Airlink (helicopter)
| Founded | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 9 June 1978 |
| Ceased operations | 6 February 1986 |
| Fleet size | One Sikorsky S-61 |
| Destinations | |
| Parent company | British Caledonian Airways and British Airways Helicopters |
Airlink was the brand name of a helicopter shuttle service which ran between London's two main airports, Gatwick and Heathrow, between 1978 and 1986. Operated jointly by British Caledonian Airways and British Airways Helicopters using a Sikorsky S-61 owned by the British Airports Authority, the "curious and unique operation" connected the rapidly growing airports in the years before the M25 motorway existed. Although at one point the service was granted a licence to operate until 1994, the Secretary of State for Transport intervened and revoked the licence with effect from February 1986—by which time the continued existence of the link had become "a highly controversial issue" debated by Members of Parliament, airlines, airport operators, local authorities and many other interest groups. No similar service has operated between the airports since Airlink's cessation.
Heathrow Airport is 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi) west of central London, and Gatwick Airport is 24.7 nmi (45.7 km; 28.4 mi) south of the city. Transport connections between London and the respective airports are good, but the difficulty of travelling directly between Heathrow and Gatwick was noted as soon as the latter was designated London's second main airport.
The first attempt to run an air shuttle service between the two airports started on 25 June 1969, when Westward Airways started operating flights between Heathrow and the General Aviation Terminal at Gatwick using a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft. This was not well marketed, and the route was unprofitable—not helped by the need for Westward to lease another Islander aircraft after one of the fleet was damaged in an accident in February 1970. Between July 1970 and 22 August 1970, when the route ran for the last time, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee had to be borrowed from another company.
Throughout the 1970s, "many and complex pressures" both encouraged and opposed the reintroduction of an air shuttle service. Large airlines such as British Caledonian and Dan-Air were based at Gatwick and wanted better links with Heathrow for the benefit of their passengers and staff. Meanwhile, the government wanted to reduce the pressure on Heathrow by moving some foreign airlines' flights to Gatwick—a difficult proposal at a time when national airlines were a symbol of prestige—and improving links between the airports would help minimise the negative effect of moving from Heathrow. National transport policy suggested that a motorway would be built between Gatwick and Heathrow at some time in the future, so an air shuttle was considered to be a possible temporary solution.Noise pollution, was expected to be a problem, though, as the natural flightpath between the airports lay above densely populated residential areas. The low altitude of the flights was also expected to invade the privacy of "rich and influential residents" under the flightpath.
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