British Caledonian Airways was a British private independent airline that began services in 1970 after the merger of Caledonian Airways and British United Airways. The company had its hub in London, at Gatwick Airport.
The carrier’s first services to South America were to Brazil, Argentina and Chile, operating with Boeing 707 and DC-10 aircraft. The airline made technical stopovers in Portugal and Spain with the possibility of carrying passengers to Argentina and Chile.
See also: #TBT: Austral Líneas Aéreas’ flights in 1971.
As a result of a change in the UK government’s aviation policy in 1976, British companies were forced to stop competing with each other on long-haul routes, which resulted in the loss of part of their route schedules. In the case of British Caledonian Airways, it was left with all the South American segments of the British companies, adding connections to Colombia, Perú and Venezuela.
By the end of the 1970s, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela made up British Caledonian’s South American markets.
British Caledonian Airways in South America – 1979
Flights to Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela
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| Flight | From | To | Aircraft | Freq. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR 671 | LGW: 11:00 | CCS: 15:40 | DC-10 | Tuesday |
| BR 671 | CCS: 16:40 | BOG: 17:25 | DC-10 | Tuesday |
| BR 671 | BOG: 18:10 | LIM: 20:50 | DC-10 | Tuesday |
| BR 675 | LGW: 11:00 | CCS: 15:50 | B707 | Thursday |
| BR 675 | CCS: 16:50 | GYE: 18:45 | B707 | Thursday |
| BR 675 | GYE: 19:45 | LIM: 21:35 | B707 | Thursday |
Flights from Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela
To see all tables, place the mobile phone in a horizontal position
| Flight | From | To | Aircraft | Freq. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR 672 | LIM: 11:50 | BOG: 14:35 | DC-10 | Wednesday |
| BR 672 | BOG: 15:20 | CCS: 18:00 | DC-10 | Wednesday |
| BR 672 | CCS: 19:00 | LGW: 08:50+1 | DC-10 | Wednesday |
| BR 676 | LIM: 11:20 | UIO: 13:25 | B707 | Friday |
| BR 676 | UIO: 14:25 | CCS: 18:00 | B707 | Friday |
| BR 676 | CCS: 19:00 | LGW: 08:50+1 | B707 | Friday |
Flights to Argentina, Brazil and Chile
To see all tables, place the mobile phone in a horizontal position
| Flight | From | To | Aircraft | Freq. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR 667 | LGW: 09:45 | REC: 15:10 | B707 | Monday |
| BR 667 | REC: 16:00 | GIG: 18:45 | B707 | Monday |
| BR 665 | LGW: 21:30 | REC: 02:55+1 | B707 | Tuesday |
| BR 665 | REC: 03:45+1 | GIG: 06:30+1 | B707 | Wednesday |
| BR 665 | GIG: 07:30+1 | VCP: 08:35+1 | B707 | Wednesday |
| BR 665 | VCP: 09:20+1 | SCL: 12:05+1 | B707 | Wednesday |
| BR 661 | LGW: 21:30 | MAD: 00:30+1 | DC-10 | Thursday |
| BR 661 | MAD: 01:30+1 | GIG: 06:20+1 | DC-10 | Friday |
| BR 661 | GIG: 07:20+1 | VCP: 08:25+1 | DC-10 | Friday |
| BR 661 | VCP: 09:25+1 | EZE: 12:00+1 | DC-10 | Friday |
| BR 663 | LGW: 21:30 | LIS: 23:50 | DC-10 | Saturday |
| BR 663 | LIS: 00:40+1 | GIG: 06:10+1 | DC-10 | Sunday |
| BR 663 | GIG: 07:10+1 | VCP: 08:15+1 | DC-10 | Sunday |
| BR 663 | VCP: 09:15+1 | EZE: 11:50+1 | DC-10 | Sunday |
| BR 663 | EZE: 12:50+1 | SCL: 13:45+1 | DC-10 | Sunday |
Flights from Argentina, Brazil and Chile
To see all tables, place the mobile phone in a horizontal position
| Flight | From | To | Aircraft | Freq. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR 668 | GIG: 22:15 | LGW: 13:25+1 | B707 | Monday |
| BR 666 | SCL: 14:15 | VCP: 18:40 | B707 | Wednesday |
| BR 666 | VCP: 19:40 | GIG: 20:30 | B707 | Wednesday |
| BR 666 | GIG: 21:30 | REC: 00:15+1 | B707 | Wednesday |
| BR 666 | REC: 01:05+1 | LIS: 12:20+1 | B707 | Thursday |
| BR 666 | LIS: 13:10+1 | LGW: 15:35+1 | B707 | Thursday |
| BR 662 | EZE: 17:55 | VCP: 20:20 | DC-10 | Friday |
| BR 662 | VCP: 21:20 | GIG: 22:15 | DC-10 | Friday |
| BR 662 | GIG: 23:15 | MAD: 13:45+1 | DC-10 | Friday |
| BR 662 | MAD: 14:35+1 | LGW: 15:35+1 | DC-10 | Saturday |
| BR 664 | SCL: 15:50 | EZE: 18:30 | DC-10 | Sunday |
| BR 664 | EZE: 19:30 | GIG: 22:15 | DC-10 | Sunday |
| BR 664 | GIG: 23:15 | LGW: 14:05+1 | DC-10 | Sunday |
South American network – 1979
Due to the Falklands (Malvinas) War in 1982, British Caledonian Airways made its last flight between London Gatwick and Buenos Aires at late March of that year.
The suspension of operations to Argentina affected its presence in the region, as Buenos Aires was the airline’s main destination in South America. Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela were not performing as well as flights to Argentina.
See also: #TBT: Aerolíneas Argentinas flights to Europe in 1966.
At the end of 1987, British Caledonian Airways ceased flights when it was absorbed in its entirety by British Airways.
Source.
- Airline Timetable Images (South America – British Caledonian).
- Airline Timetable Images (Brazil, Argentina and Chile).
See also: #TBT: Lufthansa flights between Germany and South America in 1987.
