Airline Name
Channel Express (Channel Express Air Services Limited)
IATA: LS / ICAO: EXS / CALLSIGN: CHANNEX
Founded and commenced charter operations in 1975 (Jan. 21st, as Carpenter Air Services), commenced commercial operations in 1983 (Jan. 1st), ceased operations in 2006 (Jan. 3rd)
(Integrated into Jet2)
Country of Origin
United Kingdom, Europe ()
Main Hub(s): Bournemouth Airport (BOH)
Aircraft Types Used (from those available in WoA)
(For this airline, some types are available in WoA, some not.)Aircraft operated (already in-game/planned):
Airbus A300 (B4-100F, B4-200F, A30BF) - 6 former.
(2/4 of both variants, respectively.)
(Pictured below: Airbus A300B4-100F G-CEXC)Aircraft status
G-CEXC would later be re-registered to G-TNTS and operated for TNT Express, before leaving Channel Express around 2000. Last known as N124TN before being de-registered, it ended up at Mojave around 2009 and is partially scrapped.
Before the B4-200F, though, here’s an alternative livery of the -100F, with an all-white scheme:
(Pictured below: Airbus A300B4-100F G-CEXK)Aircraft status
G-CEXK would leave Channel Express around October of 2005, ending up with Turkish operator ACT Airlines in 2006, serving under the new registration TC-ACZ, which it carried for the rest of its life. Withdrawn from use in 2012, the aircraft was later sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Kusadasi, Turkey.
Now, here’s what the -200F looked like:
(Pictured below: Airbus A300B4-200F G-CEXH)Aircraft status
G-CEXH would serve with Channel Express up until around 2005, when it went to Kuzu Airlines Cargo (now known as ULS Airlines Cargo), and was re-registered to TC-AGK, which would be its final registration. The aircraft flew with Kuzu up until 2009, when it was withdrawn from use, and was later broken up in 2014.
And yes, there was an all-white livery variant of this aircraft type too:
(Pictured below: Airbus A300B4-200F G-CEXJ)Aircraft status
G-CEXJ would be withdrawn from Channel Express’ use in 2005, having served its time through the means of a lease; soon after however, it would be brought on by ACT Airlines and received its new, final registration TC-ACC, and served with them until about 2010 - at which point it was withdrawn from use. However, instead of being scrapped or broken up, it was actually preserved in 2013 as a library/educational facility, where it still remains.
Now, that should be all for the A30BF’s liveries, so onto the next type:
Boeing 737 (-300, -300BDQC, -300BDSF, -300QC, B733/B733F) - 21 former.
(14/3/1/3 for each variant, respectively.)NOTE: Before I display images of the variants, I want to note that it seems like the 14 standard 737-300s, alongside the -300BDQCs, were only painted in the Jet2 scheme. On the other hand, there is some media of the -300BDSF and the -300QCs in Channel Express colors.
Now, at the time, Jet2 was a new LCC subsidiary of Channel Express, hence the need for the 14 737-300s. My guess for the -300BDQCs being part of the Jet2 at the time would likely be for the purposes of operational flexibility, as while Jet2 was low-cost and passenger-centered, Channel Express was a freight-focused airline - though of course later, once Channel Express was integrated into Jet2, they inherited their 737s.
(I know there are a fair bit of UK-based aviation fans in the forum here, so please do let me know if I got this wrong, or if you just have any corrections, thanks)Anyways, with that context aside, here’s what the other two variants looked like:
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-300BDSF G-CELW)Aircraft status
G-CELW would later go to Jet2 after Channel Express was integrated into the airline, whom it would serve for the rest of its life - in January 2017, this aircraft was withdrawn from Jet2’s use and was scrapped a few years after which, specifically in February 2019.
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-300QC TF-ELR)
Aircraft status
Leased from an Icelandic operator known as Islandsflug, TF-ELR would serve Channel Express up until around 2003, when it was leased from them to another British operator, Flyglobespan. During its time with Flyglobespan, it received the new registration G-CELR, which would be its final registration as well. Also, during the lease, Channel Express was integrated into Jet2, and upon returning from the lease, the aircraft would serve Jet2 until up around November 2016, at which point it was withdrawn from use, and was later scrapped.
Anyways, with those aside, that should cover what’s already in-game, so now, as for what isn’t:
Aircraft operated (not in-game):
Antonov An-72 (-100, AN72) - 1 former.
(Pictured below: ES-NOB)Aircraft status
Leased from the Estonian charter airline Enimex, ES-NOB’s time with Channel Express appeared to be quite brief; from records I found that it was leased to the airline around March 2nd of 2001, and left barely over a month later, on April 3rd. After going through some different operators, it eventually ended up with the Angolan Air Force around 2012 and was re-registered to T-706. After serving for many years, I found it was stored around 2023, though I’m unsure of its whereabouts past that point, as sources about its current status are very unclear. It does not appear to be scrapped or de-registered, however.
Fokker F27 (-500, -500C, -500F, -500RF, -500CRF, -600, F27) - exact number of aircraft operated not available/not clear.
NOTE 2: Now, I do try to factor in and cover all relevant variants of an aircraft type, but for this one, I must admit… there was a lot of conflicting information I saw in the images provided. Just as an example of what I was looking at, one aircraft might’ve been recognized as a normal F27-500 by one photographer, only to be recognized as a F27-500RF to another. Or vice versa.
Things were unfortunately very unclear to me, and with me unable to find any defining traits between most -500 variants, I decided to just simplify the variants represented with media down to the Fokker F27-500 and the -600, as they were the most defining.Now, with that established, here’s what they looked like:
(Pictured below: Fokker F27-500 [generalized] G-CEXB)Aircraft status
Sources and media are rather scarce, but after G-CEXB left Channel Express around 2005, the F27-500 eventually ended up with a South African operator known as XL Trading and received a new registration, 9Q-CNH. As stated before, images are few and far between, and its current status isn’t clear, though it appears to still be registered.
Here’s an example of a bare white livery for this type:
(Pictured below: Fokker F27-500 [generalized] G-JEAP)Aircraft status
After its time with Channel Express, G-JEAP (later re-registered as G-CEXG with the airline) went into the fleet of MNG around 2005, where it served under the new registration TC-MBG. However, a few years after acquiring the aircraft, in February 2008, it was involved in a ground collision with a power unit at Edinburgh, severely damaging the right engine (images depict it bent downwards in front of the wing) and the aircraft was considered to be damaged beyond repair. However, it wasn’t scrapped, at least at the time, and was instead used for by the airport’s fire service, for what I can assume to be training purposes. It remained in this role for quite a few years until finally being scrapped around July 2015.
Now, here’s the F27-600:
(Pictured below: Fokker F27-600 G-BNIZ)Aircraft status
G-BNIZ, after its time with Channel Express, joined the fleet of MNG Airlines around 2005, and received a new registration, TC-MBF. It served the airline for several years up until around 2012, at which point it was withdrawn from use - though instead of being scrapped, it appears to have been sent to a Turkish university known as Erzincan University, where it was painted in a Turkish Airlines color scheme/livery. Google Earth satellite photos show the aircraft still on the university’s grounds as of July 2025, so it’s safe to assume the aircraft still resides there.
And yes, this variant did indeed have a bare white livery scheme too:
(Pictured below: Ditto, in bare white livery)Now then, I believe that should be it for the Fokker F27s, so moving onto the next aircraft:
Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald (Series 200/200F, Series 400/400F, HPR7) - 13 former.
(5/6/1/1 for each variant, respectively.)
(Pictured below: Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald Series 200 G-AVPN)Aircraft status
G-AVPN’s last operator was Channel Express itself, and it was finally retired in 1997 after decades of service, though it was spared a fate of scrapping… at least for the time, and was instead preserved at the Yorkshire Air Museum at the former RAF Elvington base. As you saw in the pictures, the full aircraft was preserved, however in the years that followed, the airframe was gradually worn down by corrosion, which ultimately led to most of the aircraft being scrapped, with the exception being the nose section, which survived and is still on display.
Now, this next livery is quite an interesting one, being a very notable contrast from the standard Channel Express livery/color scheme:
(Pictured below: Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald Series 200 G-BEZB and G-ATDS, in such respective order)Aircraft status
G-BEZB would serve to the end of its life with Channel Express, being withdrawn from service in November of 1987, and was later scrapped in 1991.
G-ATDS similarly worked with Channel Express until the end of its life, though it remained with the airline for quite a bit longer, specifically until January 1991, when it was withdrawn from use and later broken up several years later in January 1997.
This livery appears to have been associated with the airline’s previous identity, Express Air Services, hence the entirely different, contrasting color scheme.
Anyways, as for the 200F:
(Pictured below: Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald Series 200F G-GNSY)Aircraft status
G-GNSY’s final venture would be with Channel Express, who used the aircraft from several years until withdrawing it from use in December 1996, and shortly after scrapping it in January 1997.
Up next, here’s the Series 400:
(Pictured below: Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald Series 400 G-BEYK)Aircraft status
G-BEYK went through several British operators before reaching the end of its life; having served Channel Express for only a few months from June to December of 1988, its final operator was another British airline known as BAC Express Airlines (later HD Air) who retired the aircraft from service in April 1995. It was moved to a new airport for storage around February 1998, and after which, the aircraft was scrapped.
Now, this aircraft appears to be wearing an ex-Euroair livery scheme, which was another British airline of the time.
On the other hand, though, the second and only other HPR.7 Series 400 part of Channel Express did wear the airline’s livery, which I’ll show below:
(Pictured below: Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald Series 400F G-BEYF)Aircraft status
G-BEYF would go on to serve Channel Express for the rest of its life, notably operating the last ever flight of an HPR.7 before being retired in April 1999, though it was preserved at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. From there it remained with the museum up until 2008; however, around then, the museum was forced to relocate. Unfortunately, in the process, most of the airframe was scrapped (though I’m unsure as to why personally, possibly corrosion or too worn down?), but the nose section was preserved and remains on display at the new site of the museum.
Anyways, I believe that should cover the HPR.7s, so now that leaves one last type:
Lockheed L-188 Electra (-188AF, -188CF, L188F) - 11 former.
(6/5 for each variant, respectively.)
(Pictured below: Lockheed L-188AF Electra G-CHNX)Aircraft status
G-CHNX would spend the rest of its time in Channel Express’ fleet, before it was withdrawn from use in October 2001. A few years later in September 2003, it was mostly broken up, though the nose section was spared - it later found its place at the Midland Air Museum, and it was repainted into Evergreen International colors as a means to remember its history, as before Channel Express, the aircraft served Evergreen as N5535.
Now, some L-188s did have an alternative livery, which I’ll include here just for the record:
(Pictured below: Lockheed L-188AF Electra N343HA)Aircraft status
N343HA went through quite a few operators over the years after its time with Channel Express, and it’s currently known as C-GOIZ. However, records show it’s been stored since 2012 and has been used for spare parts - and it shows, as its current condition isn’t glamorous, missing its engines and some parts here and there. In spite of that, though, it doesn’t appear to be de-registered.
Now, these alternative liveries actually originate from an American airline of the time known as Zantop International, who leased some of their Electras to Channel Express; all of which being L-188AFs. From what records show, 4 out of Channel’s L-188AFs were leased to them on behalf of Zantop, with an additional airframe being leased from another unrelated American operator.
The only L-188AF airframe which wasn’t leased was G-CHNX above.Anyways though, moving on to the L-188CFs:
(Pictured below: Lockheed L-188CF Electra G-CEXS)Aircraft status
G-CEXS would work with Channel Express up until May 2003, when it was withdrawn from use, however later that same month, it was acquired by Canadian operator Air Spray for use as a firefighting aircraft and given the new registration C-GZCF - it is still an active airframe.
And finally, as another example of a ex-Zantop livery, here’s an example of such on this type:
(Pictured below: Lockheed L-188CF Electra N347HA)Aircraft status
Unlike the previous Zantop case, it appears as if N347HA was later fully bought out and adapted into Channel, later receiving the new registration G-OFRT, which would happen to be its final registration as well. It would serve the airline for over a decade from acquisition up until April 2003, when it was withdrawn from use, and broken up the next month.
Why should this airline be added?
I’d say this airline should be added as it has quite a unique case, being a direct precursor of the renowned Jet2. It had a very unique fleet with quite a few unique options already available - the A30BF and the B733/B733F - along with quite a notable number of other aircraft not yet in-game, and of course had a storied history, spanning decades before the likes of Jet2 came to be.In reality, it also served a decent variety of European airports beyond just the United Kingdom, most notably PRG, though the full list of destinations will be included in the Wikipedia page below. (most are not in-game unfortunately, at least as of now)
But either way, I think this airline would be a great addition as it had a notable, storied history, maintained a modest yet varied fleet with quite a few different aircraft types, and they served a decent variety of European destinations, such as Prague, and if in the event another UK-based airport was to be added, I think they’d be really neat to see there. All in all, this would make for a very unique airline, and would be some great event/special arrival potential.
SOURCES:
Channel Express’ Planespotters.net Page
Channel Express’ Wikipedia Page