Malinair
Encyclopedia
Malinair was a commuter airline based at Glasgow International Airport
(GLA) in Scotland in the mid 1980s.
service using 9 passenger Britten Norman Islander aircraft. A planned expansion saw the recruitment of a number of ex Air Ecosse
staff, including Malinair's General Manager and Operations Manager.
In the summer of 1986, Malinair began operating the former Air Ecosse
Aberdeen
-Glasgow-Belfast
service with a leased Dornier 228 from Schreiner Airways
(PH-SDO, re-registered G-MLDO cn8009) using Ecosse's route licence and WG flight code. By the following year the company had 3 BN2 Islanders (G-MALI, G-MALN, G-MALB) and 2 further Do.228s (G-MLNR cn8108 & G-CFIN cn8096) operating a mix of daytime schedule/charter and night mail flights.
1987 heralded an expansion of service from Donegal with the launch of flights to Manchester
using a Do.228, whilst another Dornier
operated Glasgow-Teesside-Gatwick
. For a short time a BN2 Islander operated a Glasgow to Humberside service.
Night mail flights were operated from Belfast, Glasgow and Aberdeen, primarily for Datapost. Despite ambitious plans including a £15 million contract for 7 Dorniers, the company ceased operations in the autumn of 1987.
The end of Mailinair was complex with the shareholders agreeing in June 1987 to sell the company to Air Ecosse. Air Ecosse had itself been in administration since January 1987 and had only recently been bought by Isle of Man based Traditional Investments for £477,000. Air Ecosse was in turn sold the following year to another Aberdeen based airline, Peregrine Air Services.
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
(GLA) in Scotland in the mid 1980s.
History
The company was founded in June 1985 by Glasgow lawyer Frank Cannon. Scheduled operations were launched in early 1986 with a Glasgow to DonegalDonegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
service using 9 passenger Britten Norman Islander aircraft. A planned expansion saw the recruitment of a number of ex Air Ecosse
Air Ecosse
Air Ecosse was a Scottish commuter airline based in Aberdeen operating in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. They flew between Aberdeen and cities in northern England, such as Liverpool and Carlisle as well as to Edinburgh and Glasgow. They also carried out mail flights for the Royal Mail...
staff, including Malinair's General Manager and Operations Manager.
In the summer of 1986, Malinair began operating the former Air Ecosse
Air Ecosse
Air Ecosse was a Scottish commuter airline based in Aberdeen operating in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. They flew between Aberdeen and cities in northern England, such as Liverpool and Carlisle as well as to Edinburgh and Glasgow. They also carried out mail flights for the Royal Mail...
Aberdeen
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
-Glasgow-Belfast
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
service with a leased Dornier 228 from Schreiner Airways
Schreiner Airways
Schreiner Airways was a charter, passenger and cargo airline based in the Netherlands. It was an offshore helicopter operator which was founded in 1945. The various flight operations were split amongst several companies of the Schreiner Aviation Group, such as Schreiner Airways, Schreiner North Sea...
(PH-SDO, re-registered G-MLDO cn8009) using Ecosse's route licence and WG flight code. By the following year the company had 3 BN2 Islanders (G-MALI, G-MALN, G-MALB) and 2 further Do.228s (G-MLNR cn8108 & G-CFIN cn8096) operating a mix of daytime schedule/charter and night mail flights.
1987 heralded an expansion of service from Donegal with the launch of flights to Manchester
Manchester International Airport
Manchester Airport , formerly often called Ringway, is a major airport at Ringway in the City of Manchester within Greater Manchester, UK. In 2010 it was 4th busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers, and the busiest airport in the UK outside the London region...
using a Do.228, whilst another Dornier
Dornier Flugzeugwerke
Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claudius Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many notable designs for both the civil and military markets.-History:...
operated Glasgow-Teesside-Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
. For a short time a BN2 Islander operated a Glasgow to Humberside service.
Night mail flights were operated from Belfast, Glasgow and Aberdeen, primarily for Datapost. Despite ambitious plans including a £15 million contract for 7 Dorniers, the company ceased operations in the autumn of 1987.
The end of Mailinair was complex with the shareholders agreeing in June 1987 to sell the company to Air Ecosse. Air Ecosse had itself been in administration since January 1987 and had only recently been bought by Isle of Man based Traditional Investments for £477,000. Air Ecosse was in turn sold the following year to another Aberdeen based airline, Peregrine Air Services.