During the period 1946 to 1954 Northolt Airport served as London's principle commercial airport.  After the end of world war 2 , Heathrow was under construction but as this would take time, and due to the lack of facilities at the previous main airport, Croydon, it was decided that the former fighter station at Northolt should fill the gap.  Northolt had become a major transport base towards the end of the war, with many military types operating.

Prefabricated terminal and associated buildings were hurriedly erected, many of which stood until the construction of the new operations building in the mid 1990's.   A ramp was built on the south side, a new runway, 31/13 was constructed and the existing one, 26/08 was resurfaced. A new control tower was later built.
 

Initial routes were those taken over from DC3's of the Royal Air Force which had previously been flown from Croydon.to several European capitals.  A European division of the British Overseas Airways Corporation was created on 1st January 1946 and began the services from Northolt on 4th February 1946.   The airfield officially became a civil airport on lease from the RAF on 1st March 1946 and the first of several additional routes was inaugurated.  Initially, all services were operated by the 15 Dakotas that were based.  Although mostly to European capitals, routes were also operated to Tehran, Lagos and Cairo, with several stops en route.  The first service by British European Airways in its own right was on 1st August 1946 who also added routes to Prague, Rome, Vienna and Ankara.
 
 
 

Foreign operators also utilised Northolt in quantity.  The first was DDL Danish Airlines who transferred its Croydon service early 1946.  Although initially a Dakota was used, in May 1946 a very interesting type in the shape of Focke Wulf Condor OY-DEM took over the services to Copenhagen.  Unfortunately this aircraft damaged its tail wheel in a landing at Northolt later that year an was declared a write off, being dismantled the next year.  DDL later used a Vickers Viking for the service in addition to the Dakotas.
 
 

Aer Lingus moved its services to Northolt in October 1946.  A service routing Dublin - Shannon - Northolt began in August 1947.  By 1948 around twelve flights a day were scheduled from Dublin, plus a couple from Shannon.  Aer Lingus later began a Dublin to Northolt 'Starflight' low price service which departed at Northolt around 1am!
 
 
 

Swiss Air Lines scheduled DC4 Skymasters and Dakotas from Geneva and Zurich during 1948 plus Dakotas from Berne and a Freighter Dakota from Basle three times a week.  Later some of the services were operated by Convair 240s.


 

CSA Czech airlines operated to Prague from Northolt four times a week during 1948 and were scheduled to night stop..  Dakotas were scheduled on the service.  However, on 12th September 1949 an Ilyushin IL12 was substituted on the service!
 

Another interesting type used were the Consolidated Liberators operated by Hellenic Airlines.  During 1948 twice a week they arrived from Athens and departed to Glasgow, returning the reciprocal route two days later.

Dakotas operated by Luxembourg Aviation were scheduled twice a week in 1948
 
 
 
 
 
 

Other activity at Northolt during the period included continuing visits from military transport aircraft, plus charters by various UK and European airlines.  TAP Portuguese DC4s were known to visit, plus an Air France Languedoc was present in May 1946.  Pleasure flights were operated by several British companies using various aircraft types such as Auster Autocrats and Consuls.  Holiday flights to Jersey operated from 1947 using Dakotas, whilst a DH114 Heron was used during 1951. Some cargo flights were operated by BEA, although these were restricted by lack of facilities at Northolt.