Commerce Skies [Commercial Air Services in flight magazine (PW#2442)]

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 1: April 1955



Commercial Air Services is set to be South Africa’s first privately owned business and leisure travel airline. Despite an internal error of sorts causing for the inadvertent disposal of nearly 70 million Euros worth of aircraft the airline started operating one month after its foundation in March 1955. This was thanks to a lending hand from established airline, British Imperial Airways. The two companies stumbled into a sort of unofficial alliance whereby the UK based company has agreed to provide aircraft on a short-term lease basis to use to build the initial route network. British Imperial Airways is also working closely with the South African based airline providing corporate strategy advice and branding solutions.

Commercial Air Services is also honoured to announce that it will be flying the colours of British Imperial Airways on an Airspeed Ambassador aircraft provided by the company as a gesture of gratitude to South Africa for its assistance during World War II. This iconic aircraft will be used on the busier routes from Cape Town and will serve to remind all that travel on it of the joint legacy of Britain & South Africa’s efforts during the War. The aircraft will carry the name RMA Marmaduke Pattle honouring South African wartime pilot and squadron leader Marmaduke Thomas St. John "Pat" Pattle, RAF.

Commercial Air Services plans to create a comprehensive local route network linking the three major economic hubs of South Africa, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, with each other and other popular destinations across the country. The airlines first base of operations is at the recently opened D.F. Malan Airport in Cape Town. Plans for the future involve regional and international expansion as well as acquiring brand new aircraft in the companies ownership. The current route structure is not permanent and is designed solely to maximize profits in order to fund the facilitation of future routes.

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 2: August 1955

Commercial Air Services is proud to present its first livery on a factory new Douglas DC-3 aircraft purchased by the company and due for delivery on 16 August 1955. This is the first aircraft operated by the airline to wear a company livery. Up till now all other aircraft operated in an all white scheme apart from the Airspeed Ambassador leased from British Imperial Airways, which is painted in the commemorative RMA Marmaduke Pattle British Imperial Airways scheme.

Until now the airline had to resort to leasing aircraft in order to be able to operate. This was due to the unfortunate events regarding inadvertent disposal of assets that plagued the airline during its first few months. However the arrival of this aircraft marks the beginning of a new era of self-sufficient operations and continuous growth for the airline. Many further DC-3’s all replacing leased aircraft will follow and some will be used to fuel the airlines expansion across the country in the near future. It seems that against all odds Commercial Air Services will become the success it set out to become.

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 3: August 1956

Commercial Air Services is thrilled to announce the opening of a new base of operations in Johannesburg, South Africa. The first flight took off from Jan Smuts International Airport bound for George in the Cape Province on the 22nd of August 1956.

The decision was inspired by economic growth experienced in the city following the discovery of large gold and diamond deposits in the surrounding areas in recent years. Large-scale infrastructure development is taking place all around the city fuelled by major local and foreign investment. Tall buildings rising from the central business district points towards Johannesburg becoming a large metropolitan city similar to those in the United States & Europe. Jan Smuts International Airport also serves the national capitol and home of the government of the South African Union, Pretoria, which lies just a few kilometres to the north. It was also the destination of the first ever scheduled jet service when the first commercial flight of a de Havilland Comet took of from London’s Heathrow airport bound for Johannesburg in 1952.

Other airlines also became aware of the potential the city displays. Commercial Air Services will step into direct competition with British Imperial Airways, which recently started operations from the city. The airline aims to connect Johannesburg with all the same popular destinations it currently serves from Cape Town. This will create the added benefit of allowing passengers to travel between Cape Town & Johannesburg for a lesser fair by connecting via Kimberley or Bloemfontein instead of taking the direct flight. Brand new DC-3 aircraft are used to operate the new routes.

[1993matias]

I really like your reports, keep up the good work!

[Commercial Air Services]

I really like your reports, keep up the good work!

Thank you , and I really enjoy creating them. Again much of it is thanks to you introducing me to GIMP with your tutorial. I can confidently say that it has become my favorite pastime to design little thingies using it, apart from AM of course. If I may say so myself, these reports would not have been nearly as striking without accompanying visuals. Kudos to GIMP!

You know... at times I look at my efforts for AM and think: "YOU NEED A LIFE GUY!", while others play the newest, most exciting & graphically stimulating games I hunch over in front of a browser clicking buttons that make imaginary planes fly. To make matters even worse I immerse myself so deeply into the experience that I once dreamt of flying as a passenger on CAS, complete with Marie Adams and The Three Tons of Joy playing as background music

[1993matias]

You need a life or a time machine to have more time!

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 4: November 1956

Commercial Air Services recently started serving yet another city in South Africa, Durban, on the eastern coast in the Natal province. This marks the last phase of creating a comprehensive route network connecting all larger centers within the country and it could not have happened at a better time.

Coincidently an unusually large amount of seafaring traffic is passing through the Durban Harbour on the way to the East. This is due to a conflict aptly named “The Suez Crisis” raging in Egypt at this time. The Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser’s, decision to nationalize The Suez Canal in July outraged Britain, France & Israel who all invaded the country, bombing their way through Cairo. Despite efforts from the United States, The United Nations & rather surprisingly, The Soviet Union, to convince the three countries to withdraw from Egypt, the conflict continues. This of course prevents any ships headed towards the east from taking a shortcut by means of The Canal and leaves them with no other choice than to complete the significantly longer voyage around The Cape of Good Hope stopping for supplies at both Cape Town & Durban. With every possible bunker in the harbour occupied as many as 10 ships at a time lie waiting within the inner anchorage, whilst numbers in excess of twenty are tugging at their anchors at the outer anchorage. This, of course, is unheard of!

Brand new DC-3 aircraft due to arrive before the end of the month will serve all the same destinations that are served from both Cape Town & Johannesburg. This will give our unexpected guests a quick, luxurious and easy way to explore the country while their ships lie in dock.

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 4: January 1957

Moroccan royalty and its authorities recently made an agreement with Commercial Air Services to have the airline start operating domestic flights within Morocco as the first and only airline, as of yet, to operate a Moroccan based operation. This comes with the kingdoms recent independence as a backdrop when, after three months of negations, the country declared itself independent from Spain & France in March of last year as "The Kingdom of Morocco".

The Kingdom stated that it was in need of a local air service to connect some of its larger cities and towns as travelling by land across the large expanses of desert in-between can be somewhat treacherous. Commercial Air Services displayed sufficient experience with operating in a more rural and extreme environment and also had the perfect fleet to operate in the harsh conditions the western parts of the Sahara can so often create. The name “Commercial Air Services” also proved most apt, as it had no connotation to any other country or pre-existing institution. Hence it was the Kingdoms decision to employ the airline in this task.

Routes are to be flown to 14 destinations across the country from Casablanca, Marrakech & Agadir using DC-3 aircraft. Although the operation will be run as a separate entity from that of the South African one, South African flight crews and aircraft will staff it. The only visible difference between Moroccan & South African based aircraft will be the national flag of either country displayed next to the registration, which for both remains South African.

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 5: April 1957

Commercial Air Services has been employed by yet another liberated North African State, Egypt. Military clashes revolving around the nationalization of The Suez Canal finally ceased last month when Israeli forces were the last to retreat from the country following the retreat of Britain & France earlier this year.

Having witnessed the success Morocco had with setting up a national air service using the South African airline, Egypt decided to follow in their footsteps in order to rebuild the once prosperous state. Routes are to be flown from Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh & Hurghada to 19 towns & settlements across the country. Many of these communities are in desperate need of a connection to their main lifeline cities, so to speak, after being cut off from trade, medical & other supplies since the start of the conflict.

In addition, rural settlements that were largely isolated even before the conflict started will now also be connected to the outside world. These include far-flung communities such as The Dakhla & Kharga Oases and The St. Catherine Settlement that are quite literally Oases in the most remote parts of the Egyptian desert.

Not only will the airline aid in relief operations but it will also be setting up a network of routes to be utilised for future economic growth and tourism, which was once so prevalent in the region. DC-3 aircraft will serve all destinations, as is the norm with all other operations run by the airline.

[Commercial Air Services]

Issue 6: August 1957

Last month Commercial Air Services opened two new bases each opposite from the other in relation to the African Continent. One just of the north western tip of Africa at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island, which is part of the Cape Verde archipelago of islands, and another rather far of the north eastern end of Africa at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport which is the main international airport of The Maldives islands.

The motive behind the opening of these two bases is purely logistical for planned future operations. However both the Sultan of The Maldives & The Portuguese Authorities, which currently reigns over Cape Verde as a foreign province of Portugal, agreed that Commercial Air Services is to set up regular scheduled flights between the islands of both regions respectively as a precondition to operating from their airports. Two newly purchased DC-3 aircraft are dedicated to operating these routes.



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[1993matias]

I like this report a lot, but might I ask you a question? How about international flights? Are you going to do some long haul some time soon?

[Commercial Air Services]

Oh yes, most definitely!

The last two bases that opened in Cape Verde & The Maldives has the sole purpose of serving as an aid to future long haul routes. I'm not going to embellish too much regarding that, I'd much rather save it for the actual post when the day comes.

You must also take into account that it is only 1957 "as of yet". The first ever Boeing 707 will only be available "next year" in 1958 and I dread the idea of flying Comets & what not. Its also true that "currently" there are aircraft available with the range, in fact nearly twice the range than that of the 707, such as the Starliner & all the Constellations, but to spend 100 million a pop now on slow radials when I could just wait a few more months would be foolish.

Also remember from the first post that Commercial Air Services had the unfortunate privilege of inadvertently disposing nearly 70 million Euros worth of aircraft. Essentially what happened was that I wasn't yet sure how the game worked as I only started playing then, so I clicked, clicked & clicked and scrapped both my starting aircraft. So I was starting at a value of roughly 10 million opposed to the 70 odd million everyone else started at. I then leased to get up and running and slowly built up all these bases which are of course all essential for future long hauls. Only recently has the airlines value climbed above 100 million and am I able to start considering upgrading and stretching legs. There is one more major addition that will soon be added before any big jets can be purchased, however I'm also forced to wait until 1958 for that. Luckily being forced to wait for year end means that my pockets are bulging and I can most likely do things in bulk all at once by then.