Dan's Comets
The Story of an Airline's Love Affair with a Single Aircraft Type
The de Havilland Comet and Dan-Air are closely linked. Dan-Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of London-based shipbroking firm Davies and Newman, owned 49 of the 114 de Havilland Comets ever built, which at one point was the entire world supply of airworthy civil Comets. Take a look at this mainly pictorial journey through Dan's Comets.
Comet 4B
The Comet 4B had a longer fuselage but shorter range due to a smaller wing without the wing fuel tanks of the series 4 and 4C. This setup made it very suitable for European operations by BEA and Olympic Airlines, the only two companies to order the jet from new. Dan-Air's first Comet 4B, one of a fleet of 15, arrived in February 1972, and the type made its last flight with Dan-Air in October 1979.
Comet 4
In 1966, Dan-Air's relationship with the world's first jet airliner began with the arrival of their very first Comet 4 G-APDK from BOAC on 19 May. After PDK arrived at the Dan-Air engineering base at Lasham, it was quickly followed a few days later by PDO, also from BOAC. Both aircraft saw their galleys redesigned and floors strengthened to allow Dan-Air to fit an extra column of seats, making the cabin now five abreast; this raised the passenger capacity to 99. Ironically, the first Comet to arrive, PDK would be one of the last to be scrapped, staying with Dan Air until 1980, although its last flight would be in 1973.
The airline has operated 19 aircraft over the years, with the last Dan-Air flight by a Comet 4 in November 1973.
Large picture windows and table seating accommodations for a row of passengers afforded a higher degree of comfort and luxury than other airliners of the period. Amenities included a galley that could serve hot or cold food and drinks, a bar, and separate men's and women's toilets. Emergency provisions had several life rafts stored in the wing roots near the engines and individual life vests stowed under each seat.
Comet 4C
The last version operated by Dan-Air was the Comet 4C, which combined the larger wing and fuel capacity of the Comet 4 with the longer fuselage of the 4B. The airline acquired its first Comet 4C in March 1971 from Kuwait Airways. The fleet of 15 airplanes served the airline until the last flight in November 1980.
So how did Dan-Air come to build such a large fleet of Comets?
The airline previously operated piston engine aircraft, like Yorks, DC-3s, DC-4, DC-7, Ambassadors, Doves, Herons, and Bristol 170 freighters, but Dan-Air needed to keep up to continue attracting the IT holiday market. They opted for the Comet because it was available at a low cost compared to newer jet models, like the Bac 1-11 and Boeing 737, and despite being previously used by major airlines, the Comets still had plenty of hours left in them.
Dan-Air's Timeline
After the first two Comet 4s had arrived in 1966, another pair of ex-BOAC aircraft followed in 1967. Still, the real influx of airframes came in 1969, with eight more arriving, including five from Malaysian and Singapore Airlines, the two Atlantic pioneers G-APDB and APDC, and the other three ex-BOAC. One ex-MSA aircraft never flew in Dan Air service but was scrapped for spares.
In 1970-71, ten more aircraft, a mix of Comet 4 and Comet 4C joined the fleet. However, only half of these were used for service, while the remaining airframes were used for spare parts. These aircraft were acquired from various sources, including Comet 4s from Kuwait Airways and East African Airlines and 4Cs from Kuwait Airways and Aerolineas Argentinas.
The Comet buying spree continued into 1972-73, with sixteen more airframes joining Dan-Air. These were mainly ex-Channel Airways and BEA Comet 4Bs, with an ex-Middle East Airlines Comet 4C, bought just for spares, as were four BEA and Channel Airways aircraft. These larger aircraft allowed the airline to retire the shorter fuselage Comet 4s. Dan-Air managed to seat 119 passengers in the newer jets.
In 1974, no new Comets were added. However, in the following two years, 1975-76, Dan-Air made its final effort to dominate the Comet world by acquiring eleven more Comet 4Cs. These aircraft were obtained from the RAF, Sudan Airways, and Egyptair Airlines, with only one Sudanese and the RAF aircraft entering service. The rest of the aircraft were scrapped for spare parts, and some did not even fly back to the UK.
Dan-Air effectively utilized its fleet of Comets, carrying 8 million passengers in the first four years of operating the aircraft. The remaining fleet continued to operate until the last Dan-Air Comet flight on 9 November 1980, when Comet 4C G-BDIW, a former RAF aircraft, took off from Gatwick for a farewell flight for enthusiasts. Dan-Air later donated this aircraft to a museum in Hermeskeil, Germany, where it is currently on public display. Dan-Air's contribution also allowed several museums to include a Comet in their collection.
As the Dan-Air Comet era neared its end, most Comets were scrapped to maintain the remaining aircraft. Toward the end, engineers were tasked with swapping engines between aircraft to extend their operational lifespan before requiring major servicing. The scarcity of spare parts and rising fuel costs ultimately led to the end of the Comet fleet. A Comet carrying 119 passengers consumed the same amount of fuel as a DC-10 carrying 345 passengers. Although the Comets and Dan-Air are no longer part of our skies, they will always be remembered for their significant role in the heyday of Comet operations.
Below is a list of all 49 Comets owned by Dan-Air. They are listed in order of arrival with the airline for each type. It's worth noting that not all of them were in service at the same time, and some never entered service and were only used to provide spares for the others.
Comet 4
G-APDK, APDO, APDJ, APDN, APDL, APDM, APDP, APDC, APDB, APDD, APDE, APDA, APDG, 5X-AAO, 5H-AAF, 5Y-AAA, G-AZIY, AZLW, LV-AHN
Comet 4B
G-APME, APYC, APMB, APYD, APZM, ARDI, APMD, APMG, APMF, ARJN, ARJK, G-BBUV, ARGM, APMC, ARJL
Comet 4C
G-AYVS, YWX, AROV, OD-ADT, G-BDIF, SDZ, G-BDIT, BDIU, BDIV, BDIW, BDIX, G-BEEY, BEEX, BEEZ, SU-ALL.