Connellan Airways was an Australian air services company that was founded by Edward Connellan

Edward Connellan

Edward John Connellan AO, CBE was an Australian aviator who founded Connellan Airways and was a pioneer of aviation in the Northern Territory.-Early life:...

 and operated in northern Australia.

The beginnings

Pilot Edward Connellan conducted two aerial surveys of the Northern Territory

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

 in 1938, and after discussion with the Federal Minister responsible for the Northern Territory, John McEwen

John McEwen

Sir John "Black Jack" McEwen, GCMG, CH , was an Australian politician and the 18th Prime Minister of Australia...

, undertook a fortnightly mail run between Alice Springs and Wyndham

Wyndham, Western Australia

Wyndham is the oldest and northernmost town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, located on the Great Northern Highway, northeast of Perth. It was established in 1885 as a result of a gold rush at Halls Creek, and it is now a port and service centre for the east Kimberley with a...

, Western Australia and a contract with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Post World War II

In the midst of World War II Connellan consolidated his air services, which had grown viable and included more routes, and registered Connellan Airways on 23 July 1943. In the post war years Connellan Airways grew, acquiring new routes and equipment. In February 1951 it became a limited company

Limited company

A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...

, with many of the shares held by station people and staff. In 1963 Connellan Airways became a regular public transport operator. The Royal Flying Doctor Service continued to charter Connellan Airways aircraft up to 1965, when it purchased two aircraft from the company, but continued using Connellan pilots until 1973.

In 1970 the name was changed to Connair. Connair faced financial difficulty in the 1970s. On January 5, 1977, a disgruntled former employee flew a stolen plane into the Connair building at Alice Springs, killing four including Edward's son Roger Connellan in what became known as the Connellan air disaster

Connellan air disaster

The Connellan air disaster was a suicide attack at Alice Springs Airport, Northern Territory, Australia on 5 January 1977. Carried out by a disgruntled former employee of Connellan Airways , who flew a Beechcraft Baron into the Connair complex at the airport, the attack killed four other people...

.

The company was sold to East-West Airlines on 14 March 1980. It went into liquidation shortly after.

Upon being sold, the Connellan Airways Trust was setup.