Flights: People to Places in Style

The name Flights is well known and highly respected in the world of coach travel. The company can trace its roots back to 1912 when Frank Flight started a Garage and Taxi business in the Aston district of Birmingham. An ex-Army ambulance was acquired in 1923 which served as a delivery van during the week and was fitted with seats at weekends to operate pleasure trips.

The demand for pleasure trips and holiday travel in the post war years allowed Frank Flight to expand his coach operation. Following Frank’s death his son Ken joined the family business. Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s licences were gained to operate to over 300 excursion destinations plus summer coastal services and holiday tours. Further expansion came with the acquisition of Grimsley’s, Sugden’s and Dalton’s.

A change of direction in the 1970’s followed as a result of the drop in demand for holiday coach travel. In 1977 a daily coach service linking Birmingham with Heathrow Airport was started. Later Gatwick and Manchester airports were added and these services, operating under the Flightlink title, proved hugely successful – eventually carrying around 400,000 passengers annually.

In this book Andrew Roberts recalls the history of the coach fleet during the period of ownership by the Flight family. A fine collection of photographs and other memorabilia is included. The book is complete with a fleet list of vehicles operated in the period 1923-2002.