BAC EXPRESS

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 939

Could anyone tell me what BAC Express do exactly? When I was up at Edinburgh I saw four of their aircraft parked with not a lot happening. Their web site says they are involved in Charter and scheduled operations!? :confused:

Original post

Member for

21 years

Posts: 4,209

They are a freight operator, like Emerald. You wont see their aircraft move during the day, as with most freight operators their operations are largely conducted at night.

They were recently acquired by Air Contractors of Ireland, and then some obscure UK group, and there is also some involvement with Aerocondor of Portugal which I can never quite work out.

EGNM might be able to elaborate more I guess.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,672

Hiya,

BAC Express were bought out by Air Contractors around a year ago. ABR took on the RPX fleet of mainly F27s and SH36 aircraft. Sub groups of BAC Express remained seperate with BAC Leasing having many aircraft on it's books.

Most of the UK registered aircraft were transferred to the Irish register and the core of BAC's work with the Royal Mail and FEDEX amalgamated under the Air Contractors name and AOC. The Fedex work out of mainly CDG was transferred over the year to new ATR42 and 72 aircraft. Some F27 and SH36 aircraft continued to operate in the UK on mail contracts in BAC Colours with a small Air Contractors logo on the side. EI-SMF a F27 is still in this config which operates BOH-GCI-BOH-LGW-LPL-BOH i believe at present.

I think the Aerocondor link you have mentioned has stemmed from the lease of G-VBAC which was leased from BAC Leasing to them?

BAC Express have however recently been reformed on the UK register after the 2morrow group aquired the Reminants of BAC fro ABR with Shorts SH36 G-TMRO being the first aircraft operating out of Exeter on Royal Mail Contracts. Other Shorts are being aquired I understand, however I am not certain on the status at current of the BAC F27 fleet - thats if they haven't been placed back with BAC Leasing.

Member for

21 years

Posts: 4,209

Much more detailed thanks EGNM. Aerocondor keep popping up every now and again, aircraft seem to pass between the two every so often, and I believe Aerocondor themselves actually operated for BAC in Scotland a little while back?

2 of the Shorts are sitting in SEN awaiting imminent delivery to the Venezualan Air Force, I think they were the last 2 Shorts built as well.

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 939

Mark L & EGNM - Many thanks for the info. Do they actually work on mail contracts from Edi as I see they (Royal Mail) appear to have a dedicated B737?

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 462

That B733 belongs to Titan (G-ZAPV)

Scott

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 939

That B733 belongs to Titan (G-ZAPV)

Scott


Ah, many thanks. I assume Titan are under Contract to the Royal Mail with this aircraft then.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,672

Yes.

The Royal Mail network out of Edinburgh on a night time is quite extenisive, with EDI effectively being the Scottish hub.

Mark, the Aeroconder Shorts you mentioned actually operated 2 routes in their own rights which they won the ontract for from the Royal Mail. ABZ-EMA-FSS-ABZ and ABZ-EDI-FSS-ABZ (FSS being RAF Kinloss which is used overnight for the Inverness mail - RAF Kinloss being open H24 as the military SAR Nimrod base, Inverness closes overnight). These contracts are at present operated by Emerald with 2 x SH36 who took over the contracts during the Summer.

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 3,124

Mark L & EGNM - Many thanks for the info. Do they actually work on mail contracts from Edi as I see they (Royal Mail) appear to have a dedicated B737?

They seem to send a lot of their aircraft to EDI for maintenance. Not sure what actual cargo ops they have here though.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 11,159

I believe Aerocondor themselves actually operated for BAC in Scotland a little while back?

Indeed they did with at least two of their Shorts 360's being seen at GLA of the odd occasion.