A-Z UK Airlines

1982 – Founding of Veritair
Captain Julian Verity establishes the helicopter charter business at Cardiff Wales Airport, initially operating a single Bell JetRanger. Television and broadcasting customers are important early users of the company's services. (Note: The corporate vehicle for the business was later formalised via incorporation as Meenak Limited on 23 January 1991).

1984–1985 – Establishment of Cardiff Heliport
Veritair's founder campaigns for a dedicated heliport for Cardiff. Historical accounts differ on the exact opening date: one source cites 1984, while another describes the physical move into the first heliport site in 1985.

1990s – Diversification into Contract Aviation
Veritair expands into police aviation, BBC broadcasting contracts, and Ministry of Defence-related operations. These activities significantly broaden its business model beyond original charter and television work.

11 September 1992 – Registered Company Adopts "Veritair Ltd" Name
Companies House records the official name change from Meenak Ltd to Veritair Ltd for company number 02575976. This marks the definitive milestone for the registered corporate entity, distinct from the business's original 1982 trading origins.

October 1996 – Acquisition by Brintel
Brintel Helicopters, part of the CHC/British International Helicopters (BIH) group, acquires the Cardiff-based Veritair business. Veritair continues to operate under its original name as a distinct trading identity during the subsequent BIH years.

2000 – New Cardiff Bay Heliport
A brand new heliport opens in Cardiff Bay. The historical account identifies it as a £4 million development, purposed to support Veritair's continuing and expanding Cardiff operations.

2006 – BIH Ownership Changes
British International Helicopters completes a secondary management buyout financed by private equity. Veritair remains part of the group's Cardiff footprint, retaining the Veritair name.

May 2008 – Cardiff Business Sold Following Police Contract Loss
Following the loss of the South Wales Police helicopter air-support contract, the local Cardiff operations are sold via a management buyout led by Captain Julian Verity. The buyout team uses the corporate entity Heli Charter Wales Ltd (originally incorporated in 2002) to trade under the new name Veritair Aviation Ltd.

24 October 2008 – Registered Company Name Changes to BIHS
Companies House records the original Veritair Ltd (Company No. 02575976) changing its legal name to British International Helicopter Services Ltd. This officially ends the "Veritair Ltd" corporate identity, separating it entirely from the newly formed Veritair Aviation Ltd at Cardiff.

2008 — Management buyout of the Cardiff operation and creation of the new Veritair Aviation structure

Following the loss of the South Wales Police helicopter air-support contract, the Cardiff operation of British International Helicopters was sold in May 2008 to a management team led by Captain Julian Verity, founder of the original Veritair business. Contemporary accounts identify the acquiring vehicle as Heli Charter Wales Limited, which subsequently traded as Veritair Aviation.

Importantly, Heli Charter Wales Limited was not newly incorporated in 2008; it had originally been incorporated in October 2002. What changed in May 2008 was its ownership, management and role in the Cardiff aviation operation. Companies House records show Julian Verity, Richard Stone and Joseph Holmes joining the board on 23 May 2008, following the departure of the previous directors.

At the same time, a separate corporate vehicle, Veritair Aviation Limited (06538825), had been established in 2008, initially as Pricemind Limited and renamed Veritair Aviation Limited on 18 April 2008. The relationship between this company and Heli Charter Wales forms an additional layer of the 2008 corporate restructuring.

The original Veritair Limited corporate entity was subsequently renamed British International Helicopter Services Limited in October 2008. This is important because the name change did not mean that the Cardiff Veritair Aviation business had simply become British International Helicopter Services; rather, the original Veritair corporate entity followed the BIH lineage, while the Cardiff operation had been separated into the Veritair Aviation/Heli Charter Wales structure.

2009–2011 — Veritair Aviation operates independently of BIH

Following the 2008 separation, Veritair Aviation continued as a distinct Cardiff-based commercial helicopter operation, rather than simply continuing as part of British International Helicopter Services.

The distinction is supported by contemporary regulatory records. In 2011, Veritair Aviation Limited was separately listed as a UK commercial air carrier at Cardiff Heliport, while Helicharter Wales Ltd was also separately recorded at the same Cardiff Heliport.

This period therefore represents the development of the post-2008 independent Veritair Aviation business, descended from the Cardiff operation acquired by Julian Verity's management team.

2012 — Patriot Aerospace acquires Veritair

In April 2012, Patriot Aerospace, part of the Rigby Group, acquired a significant majority shareholding in the Cardiff-based Veritair Aviation business. Contemporary reporting described Veritair as a helicopter charter business founded by Julian Verity and stated that the transaction gave Patriot responsibility for the Cardiff Heliport operation and Veritair's commercial and other helicopter activities.

This was a separate transaction from Patriot's subsequent acquisition of British International Helicopter Services in 2013.

Companies House records provide supporting evidence for the change in ownership/control: Sir Peter Rigby and Paul Southall were appointed directors of Veritair Aviation Limited on 13 April 2012, while Joseph Holmes resigned on the same date.

2012–2013 — Veritair becomes part of the Patriot Aerospace aviation group

Following the 2012 acquisition, Veritair became one of several helicopter businesses within Patriot Aerospace/Rigby Group, alongside Patriot Aviation and London Helicopter Centres.

In May 2013, Patriot Aerospace then acquired British International Helicopter Services, bringing the former BIH military-support operation into the same wider group. Patriot's announcement specifically described the existing Patriot group as already including Patriot Aviation, London Helicopter Centres and Veritair, demonstrating that Veritair and BIH had arrived within the group through separate acquisitions.

This distinction is central to understanding the corporate history: Veritair Aviation was not absorbed into BIH in 2008; rather, Veritair and BIH subsequently became sister operations within the Patriot/Rigby Group.

2013 — Rebranding and consolidation under British International Helicopters

Following the acquisition of British International Helicopter Services, Patriot/Rigby moved to consolidate its helicopter operations under a single British International Helicopters identity.

In August 2013, HeliHub reported that the rebranding would encompass London Helicopter Centres, Patriot Aviation, Patriot Aerospace, Veritair and Vertiair (Northern Ireland). The stated objective was to use British International Helicopters as the single brand for the group's helicopter operations.

Accordingly, by late 2013 the Veritair name had effectively disappeared as a principal customer-facing brand, although the underlying companies and legal entities did not necessarily disappear simultaneously. The subsequent corporate records therefore need to be distinguished from the commercial rebranding.

The resulting corporate sequence

Original Veritair Ltd
→ acquired by British International/Brintel in 1996
→ becomes part of the BIH lineage
→ renamed British International Helicopter Services Ltd in October 2008

Cardiff operation
→ separated from BIH following loss of South Wales Police contract
→ May 2008 management buyout led by Julian Verity
→ operated through Heli Charter Wales Ltd, trading as Veritair Aviation
→ separate Veritair Aviation Ltd corporate vehicle established in 2008
→ acquired by Patriot Aerospace/Rigby Group in April 2012
→ subsequently grouped with Patriot's other aviation businesses
→ 2013 consolidation/rebranding under British International Helicopters

British International Helicopter Services
→ remained a separate BIH business after the 2008 Cardiff disposal
→ acquired separately by Patriot Aerospace in 2013
→ its military/offshore contracts subsequently formed part of the consolidated British International Helicopters operation.

Main business activities

Commercial charter and executive aviation

Vernair obtained a Civil Aviation Authority Air Operator's Certificate (AOC), enabling commercial charter work. A subsidiary, Vernair Flying Services (VFS), was established to undertake charter operations. Executive flying for the Sangster family remained an important activity.

UKAEA contract flights

From 1975, Vernair operated flights between Liverpool and Dounreay for the UKAEA. The service became a major source of work and led to the introduction of larger, pressurised King Air aircraft.

Specialist transport

Vernair collected football pools coupons from regional cities, transported racehorses for the Sangster family's racing interests, and temporarily carried Isle of Man mail.

Aircraft engineering and sales

The company maintained aircraft for private owners, assembled imported Cessna aircraft, converted imported aircraft to British standards and acted as an aircraft sales agent.

1967 - Formation and first aircraft
The Vernons Organisation establishes VTS. Queen Air G-AVNG is purchased and delivered on 29 May. Initially, the aircraft is reserved for Vernons personnel and company owners.

1968–1969 -  Establishment of the Liverpool base
British Eagle collapses in November 1968. Vernair subsequently employs a full-time engineer and moves into No. 3 Hangar on 1 April 1969. The company also undertakes a charter to the Paris Air Salon in June 1969.

Early 1970s - Expansion into maintenance and regular transport
Vernair maintains several de Havilland Doves and begins regular Saturday-morning football pools coupon flights to Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. It also assembles imported Cessna aircraft and converts imported Jodels and a Falco to British standards.

1972 - Fleet expansion
Aztec 250 G-AWPK is acquired from John Finlan Ltd. Vernair also operates Queen Air G-ARFF for British Domestic Appliances.

1973–1974 - Further aircraft acquisitions
A proposed Bell 47G cash-ferrying operation for Littlewoods does not proceed. In 1974, Vernair acquires two additional Aztecs and a second Queen Air.

1975 - The UKAEA contract begins
On 1 April, Vernair starts operating a Manchester–Dounreay service for the Government, replacing Northern Air Taxis. Within a week, the flights are transferred to Liverpool. A formal initial one-year contract is awarded in August.
 

1976 - Major growth and King Air introduction
The UKAEA contract is renewed for another year, requiring at least 18 flights weekly. King Air 100 G-BAVE arrives in May. Vernair records 2,000 flying hours, more than 300,000 miles and 3,000 passengers in support of the contract during the preceding year.

1976–1977 -  Expansion plans and aircraft demonstrations
Vernair evaluates several aircraft, including the GAF Nomad, Twin Otter and HS.748. It considers scheduled services between Liverpool and Glasgow and/or the Isle of Man, but the plans are not realised.

1978–1979 - Executive fleet renewal and racehorse transport
The Sangster family's Queen Air is replaced by King Air 200 G-VRES in June 1978. A Short Skyvan 3, G-AWWS, enters service in January 1979 for racehorse transport. King Air 90s increasingly replace Queen Airs on Dounreay flights.

1980–1981 - Mail contract and aircraft sales
The Skyvan operates Isle of Man mail flights from 7 October 1980 to 9 May 1981. Vernair also stores and sells aircraft on behalf of owners.

1982–1985 - Final executive fleet development
Cessna 421C G-TLOL is operated for Littlewoods from early 1982 until February 1987. In March 1985, the Sangster family's King Air 200 is replaced by King Air 300 G-SRES.

1986 - Final full year of operations
Vernair operates six aircraft, with most of the fleet supporting the UKAEA contract. Liverpool–Dounreay flights use Wick as the usual weather alternative.

January–March 1987 - Closure and transfer of operations
The Vernons board announces that Vernair will cease operations and be sold as a going concern, following a review of group activities and the cost of relocating its hangarage to Liverpool Airport's southern airfield.
The planned cessation date of 14 February is delayed by CAA paperwork. The final UKAEA flights leave Liverpool on 6 March, operating under Northern Executive Aviation's Netax callsigns. Most of the fleet transfers to Manchester, while King Air 300 G-SRES remains with the Sangster family.

Fleet History

(owned by Virgin Atlantic)

G-VKID Airbus A320-200 16/12/1999 > 21/06/2002

G-VMED Airbus A320-200 16/04/1999 > 15/07/2002

G-VTAN Airbus A320-200 29/04/1999 > 29/04/2004

G-VKIS Airbus A321-200 31/05/2000 > 21/01/2003