Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes
 | ||||
| ||||
| Founded | February 1919 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 18 April 1919 | |||
| Ceased operations | 1 January 1923 | |||
| Operating bases | Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France | |||
| Destinations |
Haren Airport, Brussels, Belgium Lille-Lesquin Airport, Lille, France Hounslow Heath Aerodrome, Middlesex, United Kingdom | |||
| Key people |
Founders: Louis Blériot Louis-Charles Breguet René Caudron Louis Renault | |||
Compagnie des messageries aériennes was a pioneering French airline which was in operation from 1919–23, when it was merged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union.
History
Compagnie des messageries aériennes was established February 1919 by Louis-Charles Breguet. Other founders were Louis Blériot, Louis Renault and René Caudron. The first commercial route, a mail and freight service between Le Bourget Airport, Paris and Lille-Lesquin Airport, Lille, was started 18 April 1919 using ex-military Breguet 14s.[1] In August, a service was started to Brussels, Belgium.[2] On 19 September, an international passenger service between Paris - Le Bourget Airport and London (Hounslow Heath Aerodrome) was started, also using Breguet 14s.[1]
The company was merged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union on 1 January 1923.
Accidents and incidents
- On 15 March 1923, Farman F.60 Goliath F-AEIE overran the runway on landing at Croydon and collided with a building. The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.[3]
- On 3 December 1923, Goliath F-AEIF, which may have been operated by CMA, crashed at Littlestone, Kent.[3]
Fleet
- Breguet 14 (2 passengers)
- Farman F.60 Goliath (12 passengers, 15 aircraft)
- Blériot-SPAD S.27 (2 passengers, 10 aircraft)
- Blériot-SPAD S.33 (5 passengers, 15 airfraft)
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sherwood (1999)
- ↑ "World Aviation in 1919 - Part 1". Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "FRENCH PRE-WAR REGISTER Version 120211". Air Britain. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
References
- Bluffield, Robert. 2009. Imperial Airways - The Birth of the British Airline Industry 1914-1940. Ian Allan ISBN 978-1-906537-07-4
- Sherwood, Tim. 1999. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911-1946. Heritage Publications (Hounslow Library) ISBN 1-899144-30-7
