 They were also its first imported aircraft (the initial batch of three had been sourced from the US).This acquisition marked an important change regarding UK airlines' aircraft procurement policies as new legislation permitted (for the first time) that aircraft imported from abroad – usually American models – could be paid for in dollars.The lack of access to foreign exchange to finance overseas aircraft purchases prior to the change in legislation had compelled all private UK airlines to equip their fleets either with British-built civilian/ex-military aircraft or war-surplus, foreign-built military transport planes that had served with the RAF Transport Command — mainly Douglas Dakotas.