Press & Media
Archival press coverage from the 1970s through 1990s
Sir Freddie Laker and Laker Airways were among the most heavily covered aviation stories of the 20th century, a constant presence in the British and American press from the fight to win a licence for Skytrain in the early 1970s onwards. The press cast him as David taking on the Goliath of the airline establishment, and the images of passengers queuing through the night at Gatwick for the first flights in September 1977 — covered by The Times, the Daily Mail, The New York Times, and others — became iconic.
When Laker Airways collapsed in February 1982 the story dominated the front pages for weeks, and allegations that the major airlines had conspired to drive Laker out of business led to a landmark antitrust lawsuit and one of the largest settlements in aviation history.
This archive holds original newspaper clippings, magazine features, and press photography from the Sir Freddie Laker Historical Society's collection, spanning three decades — from trade publications like Travel Trade Gazette to national broadsheets and tabloids.