Editing De Havilland Comet (section)

==Operators==
{{Main|List of de Havilland Comet operators}}

[[File:Gatwick1976-mrh.jpg|thumb|Dan-Air Comet 4s and [[BAC One-Eleven]]s at [[Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick Airport]] in 1976]]

The original operators of the early Comet 1 and the Comet 1A were BOAC, Union Aéromaritime de Transport and Air France. All early Comets were withdrawn from service for accident inquiries, during which orders from British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Japan Air Lines, Linea Aeropostal Venezolana, National Airlines, Pan American World Airways and Panair do Brasil were cancelled.<ref name=darling119/><ref name=JAPL/> When the redesigned Comet 4 entered service, it was flown by customers BOAC, Aerolíneas Argentinas, and East African Airways,<ref name=d47-61>Darling 2001, pp. 47–61.</ref> while the Comet 4B variant was operated by customers BEA and Olympic Airways <ref name=d47-61/> and the Comet 4C model was flown by customers Kuwait Airways, Mexicana, Middle East Airlines, Misrair Airlines and Sudan Airways.<ref name=JAPL/>

Other operators used the Comet either through leasing arrangements or through second-hand acquisitions. BOAC's Comet 4s were leased out to [[Air Ceylon]], Air India, AREA Ecuador, [[Central African Airways]]<ref>Simons, Graham M. "Comet! The World's First Jet Airliner" U.K. Pen and Sword, 2013 {{ISBN|1-7815-9279-9}}. p. 232</ref> and Qantas;<ref name=darling119>Darling 2005, p. 119.</ref><ref>Macfarlane, Ian. [https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1003492/ "De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4, G-APDJ, Air Ceylon."] ''Air-Britain Photographic Images Collection''. Retrieved 19 November 2010.</ref> after 1965 they were sold to AREA Ecuador, Dan-Air, Mexicana, [[Malaysian Airways]], and the Ministry of Defence.<ref name=JAPL/><ref name=d47-61/><ref name=MoF/> BEA's Comet 4Bs were chartered by [[Cyprus Airways]], Malta Airways and [[Transportes Aéreos Portugueses]].<ref name=darling117>Darling 2005, p. 117.</ref> [[Channel Airways]] obtained five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive tour charters.<ref name=darling138>Darling 2005, p. 138.</ref> Dan-Air bought all of the surviving flyable Comet 4s from the late 1960s into the 1970s; some were for spares reclamation, but most were operated on the carrier's inclusive-tour charters; a total of 48 Comets of all marks were acquired by the airline.<ref>Davies and Birtles 1999, p. 54.</ref>

In military service, the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force was the largest operator, with [[No. 51 Squadron RAF|51 Squadron]] (1958–1975; Comet C2, 2R), [[No. 192 Squadron RAF|192 Squadron]] (1957–1958; Comet C2, 2R), [[No. 216 Squadron RAF|216 Squadron]] (1956–1975; Comet C2 and C4), and the Royal Aircraft Establishment using the aircraft.<ref name=Jones68/><ref>Institution of Electrical Engineers 1978, p. 89.</ref> The [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] also operated Comet 1As (later retrofitted to 1XB) through its [[No. 412 Squadron RCAF|412 Squadron]] from 1953 to 1963.<ref name=Walker40/>