DH Dove VR-NIB in
f light. Before entering
service the f irst WAAC
Do es spent a month
on proving f lights and
charters, including a
trip from the mouth to
the source of the River
Niger to observe f lood
conditions, aimed at
helping forecasting to
assist in navigating
the river.
KEY C
http://www.airlinerworld.com 17
In 1945, as Britain
re-established
commercial links with
its colonies, one of
the earliest examples
of co-operation
between nations to
form a joint national
airline emerged in
West Africa. David
Ransted recalls
the history of West
African Airways
Corporation.
Delayed Start
Plans to begin operations early in 1947 proved
optimistic and WAAC’s first Dove was not delivered
until September 14 of that year. The aircraft carried
a stylish palm green-and-gold livery and WAAC’s
emblem was Skypower, a winged elephant designed
by the American wife of a local agricultural researcher.
Just over a month after its arrival the first Dove
began operations on October 28, flying an internal
domestic flight within Nigeria from Lagos to Calabar
via Benin, Port Harcourt and Enugu.
Such was the early burst of activity that by the end
of the year, with four Doves now on strength, regular
schedules stretched as far as Tiko in Cameroon – even
though Tiko airport was still under construction and had no
radio or meteorological aids.
With WAAC progressively taking over more regional routes
its Doves order increased to eleven airframes. The airline
also assumed responsibility for services in the Gold Coast in
December 1947 and by the end of the following March it had
finally linked all four shareholding countries. By that time the
network extended to almost 30 destinations spread over 2,
miles (3,218km). In 1948/49, its first full year of operation,
WAAC flew 13,813 passengers.
Following the Mail
WAAC’s strateg y was to link with BOAC’s London
services but it also based its local network around the
distribution of the high volume of mail that needed
to be moved around West Africa. The airline then
added passenger services onto this mail network
and quickly gained a reputation for offering a
reliable service linking the main population
centres of West Africa.
Flight frequency was gradually increased but
load factors in the first year were low, averaging
46% on scheduled services. This resulted from
the ‘omnibus’ nature of its routes, with passengers
joining and leaving flights at the several stops
along the way, and from the inclusion of towns
with low population and traffic in pursuit of the
strateg y to prioritise the mail service.
Skypower
optimistic and WAAC’s first Dove was not delivered
until September 14 of that year. The aircraft carried
emblem was Skypower, a winged elephant designed
by the American wife of a local agricultural researcher.
began operations on October 28, flying an internal
domestic flight within Nigeria from Lagos to Calabar
Such was the early burst of activity that by the end
of the year, with four Doves now on strength, regular
schedules stretched as far as Tiko in Cameroon – even
though Tiko airport was still under construction and had no
With WAAC progressively taking over more regional routes
its Doves order increased to eleven airframes. The airline
also assumed responsibility for services in the Gold Coast in
http://www.airlinerworld.com 17
though Tiko airport was still under construction and had no
With WAAC progressively taking over more regional routes
its Doves order increased to eleven airframes. The airline
also assumed responsibility for services in the Gold Coast in
