Invicta International Airlines

Invicta International Airlines was a Charter Airline based in the United Kingdom and operated between 1964 and 1975.

Code data

*IATA Code:
*ICAO Code:
*Callsign:

Company history

Invicta International Airlines was founded in November 1964 and began charter flights with two Douglas DC-4 and Vickers VC.1 Viking aircraft. The airline concentrated on freight and passenger charter flights. In 1968 the airline was merged with British Midland but it was brought back in 1964 under the name Invicta Airways 1969 Ltd., and later renamed Invicta Air Cargo. By this time the only aircraft type in use was the DC-4 flight freight. In 1970 the Vickers Vanguard joined the fleet and the a DC-4 was removed from service.

In 1972 more Vickers Vanguards were added and these were use mainly for passenger charter flights for the British military. By 1973 Invicta was having financial troubles and European Ferries acquired 70% of the company. Two Boeing 720B were added in 1973 and also two Bristol Britannia were added in 1974. By 1975 Invicta was sold to Universal Air Transport Sales and Invicta ceased to exist. [Airlines Remembered by BI Hengi, Publisher Midland Publishing]

Accidents and incidents

*April 10 1973 - Invicta Airways Flight Oscar Papa, a Vickers Vanguard from Bristol Lulsgate to Basle, ploughed into a snowy, forested hillside near Basle, somersaulted and broke up, killing 108 with 40 survivors. Many of the passengers were women from the Somerset, England villages of Axbridge, Cheddar, Winscombe and Congresbury.

Fleet details

*Douglas DC-4
*Vickers VC.1 Viking
*Vickers Vanguard
*Boeing 720B
*Bristol Britannia

References

External links

* [http://rzjets.net/operators/operator.php?opid=3170/ Fleet information]