Dart Group PLC - History

2007

• January 2007
  Jet2holidays.com is launched ensuring a major presence in the competitive' Package Holiday' market. Jet2holidays.com offers customers and members of the Travel Trade real time market rate prices for package holidays, the components of which include low cost Jet2.com flights in addition to accommodation and transfers.

2006

• December 2006
  Purchase of a 3 further Boeing 757-200 aircraft is announced which will increase the fleet size to 8.
• August
  Following Dart Group's 4 for 1 share split, the number of ordinary shares in issue is over 134 million.
• June
  Dart Group's interest in Channel Express (Channel Islands) Limited is sold to Ferryspeed C.I. Limited.
  
  Purchase of a 2 further Boeing 757-200 aircraft is announced which will increase the fleet size to 5.
• April
  Fowler Welch-Coolchain acquires the goodwill and selected assets of R. F. Fielding Cheshire Ltd to further strengthen their national network and to clearly announce their arrival into the ambient consolidation market sector.
  
  
• March
  A third Boeing 757-200 aircraft is purchased to give competitive seat rates for longer distances and allow Jet2.com to offer more winter sun destinations.
  
  5 millionth passenger flown
• January
  Channel Express (Air Services) Limited changes name to Jet2.com Limited.

2005

• October
  Edinburgh was unveiled as Jet2.com's 6th Northern Base. Flights to Murcia will commence on 3rd April 2006, alongside the already successful Edinburgh-Manchester service.

  These latest announcements reinforce Jet2.com's position as the North's leading low cost airline.
  
  

• September
  Exactly a year to the date that Jet2.com announced low cost services from Manchester, it also unveiled plans to open it's 5th base, at Blackpool International Airport. Flights to Murcia, Palma & Belfast went on sale with the promise of more routes to follow.
  
  
• August
  In order to concentrate on growing the Group's two core businesses of temperature-controlled distribution and aviation services, all Dart Group's interest in Benair Freight International Limited and Benair Freight Pte. is sold.
  
  Dart Group PLC shares are transferred between markets operated by the London Stock Market - from Official List to AIM
• July
  Purchase of 2 Boeing 757-200 aircraft announced, to enter service in the autumn with a passenger capacity of 235.
• June
  Flights go on sale for a new route, Newcastle to Murcia commencing October 2005
• March
  1.3 Million Jet2.com passengers flown in 2004/05 financial year.

 

2004

• December
  Jet2.com commences scheduled flights from Manchester International Airport to the first of 9 European destinations.
• September
  Jet2.com flies its 1 millionth passenger
• April
  Channel Express (Air Services) is awarded a long-term contract by the Royal Mail to be their leading aircraft provider and to operate 7 Boeing 737-300 cargo aircraft, flying domestic mail on nightly services throughout their newly introduced, postal distribution air network.
  
  Jet2.com commences scheduled flights from Belfast International Airport to Prague
• March
  Jet2.com flies its 500,000th passenger
  
  7 of the owned B737-300 passenger aircraft fleet are based at Leeds Bradford Airport and flying daily scheduled services to European business and leisure destinations including Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Murcia, Nice, Palma, Prague and Venice.
  
  Throughout the year a further 6 Boeing 737-300 passenger aircraft are purchased.

 

2003

• Low cost scheduled flights on B737-300 aircraft are now operated to Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Nice, Palma and Prague.
• Fowler Welch and Coolchain merge to form one single temperature-controlled distribution company, trading under the name Fowler-Welch Coolchain Ltd.
• A successful era comes to an end when our final Lockheed Electra flies its last flight on 2 May 2003.
• A further 8 Boeing 737-300s (5 passenger, 1 freighter and 2 QCs) are purchased, bringing the number in the fleet to 14.

 

2002

• 4 Boeing 737-300s are purchased, one to be converted to freighter, one converted to QC and 2 to remain as passenger aircraft.
• Following the second successful summer season flying charter passenger services, the company announces a new low cost airline division "Jet2.com" which will operate out of Leeds Bradford Airport from February 2003 to various European holiday and business destinations.
• Jet2.com is a trading name of Channel Express (Air Services) Ltd., which now operates a contract services division, a low cost airline division and a parts trading division.

 

2001

• A programme for a track and trace IT system is introduced throughout the Distribution Division, as well as a trailer tracking system using the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) network.
• Fowler Welch BV now manages 10,000 cross-Channel trailer movements annually between The Netherlands and the UK.
• 2 Airbus A300B2Ks are purchased to provide spare parts for Channel Express Parts Trading.
• The Fokker F27 fleet is upgraded into "Super Friendships" and fitted with new avionics, including ACAS - the European standard collision avoidance system.
• 2 Boeing 737-300QC "Quick Change" aircraft are purchased in May, the first of which enters service later this year expanding Channel Express (Air Services)' fleet of mid-sized freighter aircraft. The aircraft has a payload of 16 tonnes of freight and its "Quick Change" (QC) system allows the role change from freighter to passenger in around 30 minutes. The aircraft is marketed to both the cargo and passenger markets.
• Benair launches its "Special Services" activity at the company's London Heathrow offices, aimed at providing "hands on", pro-active management for critical shipments.

 

2000

• Dart Group now has nearly 1500 employees within its two divisions:-
• Coolchain takes over the operation of A Wood & Son (Detling), a former local competitor.
• A 3 year agreement is reached between Coolchain and the Canary Islands Federation of Produce Growers to provide labelling, consolidation and nationwide distribution services from the Port of Southampton.

 

1999

• Coolchain Group of companies is acquired. Coolchain is a Kent based temperature-controlled distribution company specialising in the distribution of fresh fruit and produce as well as offering its customers additional value-added packaging and warehousing services.
• Fowler Welch BV, a Dutch registered company, is formed to manage the Distribution Division's international business.
• Channel Express "Parts Trading" forms as an operating unit within Channel Express (Air Services) to supply aircraft parts and equipment to other airlines and stockists.
• 2 further Airbus A300B4s are acquired to provide spare parts for Channel Express Parts Trading.
• Benair Freight International is accredited with Investor in People status.
• New, purpose designed, 40,000 sq. ft. Distribution Division consolidation centre is opened at Portsmouth. These facilities, with state-of-the-art cooling equipment, becoming the division's main southern distribution centre serving the needs of Hampshire, West Sussex and Channel Islands' growers as well as consolidating flowers and fresh produce imported from mainland Europe.
• 1.6 million shares are placed, bringing the total in issue to 34 million.

 

1997/8

• Second and third Airbus A300B4 aircraft are converted from passenger into freighter.
• 2 Airbus A300B2 aircraft are acquired to provide spare parts and engines to support the fleet.
• Following Dart Group's 2 for 1 share split, the number of ordinary shares in issue is over 32 million.

 

1996

• Channel Express (Air Services) purchases its first Airbus A300B4, a 257 seater passenger aircraft, and becomes the launch customer for the first Airbus A300 passenger to freighter conversion programme (45 tonne payload) by BAE Systems Aviation Services at Filton, Bristol. On completion of the conversion, Channel Express (Air Services) names the freighter aircraft the "Eurofreighter".
• Further Airbus A300B4 aircraft are acquired for conversion.
• Fowler Welch and Channel Express amalgamate to trade under the Fowler Welch banner, with new corporate livery.

 

1994

• Fowler Welch Ltd is acquired. Fowler Welch is a Spalding, Lincolnshire, based temperature-controlled distribution company specialising in the distribution of produce, horticulture and temperature-controlled goods.
• Benair Freight's name is changed to Benair Freight International Ltd to reflect its worldwide freight management operations.
• The first of 7 Fokker F27s is purchased to replace the Super Dart Herald fleet for operation by Channel Express (Air Services).

 

1991

• Channel Express Group PLC changes name to Dart Group PLC to encompass the growth of the Group's operations. The Group was named after the reliable Rolls Royce Dart engine which powers our Herald and F27 aircraft.
• Dart Group PLC moves to Official List of the London Stock Exchange and a further 2.75 million ordinary shares are taken up by the company's shareholders in a rights issue in order to raise funds to finance further expansion. (15.25 million ordinary shares now in issue).

 

1990

• A further 1 million ordinary shares are issued to fund the acquisition of Benair Freight Ltd (international freight management company), together with its subsidiary and associated companies in the Far East.

 

1989

• Channel Express (Air Services)' fleet now operates 9 Super Dart Heralds.
• The first of 3 Lockheed Electra freighter aircraft is purchased (15 tonne payload) for operation by Channel Express (Air Services) on behalf of European express parcel companies.

 

1988

• Channel Express Group Ltd floats on UK Unlisted Securities Market (USM) in order to raise capital for expansion. Immediately after flotation, almost 11.2 million ordinary shares are in issue through stockbrokers, McCaughan Dyson Capel Cure.
• Dart Group now has 200 employees (half at Bournemouth), operates 31 lorries, 46 temperature-controlled trailers and 7 Dart Herald aircraft.

 

1987

• Aviation Services Division - Super Dart Herald fleet expands to meet the growing needs of express parcel carriers, the Guernsey Post Office, Royal Mail and newspaper publishers.
• Distribution Division consolidation centres both in the Channel Islands and the UK are expanded to handle increased flower volumes.

 

1986

• An extensive programme of modification and upgrade commences on the Dart Herald fleet resulting in the "Super" Dart Herald (6 tonne payload).

 

1985

• First overnight parcels contract commences, with newly acquired third Dart Herald, between Birmingham, Nüremberg and Hannover.

 

1984

• Major investment commences in cooling equipment, cold stores and temperature-controlled vehicles for the distribution of Channel Islands and UK growers' flowers and fresh produce to wholesale markets throughout the UK and for the transportation of temperature-controlled goods to the Channel Islands.
• Vacuum pre-cooling of flowers is introduced in Guernsey.
• Improved roll on, roll off ferry services from the Channel Islands to Portsmouth enables the use of temperature-controlled transport for the direct distribution of flowers and fresh produce to UK wholesale markets.

 

1983

• Channel Express companies are formed to take over the businesses of the "Express" companies. The companies' names are changed to reflect more accurately the companies' trading activities at that time:-
• Channel Express (CI) Ltd - to forward Guernsey and Jersey flowers and fresh produce to the UK using the services of its sister companies.
• Channel Express (Air Services) Ltd - to operate 2 Dart Herald aircraft (5.5 tonne payload) on cargo services between the UK and the Channel Islands.
• Channel Express Ltd - to distribute Guernsey and Jersey flowers and fresh produce to wholesale markets in mainland UK.
• Philip Meeson's company, Channel Express Group Ltd, acquires the 3 "Channel Express" companies.
• Separate Aviation Services Division and Distribution Division are formed.

 

1980

• Express Air Services commences its first night-time Royal Mail contract between Bournemouth, Bristol and Liverpool.

 

1979

• Express Air Services is formed to take over the operation of the cargo aircraft from Express Air Freight.

 

1978

• Express Air Freight commences air services between Bournemouth and the Channel Islands with their own Handley Page Dart Herald cargo aircraft, replacing aircraft contracted in from other operators, carrying urgent freight from the UK and returning with flowers and fresh produce.

 

1975

• Express Air Freight (CI), with Art Carpenter as director, is formed by Guernsey exporters to fly flowers, produce and freight between the Channel Islands and mainland UK, still using cargo aircraft contracted in from other operators.
• Express Air Freight is formed to distribute Guernsey flowers to UK wholesale markets.

 

1971

• Art Carpenter forms Carpenter's Air Services Ltd to fly flowers from Guernsey to the UK mainland using cargo aircraft contracted in from other operators and Carpenter's Transport to distribute the flowers to wholesale markets.