G-AGND
Douglas DC-3
(c/n 26725)
The above image came from a rotogravure post
card
printed in Nicosia in the 1940s. Considering
that, it's not
too
bad. Michael Davie's contribution (below) is also from a post
card and shows -GND
at Beirut Airport, in the
early 1950s. . The rego has been relocated to the tail and is
scarcely visible
in this
reproduction. Cyprus Airways was founded in September 1947 as a joint venture between the
Cypriot
Government, British European Airways and private interests.
Operations commenced on
18 April 1948 with Douglas DC-3s.
G-AGND was a former RAF Dakota IV (KK142) which
was
civilianized for BOAC in 1945. Cyprus Airways acquired it in
1948. It was sold in the 1950s
to Bahamas
Airways as VP-BBT when Cyprus began using BEA Vickers Viscounts
on the Athens-
Nicosia
route. BEA took over all actual operations of the airline in
1958. The current airline of
the same
name is now owned by the Government of Cyprus.