Aviation 12

R

eliability and pro tability were

words closely associated with the

BAC One-Eleven when employed

by British Airways (BA) and its

predecessor, British European Airways

(BEA). It was billed as the UK’s aviation

industry’s ‘big hope’ and proved to be a

success with nearly 250 sold.

Commentators dubbed the airliner a ‘bus

stop jet’ because of its suitability for short-

haul and an ability to turn round passengers

in a matter of minutes.

The type began its working life with BA’s

predecessor, BEA, in 1968 and  nally retired

some 30 years later.

Development of the One-Eleven can be

traced to a design by Hunting Aircraft in 1956

which was aiming to create a passenger

aircraft to enter the jet age. Named the

H107, the airliner was intended as a 32-seat,

twin-engine jet, but the project hit stalemate

early on because there was no suitable

powerplant.

At the start of the new decade, the British

aircraft industry began to consolidate and

Hunting Aircraft was absorbed into the newly

established British Aircraft Corporation

(BAC). The H107 design was reworked,  rst

into the 59-seat BAC 107 and soon after

into the BAC 111 (later known as the One-

Eleven). With capacity swelling to 80 seats,

the manufacturer opted to  t Rolls-Royce

Spey turbofan engines (also used in another

aircraft with a signi cant role in this story, the

Hawker Siddeley Trident).

Seeking an international customer base,

the designers incorporated front and rear

airstairs and a powerful auxiliary power unit,

that would enable the aircraft to operate from

the most basic air elds.

Sir Freddie Laker’s British United

Airways (BUA) was  rst in line for the new

aircraft, placing an order for ten One-

Eleven 200s in May 1961. International

orders from the likes of US operators

Braniff International Airways and Mohawk

Airlines followed, along with others soon

after from Kuwait Airways and Central

African Airways.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

BEA was notably absent from this early list

of customers, but the UK’s leading domestic

and European carrier soon showed an

interest. By 1966, the airline was seeking

a replacement for the venerable Vickers

Viscount – the type had  rst entered service

with the operator in 1950.

The popular Viscounts were still

performing well but the emergence of short-

haul jets into the marketplace left customers

hungry for opportunities to  y faster, higher

and further than before.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

BAC ONE-ELEVENS

SHORT-HAUL STALWARTS

Bob O’Brien details the service of the BAC

One-Eleven with BEA, then British Airways.

22 Aviation News incorporating Jets December 2018