9th December 1933
Jersey Airways is founded
Jersey Airways flew its first commercial flight between Jersey and Portsmouth on 18 December 1933, just nine days after it was founded by Walter Thurgood. However, air transport was still in its infancy and the de Havilland Dragon aircraft that it operated had to land on and take off from the beach at St Aubin. Jersey Airport wouldn’t open for another four years, but was requisitioned for military use during the occupation, bringing commercial air travel to a pause.
The airline’s name disappeared in 1947 when the British government nationalised all airlines within its domain, and Jersey Airways was subsumed into British European Airways.
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Other events that occured in December
St Helier brought to a standstill by 600 mourners
- Artist Ralph Elliott died in 2009, aged 47. His funeral in December attended hundreds of mourners who brought St Helier to a standstill.
- Read more…
Christmas Eve plane crash at Jersey Airport
- A plane crashed at Jersey Airport on Christmas Eve when one of its wing tips touched the runway as it came down to land.
- Read more…
An earthquake shakes the Channel Islands
- Jersey and its neighbouring Channel Islands were struck by an earthquake in December 1843, followed by several aftershocks.
- Read more…
Jersey-born Commissioner of Singapore dies
- Jersey-born Arthur de la Mare was Commissioner of Singapore at the point the country gained its independence from Britain.
- Read more…
