B.I.A.S.
Operated from Jul 1959 to Dec 1980
Country of Origin – Belgium
Founders/Directors – Charles Van Antwerpen and George Richardson
B.I.A.S. or Belgian International Air Services as it was officially known, started operations with a single C-54 flying passenger and freight charters to Europe and the African colony of the Belgian Congo. It would take more than a year for further aircraft to be added to the fleet, although during the 1960s this airline had expanded to a moderate size with a good number of types on it books which included C-47s, C-54s, DC-6s and even DC-8s, although the latter would quite naturally never be seen at SEN.
It was on July 18th 1959 that BIAS C-54 OO-VAN made one of the company’s very first revenue trips operating a flight from Brussels to Southend. After this, B.I.A.S. aircraft would continue to frequent the airport a few times per year with C-54 OO-RIC flying a Nice-Southend-Dusseldorf-Munich charter for L.T.U. on December 23rd 1960, returning to SEN that evening to take 72 passengers to Palma. It would seem that the last flight to SEN took place sometime during late 1966 being as most B.I.A.S. aircraft had been committed to carrying out operations in Biafra.
B.I.A.S. fleet from 1959 to 1966
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
OO-DEP – 6/62 to 11/64
Shot down by rebels in the Congo 29/11/64
OO-RIC*– 12/60 to 8/67
Sold to Transportflug as D-ACAB
OO-VAN*– 7/59 to 3/64
Sold to the Congolese Gov as 9Q-CHB
Douglas DC-6
OO-ABE*– 3/64 to 2/69
Sold to Trans Union as F-BRID
OO-ABG – 6/65 to 2/66
Crashed on approach to Milan 18/2/66
OO-GER*– 3/66 to 4/70
Sold to Lina Congo as TN-ABR
Recorded SEN Movement for B.I.A.S. Aircraft
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
OO-RIC
1960 Visits
23/12 x 2 (NCE-DUS) & (MUC-PMI)
OO-VAN
1962 Visits
19/4 (RTM-AMS) – 20/4 (AMS-AMS) – 23/4 x 2 (AMS-AMS) – 24/4 (AMS-BRU) – 2/5 (BRU-BRU) – 29/5 (RTM-BRU) – 31/5 (LBG) – 1/6 (BRU) – 21/6 (BRU-AMS)
Do you have any other, interesting snippets of information about this airline’s SEN history or indeed, any pictures or paraphernalia that you would like to share? If so, then please contact us on saadinfomail@gmail.com
Many thanks from the SAAD Admin Team. (R)
Operated from Jul 1959 to Dec 1980
Country of Origin – Belgium
Founders/Directors – Charles Van Antwerpen and George Richardson
B.I.A.S. or Belgian International Air Services as it was officially known, started operations with a single C-54 flying passenger and freight charters to Europe and the African colony of the Belgian Congo. It would take more than a year for further aircraft to be added to the fleet, although during the 1960s this airline had expanded to a moderate size with a good number of types on it books which included C-47s, C-54s, DC-6s and even DC-8s, although the latter would quite naturally never be seen at SEN.
It was on July 18th 1959 that BIAS C-54 OO-VAN made one of the company’s very first revenue trips operating a flight from Brussels to Southend. After this, B.I.A.S. aircraft would continue to frequent the airport a few times per year with C-54 OO-RIC flying a Nice-Southend-Dusseldorf-Munich charter for L.T.U. on December 23rd 1960, returning to SEN that evening to take 72 passengers to Palma. It would seem that the last flight to SEN took place sometime during late 1966 being as most B.I.A.S. aircraft had been committed to carrying out operations in Biafra.
B.I.A.S. fleet from 1959 to 1966
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
OO-DEP – 6/62 to 11/64
Shot down by rebels in the Congo 29/11/64
OO-RIC*– 12/60 to 8/67
Sold to Transportflug as D-ACAB
OO-VAN*– 7/59 to 3/64
Sold to the Congolese Gov as 9Q-CHB
Douglas DC-6
OO-ABE*– 3/64 to 2/69
Sold to Trans Union as F-BRID
OO-ABG – 6/65 to 2/66
Crashed on approach to Milan 18/2/66
OO-GER*– 3/66 to 4/70
Sold to Lina Congo as TN-ABR
Recorded SEN Movement for B.I.A.S. Aircraft
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
OO-RIC
1960 Visits
23/12 x 2 (NCE-DUS) & (MUC-PMI)
OO-VAN
1962 Visits
19/4 (RTM-AMS) – 20/4 (AMS-AMS) – 23/4 x 2 (AMS-AMS) – 24/4 (AMS-BRU) – 2/5 (BRU-BRU) – 29/5 (RTM-BRU) – 31/5 (LBG) – 1/6 (BRU) – 21/6 (BRU-AMS)
Do you have any other, interesting snippets of information about this airline’s SEN history or indeed, any pictures or paraphernalia that you would like to share? If so, then please contact us on saadinfomail@gmail.com
Many thanks from the SAAD Admin Team. (R)