British airline entrepreneur Sir Freddie Laker begins cut-rate "Skytrain" service from London to New York

Laker Airways was a private British airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966. It was originally a charter airline flying passengers and cargo worldwide. Its head office was located at Gatwick Airport in Crawley, England.

It became the second long-haul, low-cost, "no frills" airline in 1977, operating low-fare scheduled services between London Gatwick Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport (after pioneering Icelandic low-cost carrier Loftleiðir). In the early 1980s, the company went into bankruptcy during the recession, operating its last flight on 5 February 1982.