Air ferry

Bristol 170 Freighter 32 of Silver City Airways loading a car at Southampton in 1954

Aviation Traders Carvair in 1965

An air ferry is a ferry service in which cars and passengers are transported by aircraft.

British services

The air ferry service was inaugurated by retired Royal Air Force officer Air Commodore Griffith J. ("Taffy") Powell, who founded an airline company called Silver City in 1948. They used Bristol 170 Freighter aeroplanes, developed from the Bristol Bombay military aircraft. The service operated until 1954 from Lympne airfield, and later from Lydd airport.

The service was popular through the 1950s. The ultimate air ferry aeroplane was the Aviation Traders Carvair, converted from the Douglas DC-4.

Airlines that offered air ferry services involving the British Isles

All the airlines below are defunct except Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus no longer offers transport of cars.

• Aer Lingus
• Air Ferry
• British United Air Ferries
• British Air Ferries
• Channel Air Bridge
• Silver City Airways

External links

• http://www.franceforfreebooters.com/travel/SilverCity.htm
• http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/cab.htm