Belgian International Air Service
Encyclopedia
Belgian International Air Service (abbreviated BIAS) was an airline
from Belgium
with its headquarters in Antwerp and Brussels. It was operational between 1959 and 1980 and offered mainly chartered passenger and cargo flights from Brussels Airport
to the former Belgian colonies
in Central Africa.
and London
) took place already one 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, which were branded as Common Market Commuter, using de Havilland Heron
aircraft. The first one 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.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
with its headquarters in Antwerp and Brussels. It was operational between 1959 and 1980 and offered mainly chartered passenger and cargo flights from Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
to the former Belgian colonies
Belgian colonial empire
The Belgian colonial empire consisted of three colonies possessed by Belgium between 1901 and 1962: Belgian Congo , Rwanda and Burundi...
in Central Africa.
History
BIAS was founded on 1 July 1959 by Charles van Antwerpen and George Richardson. The first commercial flight (between RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) took place already one week later. In 1967, a co-operation contract with SABENA
Sabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
, the Belgian flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
airline was signed, which saw BIAS operating scheduled commuter flights out of Brussels Airport, which were branded as Common Market Commuter, using de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
aircraft. The first one 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
Compagnie Maritime Belge
-History:The CMB was founded in 1895 under the name Compagnie Belge Maritime du Congo . At the request of Leopold II of Belgium and with support from British investors, a maritime connection was opened with Congo Free State. On 6 February 1895 the CMB ship Léopoldville was the first to leave port...
, its majority shareholder at that time, decided that the fleet of Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
aircraft be integrated into Delta Air Transport
Delta Air Transport
Delta Air Transport was an airline headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, operating scheduled and chartered flights, mostly on short-haul routes...
. 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:| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|
| de Havilland Dove De Havilland Dove The de Havilland DH.104 Dove was a British monoplane short-haul airliner from de Havilland, the successor to the biplane de Havilland Dragon Rapide and was one of Britain's most successful post-war civil designs... |
||
| de Havilland Heron De Havilland Heron The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle... |
||
| Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made... |
||
| Douglas DC-4 Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role... |
||
| Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range... |
||
| Douglas DC-8 Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company... |
||
| Fokker F27 Friendship | ||
| Fokker F28 Fellowship | ||
| Sud Aviation Caravelle Sud Aviation Caravelle The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with... |
||
Accidents and incidents
- On 18 February 1966 at 02:04 UTC, a BIAS Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
cargo aircraft (registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
OO-ABG) overshot the runway upon landing at Malpensa AirportMalpensa AirportMilano Malpensa Airport "City of Milan" , former "Aeroporto Città di Milano" is Milan's largest airport. It is located 39.97 km northwest of central Milan, Italy...
following a flight from Brussels with 241 calves on board. The aircraft caught fire and was completely destroyed when it crashed into a set of trees, killing the four occupants. - On 28 March 1969, a BIAS Douglas C-47A (registered OO-SBH) was damaged beyond repair in a wheels-up landing in the Libyan DesertLibyan DesertThe Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
. The 17 passengers on board survived the crash.