The African Battleground: Ethiopian Airlines vs Kenya Airways vs SAA
Advertisement:
The African aviation market has seen plenty of change in the past years. As South African Airways’ situation has worsened, that of Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways has improved. The two have battled to become the leading hub in East Africa. Ethiopian Airlines has moved ahead now, but this was not always the case. This article looks at this battle through the story of each of the three airlines.
Ethiopian Airlines has risen rapidly in recent years to be the largest carrier in Africa. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
They also show military personnel who were based at the adjacent airport. The Avro factory produced Lancaster bombers which were used in the legendary “Dambuster” raids. The 70th anniversary of the raids was marked in May 2013, and the importance of the Yeadon factory was highlighted in a parliamentary motion put forward by the then Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland. The factory, which was built in 1939 alongside what is now Leeds Bradford Airport, covered a million and a half square feet, and was the largest single factory unit in Europe at the time. Called a ‘shadow factory,’ the Avro unit contributed to the aircraft production necessary for the war effort. In order to avoid airstrikes, the roof of the factory was camouflaged with fields, hedgerows, dummy buildings, and even a duck pond. The camouflaging tactics were successful, as the factory was never detected by enemy bombers throughout the war.
Published on: Sunday, January 24, 2021
By: David C C Lim and Syn Chew
Text Size:
Tun Fuad Stephens signing the memorandum of the Malaysia Agreement. Looking on second left are Tun Mustapha, Encik Khir Johari, a Brunei representative and Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
THE headlines of The Canberra Times of 6th July, 1948, reads, “Sir Edward Gent Killed in a Plane Collision”. Sir Edward was flying in an RAF transport plane, an Avro York, when it collided with a Scandinavian Airlines’ passenger plane while in holding pattern over Northolt airport, London, under adverse weather conditions.
Sir Edward had left Singapore on 29th June, 1948. The news shocked the people of Malaya as Sir Edward was the first High Commissioner to the Malayan Federation and had also been the Governor of the short-lived Malayan Union. It should also have invoked an emotional response from some of the former officers in the service of the Rajah of Sarawak as Gent had also played a part in hastening the cession of