320 jobs go as UK airline calls in receiver

A UK airline which specialised in providing back-up planes to other carriers has gone into receivership with the loss of 320 jobs.

British World Airlines, which was based at Southend airport in Essex, says it has failed to find a solution to financial problems exacerbated by the events of September 11.

Fifty of the job losses are at Aberdeen, from where the airline operated flights to North Sea oil rigs.

The end for the 10-plane carrier was signalled yesterday, when lessors said the airline's leased aircraft would have to be returned.

All the aircraft completed their journeys yesterday and were returned to their bases. So no passengers have been inconvenienced by today's announcement.

The airline began life as Silver City Airways in 1946, and also operated for a time as British Air Ferries.

It operated six 68-seat BAe ATP planes, three Boeing 737s and one Boeing 757.

Among carriers for whom British World Airlines supplied aircraft were British Airways and low-cost airlines easyJet and Go.