Instone Air Line

United Kingdom

*

S. Instone & Co., a shipping company, opened a private service from its base in Cardiff via London to Paris late in 1919. The London to Paris segment was turned into a public service in April 1920 under the name of Instone Air Line. For a couple of years there were 4-5 competitors, both British and French, on the route, so the British airlines eventually agreed to let Handley Page Transport compete on its own from October 1922. Instone withdrew, but in the meantime (May 1922) it had opened a route to Brussels, extended to Cologne in August.

In 1923, a Government committee recommended that the main British airlines should merge, to establish one, financially strong, airline, and to enable it to undertake the necessary expansions. Following this recommendation, Imperial Airways was created on 1 April 1924, absorbing the assets and routes of Handley Page Transport, Instone Air Line, Daimler Airway and British Marine Air Navigation.

*

BL

October 1, 1921
Click for views of the interior (1)
Click for views of the interior (2)

Undated (1922)
(From the collection of Michael Dawes)
Click for larger view

Undated (c. spring 1922)
(From the collection of Daniel Kusrow)
Click for a view of the interior

BL

Undated (c. 1923)
Click to view the complete timetable

November 1923
(From the collection of Michael Dawes)
Click for larger view including the back cover and route map

This page last updated February 6, 2016.