 The new support enabled Cunard Eagle to order two new Boeing 707 jet aircraft in May 1961.In June 1961, Cunard Eagle became the first independent airline in the UK to be awarded a licence by the newly constituted Air Transport Licensing Board (ATLB) to operate a scheduled service on the prime Heathrow – New York JFK route, using Boeing 707 jets and Bristol Britannia turboprops at a frequency of one round-trip per day.The licence was valid for 15 years – from 31 August 1961 to 31 July 1976.