Funding Win For West Sussex To Catalogue Sir Freddie Laker's Archive

Monday, 10 August 2020 13:11

By John Warburton @Warblefly

A plane in the fleet of Sir Freddie Laker's "Skytrain" (Photo: Ruth A.S. / Creative Commons)

West Sussex County Record Office has won a competition run by the Business Archives' Council, and is receiving money to make available the papers of airline pioneer Sir Freddie Laker (1922–2006).

Sir Freddie's airline, Laker Airways, owed much of its success to the charisma of its owner, and was in the vanguard of low-cost 'casual' flying with its Skytrain service operating from Gatwick Airport among others.

Skytrain, launched in 1977, did not require advance reservations and provided passengers with a ‘walk on, walk off’ service at an incredibly low price.

It captured the public imagination, proving to be hugely popular.

But the flying stopped in 1982, despite great public support, when Laker Airways went bankrupt — to be followed by the company pursuing a landmark antitrust suit against British Airways and Pan Am (among others).

Laker's company argued the competitors had slashed their fares to below-cost levels, purely to drive their rivals Laker Airways and Skytrain out of business.

Now, Sir Freddie's archive is to be catalogued as an important record of the rise and fall of his companies, providing an important insight into 20th century aviation.

The records are also a significant resource for social history, recording a revolution in air travel and tourism, the impact of which is still being felt today.

According to the Business Archives' Council, the archive dates from 1956-2004 and comprises a diverse range of material, including Sir Freddie Laker’s appointment diaries from 1962 to 1983 which cover key years in the development of Skytrain.

A rich series of press cuttings from 1966 to 1982 chart in detail the rise and fall of Laker Airways and Skytrain whilst annual reports and accounts relating to Laker Airways from the 1970s-1980s, Laker’s office filing, 1970s-1980s and promotional and advertising material relating to the launch of Skytrain, c1977 provide an insight into the running of the company.

A particular highlight are hundreds of letters sent to Laker following the collapse of his company in 1982 which document the backgrounds of those who flew with Laker Airways and their many different reasons for travelling - from the trip of a lifetime to the final chance to visit a sick parent.

Finally, a series of legal documents record the antitrust case brought by Laker Airways against British Airways, Pan Am, TWA and others in 1985.

The council said the grant will enable the West Sussex Records Office to fully catalogue the archive with the completed catalogue being made available on WSRO’s online catalogue, Search Online.

It will allow this archive to be available to researchers for the first time