 The order had been placed (including an option on a third aircraft) in expectation of being granted traffic rights for transatlantic scheduled services.The airline took delivery of its first Bristol Britannia aircraft on 5 April 1960 (on lease from Cubana).Cunard's acquisition of a controlling stake in Eagle resulted in Bamberg's appointment as their new aviation director, hoping that his knowledge of the industry would help them to capture a significant share of the 1 million people that crossed the Atlantic by air in 1960.