By Doug Maclean – Aviation Editor.
The year after World War 2 finished Prestwick Airport had already seen the establishment of trans-Atlantic civilian flights. During that war Prestwick had become a huge centre for military aircraft crossing the Atlantic in both directions.
Now the world was looking to the future. The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark created a new airline in 1946 to represent all 3 countries and to establish themselves on routes to important destinations.
Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) was born on 1st August 1946 and the first route planned by the 3 Scandinavian countries was Sweden to the USA.
Airlines flying international routes do not simply announce that they are going to start selling tickets and then set off for new countries. To be able to operate the Governments of the origin and destination countries
- Agree that they want flights to take place
- Agree which airports will be served
- Agree which airlines will be allowed to operate on the route
- Agree the number of flights per week / month / year that will operate
In 1946 it was impossible for any civilian aircraft to fly direct from Stockholm to New York. Having agreed with the US Government that the flights could start the airline had to plan where the aircraft would stop and refuel.
Crucially, these stops could become destinations and pick-up points in their own right. Even while the Second World War was still being fought, an international convention was held in Chicago in 1944. Representatives from 54 countries agreed a set of rules for international flights that still underpin international air travel today.
A number of rules were classified as Freedoms of the air. The 5th rule permitted an airline to “put down and to take on” traffic in another state when that traffic comes from, or is destined for, a third state.
Research suggests that there had been intense discussion between Governments to agree not only the countries where the aeroplane would stop but the airport as well. The UK had to choose between Prestwick and the new airport at Heathrow which had just opened in May 1946.
In simple language the stop at Prestwick was much more than a stop for fuel. It allowed passengers from Scandinavia to get off or on at Prestwick and to travel to any of the countries where the flight was scheduled to land and passenger and freight rights had been agreed.
On 17th September 1946 a brand-new Douglas DC-4 of Danish Airlines, operating for Scandinavian Airlines, took off from Stockholm Bromma airport. It routed → Copenhagen Kastrup → Glasgow Prestwick → Gander, Newfoundland → New York LaGuardia.
It was Scandinavian Airlines first international flight. The 28 invited passengers and 9 crew faced a journey that lasted 25 hours 55 minutes. Swedish Captain Mikael Lindholm was the aircraft commander.
The four engined DC-4, named Dan Viking, was unpressurised and flew at only 8,000 feet so turbulence on such a long journey was inevitable at some point. The Swedish archive site SJÖBERG BILDBYRÅ records that the flight hit severe turbulence on the leg between Gander and New York. However, the flight landed safely at La Guardia airport.
A grand reception was held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel on 19th September to celebrate the start of SAS’ trans-Atlantic scheduled flights. There is a Wiki archive picture of 4 men attending the reception. They are described as “postal representatives” from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The age of mail flights was already well underway in 1946.
Although the Dan Viking was Scandinavia’s first trans-Atlantic service it was almost a year behind American Overseas Airlines who started operating through Prestwick in October 1945 on routes from New York to Scotland and Northern Europe.
In May 1946 KLM had also started trans-Atlantic flights through Prestwick on their scheduled service from Amsterdam to New York.
While all this was happening, it is easy to forget that the American Overseas Airlines had started their first New York to London service in October 1945. The London airport they used was Bournemouth, Hurn airport. There wasn’t even an airport at Heathrow until 1946.
People elsewhere comment that Prestwick is not near Glasgow or there needs to be more scheduled flights from Prestwick. It is clear that the more things change in aviation, the more some things stay the same.
SAS - Scandinavian Airlines Glasgow Prestwick Airport Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden LaGuardia Airport Copenhagen Airport (CPH)