IAS Cargo Airlines

International Aviation Services Limited
Company type	Privately held company
Industry	Cargo airline
Founded	1967
Defunct	1980
Fate	Merged with Trans Meridian Air Cargo to form British Cargo Airlines; ceased operations in 1980
Headquarters	London Gatwick Airport, United Kingdom
Products	Global cargo charter flights

International Aviation Services Limited, known commercially as IAS Cargo Airlines from 1975 onward, was a privately held British airline headquartered at London Gatwick Airport. Established in 1967, it specialized in global cargo charter flights utilizing leased, pre-owned Bristol Britannia 300F turboprop aircraft. By 1971, IAS began acquiring its own fleet, replacing leased planes, and in June 1972 secured its own Air Operator Certificate under the designation International Aviation Services (UK) Ltd. The company adopted the IAS Cargo Airlines brand name in 1975.

In 1979, IAS merged with the London Stansted-based carrier Trans Meridian Air Cargo (TMAC) to create British Cargo Airlines, which ceased operations due to insolvency in 1980.

Origins

Starting out as an air transport consultancy in 1966, International Aviation Services Ltd launched cargo charter services from London Gatwick in 1967, initially operating leased Bristol Britannia 300F turboprops. By 1971, the company acquired two ex-Caledonian Airways Britannia 314 aircraft and began transitioning to a fleet of owned planes. It obtained its own air operator’s certificate in June 1972 under the name International Aviation Services (UK) Ltd and rebranded as IAS Cargo Airlines by 1975.

Business expansion

During the early 1970s, IAS Cargo Airlines expanded its fleet by purchasing additional second-hand Britannia turboprop freighters along with a Canadair CL-44 "swing tail" freighter to accommodate increasing demand for dedicated freight operations worldwide.

Transition to jet aircraft

As major airlines introduced new wide-body jets in the early 1970s, smaller operators like IAS Cargo Airlines took advantage of the availability of used narrow-body jets such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. In 1974, IAS acquired its first DC-8-50F jet freighter and commenced jet services in 1975. The airline continued to grow its DC-8-50F fleet throughout the late 1970s to support expanding business needs.

By the end of the decade, IAS’s fleet was predominantly composed of DC-8-50F aircraft, managing an increasing volume of freight traffic routed through its Gatwick hub from Europe. In October 1978, it introduced a larger capacity “stretched” DC-8 “Super Sixty” series freighter (-62CF), which was wet-leased from Finnair.

Consolidation with a competitor

Trans Meridian Air Cargo (TMAC), based at Stansted and founded in 1962 as a Trafalgar House subsidiary under Cunard Steamship Co ownership, operated a comparable fleet including DC-8Fs. To achieve operational efficiencies and improved scale against larger rivals, IAS Cargo Airlines merged with TMAC on 15 August 1979, forming British Cargo Airlines, which commenced trading under this name five days later.

The combined entity operated a total of fifteen aircraft: eight DC-8 jet freighters stationed at Gatwick, six Canadair CL-44-D turboprops, and one CL-44-0 based at Stansted. This merger aimed at reinforcing their competitive stance within the UK all-cargo market.

Final phase

The newly established British Cargo Airlines had a short lifespan before ceasing operations in March 1980.

Reasons for failure

The primary causes contributing to the airline's downfall were:

A deep economic downturn in the United Kingdom that diminished orders from British manufacturers, who constituted the airline’s main clientele, resulting in a decline in demand for specialized air freight operations.
Significant hikes in jet fuel costs following the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, which escalated expenses for fuel-dependent narrow-body freighters such as the Boeing 707 and DC-8.
An increase in capacity of long-distance wide-body aircraft introduced by British Airways, British Caledonian, and other rivals during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The additional belly cargo space provided by these aircraft gave freight forwarders more cost-efficient options compared to narrow-body freighters, thereby exerting downward pressure on freight rates and profit margins.

Accidents and incidents

In 1977, IAS Cargo Airlines was indirectly associated with a deadly crash involving an aircraft bearing a combined livery of IAS Cargo Airlines and Dan-Air. The plane involved was a Dan-Air Boeing 707-321C freighter (registration G-BEBP), operated through a wet lease arrangement where Dan-Air supplied the aircraft, crew, and maintenance services.

On 14 May 1977, while executing final approach to Lusaka Airport on an unscheduled cargo flight originating from London Heathrow with stops in Athens and Nairobi, the right horizontal stabilizer detached due to metal fatigue. This failure led to loss of pitch control and caused six fatalities.

Despite some records mistakenly attributing operation to IAS Cargo Airlines, Dan-Air was officially responsible for the aircraft. This tragedy prompted extensive industry discussions regarding maintenance standards and operational lifespan limits for aging jetliners.

(See 1977 Dan-Air Boeing 707 crash for detailed information.)

Code data

Previous IATA code: FF
Previous ICAO code:
Previous callsign:

Notes and citations

Notes

Citations

References

(World Airline Directory, 1967–1980)

External links