Belgian International Air Services
{{Short description|Former Belgian airline}}
{{one source|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox Airline
|airline = Belgian International Air Services
|logo =
|logo_size =
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|destinations =
|IATA = none
|ICAO = AP
|callsign = ALPHA PAPA
|parent =
|company_slogan =
|founded = 1959
|ceased = 1980
|headquarters = Antwerp, Belgium
|key_people =
|bases = Brussels Airport
|secondary_hubs =
|focus_cities =
|frequent_flyer =
|lounge =
|alliance =
|website =
}}
Belgian International Air Services (abbreviated BIAS) was a Belgian airline with its headquarters in Antwerp and Brussels.[http://www.skystef.be/airlines/bias.htm Belgian Air Services history] It was operational between 1959 and 1980[http://www.airlinehistory.co.uk/Defunct%20Airlines.asp List of defunct airlines at airlinehistory.co.uk] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406114507/http://www.airlinehistory.co.uk/Defunct%20Airlines.asp |date=2011-04-06 }} and offered mainly passenger and cargo air charter flights from Brussels Airport to the former Belgian colonies in Central Africa.
History
File:Belgian International Air Services Caravelle Volpati.jpg at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in 1972.]]
BIAS was founded on 1 July 1959 by Charles van Antwerpen and George Richardson. The first commercial flight (between Rotterdam and London) took place a week later. In 1967, a co-operation contract with SABENA, the Belgian flag carrier airline was signed, which saw BIAS operating scheduled commuter flights out of Brussels Airport. These were branded as Common Market Commuter, using de Havilland Heron aircraft. The first of these flights (from Eindhoven to Rotterdam) took place on 28 August of that year. The co-operation with SABENA lasted until 1975.
Long-haul flight operations with BIAS had already ended in February 1973, when Compagnie Maritime Belge, its majority shareholder at that time, decided that the fleet of Douglas DC-8 aircraft be integrated into Delta Air Transport. When the commuter flights also came to an end in 1975, BIAS continued to do business as an aircraft lease provider until 1980, when the company was dismantled.
Fleet
Over the years, BIAS operated the following aircraft types:
{{expand list|date=June 2011}}
| class="toccolours sortable" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="margin:1em auto; border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center"
|+ |
| Aircraft
!Introduced !Retired |
|---|
| de Havilland Dove
| | |
| de Havilland Heron
|{{center|1967}} |{{center|1968}} |
| Douglas DC-3
| |{{center|1967}} |
| Douglas DC-4
|{{center|1959}} |{{center|1961}} |
| Douglas DC-6
| | |
| Douglas DC-8
|{{center|1972}} |{{center|1973}} |
| Fokker F27 Friendship
|{{center|1967}} |{{center|1975}} |
| Fokker F28 Fellowship
|{{center|1971}} | |
| Sud Aviation Caravelle
|{{center|1971}} |{{center|1972}} |
Accidents and incidents
- On 18 February 1966 at 02:04 UTC, a BIAS Douglas DC-6 cargo aircraft (registered OO-ABG) overshot the runway upon landing at Malpensa Airport following a flight from Brussels with 241 calves on board. The aircraft caught fire and was completely destroyed when it crashed into a stand of trees, killing the four occupants.{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19660218-0 |title=OO-ABG Accident Description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |accessdate=18 June 2011}}
- On 28 March 1969, a BIAS Douglas DC-3 (registered OO-SBH) was damaged beyond repair in a wheels-up landing in the Libyan Desert. The 17 passengers on board survived the crash.{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690328-0 |title=OO-SBH Accident Description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |accessdate=18 June 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110723022800/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690328-0| archivedate= 23 July 2011 | url-status= live}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Belgian International Air Services}}
{{Airlines of Belgium}}
Category:Defunct airlines of Belgium
Category:Airlines established in 1959
Category:Airlines disestablished in 1980