Airlines of Australia (airline)

Former Australian airline, 1931–1942

1939 poster advertising the Douglas DC-3's operated by AOA and ANA

Airlines of Australia was an airline that serviced Australia, originally commencing as New England Airlines in 1931, until being absorbed by Australian National Airways in July 1942.

## New England Airways

[edit]

Airlines of Australia was originally incorporated as New England Airways on 1 January 1931, with George A. Robinson as managing director and his future son-in-law, Keith Virtue (1909–1980) as director and chief pilot.[1][2]

Taking over Qantas' Brisbane to Lismore route, the company first used a four-passenger Mahoney-Ryan B-1 (VH-UIZ) and three-passenger de Havilland Puss Moth (VH-UPM).[3]

Further aircraft were purchased, and more routes acquired and extended.[4]

## Airlines of Australia Limited

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In October 1935 the new company of Airlines of Australia Limited was floated to replace and incorporate New England Airways.[5] It commenced operations in January 1936. The new company also acquired the rights to manufacturing Sikorsky flying boats.[6]

Australian National Airways (ANA) gained a controlling interest in Airlines of Australia in April 1937, although the two airlines and assets retained separate public identities until 1 July 1942. Their two surviving Stinsons were then renamed VH-UKK Binana and VH-UYY Tokana. Airlines of Australia also held shares in ANA.[7] By 1954, the company was showing a financial loss.[8]

The airline colour was red.

## Aircraft

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Airlines of Australia owned over twenty aircraft, including:

* VH-UGG Lismore, Stinson Model A tri-motor monoplane, brought from the US to Australia by June 1936, crashing in March 1937 at Archerfield Airport, Brisbane. Crash, killing one pilot and one passenger, involved the right engine.[9]
* VH-UHH Brisbane, Stinson Model A tri-motor monoplane, brought from the US to Australia by June 1936, crashing in February 1937 in the McPherson Range, south of Brisbane. Crash, killing two pilots and three passengers, attributed to wind down-draft in bad weather.[10]
* VH-UKK Townsville, Stinson Model A tri-motor monoplane, brought from the US to Australia by June 1936, was still in existence by March 1945. It was inspected as part of a coronial inquiry investigating the crash of now-Australian National Airways' Stinson A2.W aircraft, VH-UYY Grafton, a fatal crash at Redesdale, Victoria on 31 January 1945, that may have been attributed to a crack in the tail fitting.[11] VH-UKK had developed cracks on two previous occasions.[12]

## See also

[edit]

* 1937 Airlines of Australia Stinson crash

## References

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1. ^ "New England Airways 1931–1936". The Museum of Australian Commercial Aviation. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
2. ^ "Belly-landed plane without letting wheels down A.N.A. grounds Australia's greatest civil pilot". Queensland Times. No. 25, 185 (Daily ed.). Queensland, Australia. 2 December 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
3. ^ "New England Airways". The Northern Star. Vol. 55\. New South Wales, Australia. 10 October 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
4. ^ "New England Airways' plans". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. LVII, no. 120\. Queensland, Australia. 21 May 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
5. ^ "Airlines of Australia". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 28 December 1935. p. 21. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
6. ^ ""Airlines of Australia."". Manilla Express. Vol. XXXVII, no. 74\. New South Wales, Australia. 20 September 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
7. ^ "A.N.A. earns £180,515". The Argus (Melbourne). Victoria, Australia. 1 December 1956. p. 18. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
8. ^ "Airlines Aust. shows loss". Sydney Morning Herald. No. 36, 509. New South Wales, Australia. 27 December 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
9. ^ "Last Stinson crash". The Northern Herald. Vol. 94, no. 1258\. Queensland, Australia. 22 May 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
10. ^ "Coronial inquiry". The Beaudesert Times. Vol. XXIX, no. 1506\. Queensland, Australia. 16 April 1937. p. 4. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
11. ^ "Fatal crash of the Stinson plane". The Age. No. 28, 061. Victoria, Australia. 29 March 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.
12. ^ "Stinson crash". Cairns Post. No. 13, 444. Queensland, Australia. 4 April 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2020 - via National Library of Australia.

## External links

[edit]

* New England Airways 1931–1936
* Airlines Of Australia 1936

* v
* t
* e

Airlines of Australia

Scheduled|

| Major|

* Qantas
* Jetstar
* QantasLink
* Virgin Australia
* Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

|

Minor|

* Air Link
* Airnorth
* Alliance Airlines
* Aviair
* Eastern Air Services
* FlyPelican
* Fly Tiwi
* Hinterland Aviation
* King Island Airlines
* Link Airways
* Nexus Airlines
* Par Avion
* Rex Airlines
* Sharp Airlines
* Skippers Aviation
* Skytrans
* Sunstate Airlines
* Torres Strait Air
* West Wing Aviation

Charter|

* Aircruising Australia
* Alliance Airlines
* AvWest
* Hardy Aviation
* Maroomba Airlines
* MinRes Air
* National Jet Express
* Network Aviation
* Pearl Aviation
* Pel-Air
* Sydney Seaplanes
* Skytraders

Cargo|

* ASL Airlines Australia
* Express Freighters Australia
* Qantas Freight
* Tasman Cargo Airlines
* Team Global Express

Defunct|

* Aboriginal Air Services
* Ad Astral Aviation
* Advance Airlines
* Aero-Tropics Air Services
* Aeropelican Air Services
* Air Australia
* Air Queensland
* Airlines of Australia
* Airlines of New South Wales
* Airlines of South Australia
* Airtex Aviation
* Ansett Australia
* Aus-Air
* Australia Asia Airlines
* Australian airExpress
* Australian Airlines
* Australian National Airways (1930)
* Australian National Airways
* Brindabella Airlines
* British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines
* Bonza
* Butler Air Transport
* Compass Airlines
* Connellan Airways
* East-West Airlines
* Eastland Air
* Emu Airways
* Flight West Airlines
* Global Air
* Golden Eagle Airlines
* Hart Aircraft Service
* Hazelton Airlines
* Horizon Airlines
* Impulse Airlines
* Ipec
* JetGo
* Kendell Airlines
* Lloyd Aviation
* MacAir Airlines
* MacRobertson Miller Airlines
* North Queensland Airways
* O'Connor Airlines
* OzJet
* Pacific Air Express
* Queensland Pacific Airlines
* Queensland Regional Airlines
* Regional Pacific Airlines
* Rossair
* SkyAirWorld
* Sunshine Express Airlines
* Tasair
* Tigerair Australia
* Trans Australia Airlines
* Transair
* Transwest Airlines
* V Australia
* West Australian Airways
* Yanda Airlines

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