Air Europe's then Chief Pilot (and ironically a 737 pilot) Air Europe's first British-registered F100 had the following out of sequence registration: G-FIOO. Air Europe's first MD-11 was allocated the following out of sequence registration: G-MDII. Air Europe clocked up its first 1m miles on 26 July 1979, its load factor averaged 94% during the peak month of August and the 100,000th passenger boarded in September. Air Europe made an operating profit after only nine weeks of trading. Air Europe was allocated the two-letter AE airline identification designator in October 1980, allowing it to replace the initial KS designator. Air Europe's application to the CAA requesting permission to carry mail and newspapers on its regular charter services from London Gatwick to Gibraltar on days when there were no scheduled flights was approved on 7 November 1980. Air Europe introduced a separate premium class cabin branded Premier Class on its charter flights between London Gatwick and Funchal in November 1983. Air Europe became the first customer in a new American Airlines flight training centre near Gatwick Airport in 1983. Air Europe won the prestigious Travel Trade Gazette Top Charter Airline of the Year award twice in two consecutive years, 1983 as well as 1984. Air Europe achieved full Category III compliance in 1985. Air Europe operated its own airside executive lounge at Gatwick's South Terminal. Air Europe staff working on the Boeing 747 leased from Tower Air during 1989–90 nicknamed the aircraft "Fat Freddie" after the last two letters of its US registration N602FF. ILG was estimated to have gross liabilities of £460 million at the end of October 1990 and it lost £56 million in its last three months of trading. Accidents and incidents Air Europe had no fatal accidents involving an Air Europe aircraft. A widely reported flight deck fire involved an Air Europe aircraft in its penultimate season. On 17 December 1989, a F100 PH-ZCL en route from Copenhagen to Gatwick suffered a flight deck fire, necessitating a return to Kastrup Airport. None of the 88 occupants (seven crew and 81 passengers) were harmed by the fire that had started behind the co-pilot's seat. The aircraft needed to be taken out of service and was sent for repairs elsewhere in the Netherlands. It re-entered service on 22 June 1990. See also List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom Notes and references Notes Citations Bibliography Further reading (Aircraft