The Comets are coming*

Australia and the world’s first jet airliner

A de Havilland Comet purchase was considered by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA) which operated trans- Pacific services from Australia to North America between April 25 1948 until its routes and the airline itself were absorbed by Qantas on April 1 1954.

John Watkins, Trans-Australia Airlines’ technical superintendent and later director of engineering, was also appointed to BCPA as a technical advisor. In that capacity he had investigated the purchase of two de Havilland Comet 2s to operate a trans-Pacific jet service.

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