LS EXS Commenced operations 1978 Website channel-express.co.uk Fleet size 10 (2005) | EXS CHANNEX Hubs Bournemouth Airport Founded 1978 Hub Bournemouth Airport | |
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Ceased operations January 2006 (rebranded as Jet2) Headquarters Christchurch, United Kingdom | ||
Channel Express (Air Services) Limited was an airline with its head office in Building 470 at Bournemouth International Airport in Christchurch, Dorset, near Bournemouth. It operated scheduled services from Bournemouth to the Channel Islands and nightly cargo services to Europe and throughout the UK on behalf of Royal Mail and other overnight express carriers. Short notice and ad hoc charters were also operated throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as wet-lease operations on behalf of major scheduled airlines. Its main base was Bournemouth International Airport (BOH).
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In January 2006 the name Channel Express was dropped, and the company rebranded entirely to become Jet2, the name given to the company's successful low cost airline.
History
The airline was established in January 1978 and started operations in 1978. It started with daily services to the Channel Islands under the name of Express Air Services using Handley Page Dart Herald aircraft. After securing Post Office contracts in the early 1980s the airline adopted the Channel Express name in 1983. In 2002 Channel Express established its low cost brand Jet2, whose name it took in January 2006.
Fleet
As of 2005 the Channel Express fleet was made up of: