Skyways (TV series)

The series, which aired from 1979 to 1981, was set at the fictional Pacific International Airport and dealt with the lives of the pilots, airline staff and management team who worked there.

Skyways was mainly taped in a television studio where, in many interior-set scenes, Colour Separation Overlay created the illusion of a bustling airport with taxiing planes outside the window. Many of the exterior scenes were shot on location at Melbourne Airport.

The show's regular cast members included Tony Bonner as airport manager Paul MacFarlane, later replaced by Gary Doolan (Gerard Kennedy). Tina Bursill played glamorous and ruthless assistant manager Louise Carter. Bill Stalker, played head of airport security Peter Fanelli, an ex-detective. When Skyways ended Fanelli was moved to Crawford police procedural Cop Shop, while Brian James' character George Tippett was transplanted to Holiday Island.

Years before Neighbours and international pop stardom, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan appeared together in one episode as siblings.

An early storyline featured a lesbian flight attendant (Judy Morris) unsuccessfully attempting to seduce a colleague (Deborah Coulls) who revealed she was heterosexual. Morris' character was soon afterwards stabbed to death in the shower as part of a murder-mystery storyline.

The series screened across Europe and the UK during 1984-1986 on Sky Channel which would later become Sky One. It also aired in the UK on Astra Satellite channel, Lifestyle during 1990 at 1.00 p.m Monday to Friday.

During the first week of January 2006 the entire series was replayed Thursday early mornings, weekly at 2.00am, then at the later time-slot of 3.00am on WIN TV in Wollongong (South Coast NSW) as part of the early morning Crawfords Classics TV series.

• Tony Bonner as Paul MacFarlane
• Tina Bursill as Louise Carter
• Ken James as Simon Young
• Bruce Barry as Douglas Stewart
• Bill Stalker as Peter Fanelli
• Brian James as George Tippett
• Joanne Samuel as Kelly Morgan
• Deborah Coulls as Jacki Soong
• Kris McQuade as Faye Peterson
• Bartholomew John as Nick Grainger
• Andrew McKaige as Alan MacFarlane
• Gaynor Martin as Mandy MacFarlane
• Gerard Kennedy as Gary Doolan
• Kerry Armstrong as Angela Murray
• Maurie Fields as Chas Potter
• Kylie Foster as Belinda Phipps
• Carmen Duncan as Elaine MacFarlane
• Fred Parslow as David Rankin
• Kit Taylor as Tim Barclay
• Susanna Lobez as Janet Patterson
• Jeff Kevin as Geoff Goodwin

• Skyways at IMDb
• Aussie Soap Archive: Skyways
• Crawford Productions
• Skyways at the National Film and Sound Archive