British International has ambitions to introduce scheduled services in the UK within the next 10 years using the proposed Bell/Agusta BA619 tiltrotor airliner. The company’s managing director, David Hayler, told AIN “The future regional airliner is the tiltrotor,” and his 10-year vision sees use of a 19-seat stretched development of the BA609, soon to begin flight trials. For its part, Bell has not committed to any such stretch tiltrotor beyond the artist’s conception stage.
The airline (and its predecessor, British Airways Helicopters) has been operating scheduled helicopter services between the southeastern tip of the English mainland and the Isles of Scilly since 1974, making that the longest-lived scheduled helicopter airline service in the world. The three-millionth passenger was carried last August. Operated by Sikorsky S-61Ns, the service has thrived and returned profits because it is one of few routes in the world where the helicopter has a clear advantage over other types of transport–including fixed-wing aircraft.
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