... was formed in 1970 when Caledonian Airways took over British United Airways. It was created as a private–sector alternative to the government–controlled British Airways – the "second force" visualised in the 1969 Edwards report (British Air Transport in the Seventies) and subsequently supported in a Government White Paper.
At the time of the takeover, British United was the UK's leading independent airline and Caledonian, a charter airline, was the second largest.
In December 1987, the airline having proved unable to grow sufficiently to reach a viable size and at serious risk of collapse following a series of major financial setbacks, it was taken over by British Airways (BA) – which had been privatised in February that year.
© Haydn Thompson 2020