Daimler Airway
| Founded | 9 September 1921 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | April 1922 |
| Ceased operations | 1 April 1924 |
| Operating bases | Alexandra Park Aerodrome, England |
| Hubs | Croydon Airport, London, England |
| Fleet size | 6 de Havilland DH.34 |
| Destinations | Amsterdam, Hanover and Berlin |
| Parent company | Birmingham Small Arms Company group's Daimler Company |
Daimler Airway was an airline subsidiary of the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA)'s Daimler Company. It was created to use some of the assets of the failed ventures Airco and its subsidiary, Aircraft Transport and Travel, which was acquired by BSA in February 1920.
Daimler Company established Daimler Air Hire as a private air hire company on June 7, 1919. Daimler Hire's managing director was Lieutenant Colonel Frank Searle CB, DSO, who had also been a senior manager of Daimler prior to his war service. During the First World War Daimler had acquired considerable aviation experience manufacturing aero engines and aircraft, including bombers. They built Gnome Monosoupape and Le Rhone engines under Airco's licence. The last wartime aircraft Daimler produced was the Airco DH.10 bomber when they were building 80 aeroplanes a month. Their own test-ground beside the Daimler factory had been compulsorily purchased to become the main RAF testing ground for aircraft built in the Coventry district.
In February 1920 the BSA group acquired Holt Thomas's failing Airco group and placed Airco subsidiary Aircraft Transport and Travel (Air Express) under the responsibility of Searle and Daimler Hire. In November 1920 BSA withdrew its financial support and AT&T, Air Express was placed in the hands of a liquidator.
In February 1921 those assets needed to form a new business to continue Air Express were purchased from the liquidator (Searle) to form what became Daimler Airway. When tenders were called by the Air Ministry for civil air services Searle and Woods Humphery persuaded the BSA-Daimler group to make a tender. It was accepted by the Air Ministry on 9 September 1921.
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