-Natal-Rio de Janeiro-Montevideo-Buenos Aires. 1946 On 1 January 1946 the airlines first Avro Lancastrian ''Star Light'' flown by Don Bennett and R. Clifford Alabaster undertook the first flight from the newly opened Heathrow Airport, it was on a proving flight to South America.〔"New London Airport Opened." Times (England ) 2 Jan. 1946: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 The first commercial flight followed ten weeks later. With the approaching nationalisation of British airlines, the airline came under the control of the British Overseas Airways Corporation and with the passing of the Civil Aviation Act 1946 - which set up three nationally owned corporations - BSAA became a government-owned corporation on 1 August 1946 charged with developing services from the UK to South America. This responsibility was then expanded later in 1946 to routes to the West Indies, Central America and the west coast of South America. 1947 In January 1947 the airline reached an agreement with British West Indian Airways which would become an associate. BSAA would buy the majority of shares in BWIA and provide technical advice and general supervision.〔"Airways Agreement." Times (England ) 18 Jan. 1947: 9. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 In May 1947 the airline started a series of test flights to Bermuda using a converted Avro Lancaster which was refuelled in mid-air over the Azores to complete the flight in 20 hours.〔"News In Brief: Air Line Refuels over Azores." Times (England ) 30 May 1947: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 On 2 August 1947 Avro Lancastrian ''Star Dust'' crashed in Argentina with the loss of all on board. In the first financial year (August 1946-March 1947) under government control the airline made a surplus of £20,507. The two other airline corporations BOAC and BEA made a combined loss of £10,234,781.〔"B.S.A.A. Profit Of £20,507." Times (England ) 21 Jan. 1948: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 On the 31 March 1947 the corporation had a staff of 1,031 and had carried 5,397 passengers since August 1946.〔 For navigation purposes, the Lancastrians and Yorks were using military Gee radar over Europe, and Rebecca on the other side of the Atlantic.〔("Radar for Stratocruisers" ) ''Flight'' 23 January 1947 p96〕 1948 On the 30 January 1948 Avro Tudor ''Star Tiger'' with a crew of six and 25 passengers bound for Bermuda disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean.〔"31 Missing In Air Liner." Times (England ) 31 Jan. 1948: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 The remaining Tudors were grounded while an investigation was undertaken.〔"Tests Of Tudor Aircraft." Times (England ) 17 Feb. 1948: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013〕 In February the chief executive, Don Bennett was dismissed by the board.〔"Air Vice-Marshal Bennett." Times (England ) 12 Feb. 1948: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 In March the Tudor aircraft were allowed to fly initially as freighters but not to carry passengers.〔"Tudor Ivs To Fly Again." Times (England ) 25 Mar. 1948: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 In the financial year April 1947 to March 1948 the Corporation made a loss of £421,481.〔"Losses By State Air Lines £11M." Times (England ) 18 Nov. 1948: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 On 18 August the Tudor returned to passenger service with a new service to Kingston, Jamaica.〔"News in Brief:New Route for Tudor IV" Times (England ) 18 Aug. 1948: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 In December the Tudors replaced the Avro Lancastrian on routes to Havana, Cuba and the west coast of South America.〔"News in Brief:Tudor IV aircraft for South America" Times (England ) 3 Dec. 1948: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 From September 1948 the airline based Avro Tudors at Wunstorf to support the Berlin Airlift mainly by each carrying 2,300 gallons of Petrol or 2,100 gallons of fuel oil, by April 1949 the airline had five aircraft operating the Air Lift. 1949 In January 1949 the airline acquired Bahamas Airways. With British West Indian Airways it would be used as a feeder airline for BSAA services in the Caribbean.〔"Bahamas Airways." Times (England ) 14 Jan. 1949: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 On the 17 January in a repeat of ''Star Tiger'' incident the Tudor ''Star Ariel'' disappeared over the Atlantic on a flight from Bermuda. It had seven crew and 13 passengers.〔"29 In Missing Air-Liner." Times (England ) 18 Jan. 1949: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 The Tudors were withdrawn from service by the airline pending investigation.〔"Tudors Taken Out Of Service." Times (England ) 20 Jan. 1949: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 By March 1949 with the loss of the ''Star Ariel'' unexplained, the permanent grounding of the Tudor IVs for passenger flying, and the lack of other long-range aircraft, the government proposed amalgamating the airline with BOAC. BSAA passengers to Bermuda were already being carried by BOAC aircraft via New York.〔"Integration Of Air Corporations." Times (England ) 10 Mar. 1949: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 The airline did have Saunders-Roe Princess flying-boats on order but they would not be delivered until 1951 and the transfer of Canadair North Star which were on order for BOAC was considered.〔 On 15 March the Minister of Civil Aviation announced that BSAA and BOAC would be amalgamated.〔"Merger Of Air Corporations." Times (England ) 16 Mar. 1949: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.〕 On the passing of the Air Corporations Act 1949, British South American Airways Corporation became the South American Division of BOAC, the change became effective from the 1 January 1950. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「British South American Airways」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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