Northeast
Airlines Bristol Britannia 305 G-ANCD
(c/n
12920)
In 1957, flushed with the
success of its early load factors on the Florida route, Northeast
Airlines
ordered a fleet of five Bristol
Britannia series 300s. These were to have been registered N6595C
thru N6599C. In the event, the airline had second thoughts, and
the Britannia never did see service
with NEA. Just what penalty Northeast paid to Bristols for the
non-delivery of these sleek airliners
is not evident. Shown
above at Filton Airport, home base of the Bristol Aircraft Company, is
the first
of
their machines in full Northeast livery. This photograph is from
the archives of the manufacturer.
Bristols retained
title to the above aircraft and leased it out, initially to El Al as
4X-AGE. It spent
its last days in the 1970s with a series of Kenyan
air freight companies registered 5Y-AYR, being
finally withdrawn from use in
1979.