The Caz Caswell
1970 - Westward Airways G-AXFC Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander at the GAT
(General Aviation Terminal) Gatwick on Turnaround for the Gatwick-Heathrow Shuttle
Photograph
Caz Caswell
© 1970 Used with Permission
For a larger picture (1500x1000pixels)
The Westward Airways Gatwick-Heathrow Shuttle (1969-1970)
Almost forgotten now, this started on the 25th June 1969 using an Islander BN2 G-AXFC in standard
Westward Airways livery, but with Gatwick-Heathrow booking Telephone Numbers covering the top of
the wing.
The service operated from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), not from a Gate accessible directly
from the Main Terminal. I have yet to discover the Heathrow Terminus, for the service, but one suspects
it was similarly less than ideal for passengers.
With 20/20 Hindsight, both the choice of equipment (although Westward would have had no immediate
alternative) and the use of the GAT as a Terminus, meant the service had a ‘huge hill’ to climb in terms
of Passenger acceptance. This coupled with what appears to have been a ‘low profile’ in marketing
terms meant that the chances of long term success were stacked against it.
Westward persevered, but the fates appeared to be both against the company and therefore the service.
The first hammer blow was an accident involving one of the company’s Islanders at St Mary’s on the
Scilly Islands on the 23rd February 1970, necessitating the leasing in of replacement aircraft at
considerable cost. Despite this Westward continued to use an Islander on the Shuttle until mid-summer
1970, but the service never became a commercial success. During July 1970 Westward withdrew the
Islander and sub-chartered a Southend Air Taxis Piper Cherokee to operate the flights, this change of
equipment effectively signalled that the end was near and indeed the last operation was on the 22nd
August 1970.
DIH
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