Sending mail by air had become the fastest way for it to reach the far-flung corners of the Empire. The 'Empire Air Mail Scheme' was a government subsidy given to Imperial Airways to enable them to carry first class mail along their routes for the cost of a stamp to the customer. The money the subsidy brought meant Imperial immediately changed its fleet of land planes for an order of 28 Short C Class flying boats.

Empire flying boat

Made by Shorts of Rochester on the Medway in Kent, the fleet comprised of S23’s and S30’s and they became known by the name of Empire Flying Boats. They were faster than land planes, powered by four Bristol Pegasus engines with a capacity to carry five crew, twenty-four passengers and 4,480lbs (2,035kgs) of mail. On night flights there was sleeping accommodation for sixteen passengers. Imperial was then able to provide a faster and more comfortable long distance international service.

Southampton was chosen as the base for the new service that began in 1937, covering routes in that year to South and East Africa and India. As the fleet of Empire boats grew the routes flown were gradually extended. In 1938 it opened routes to Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong. Despite some crashes in the initial years, public confidence in the flying boats held. The aircrafts' ability to land on water meant that if there was a problem they could land and be towed into port.

[10020] Mail being brought to flying boat

Mail brought to flying boat

By 1939 Southampton’s status as a marine airport was firmly established with the passing of the Southampton Harbour Act. This allowed the Harbour Board to control the activity of the flying boats and designate a reserved area for the aircraft in Southampton Water. A special pontoon was opened in March 1938 at 107 Berth in the Western Docks; boats would land opposite the docks and taxi into berth. Later that year the flying boat berth was transferred to 108 Berth and a two storey wooden building was built named Imperial House.

Air mail envelope

Imperial Airways and their partners in New Zealand, Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) and Australian Quantas served the Empire Air Mail routes with the ‘C’ Class aircraft. The airmail scheme was run between them for almost three years before the Second World War (1939-1945) broke out. However, in 1937 with the Empire routes growing from strength to strength one destination still proved elusive, America.

The birth of a national airline

Empire air mail

Atlantic hop

Maia/Mercury experiment

In-flight refuelling