British Airways is the largest carrier of the United Kingdom and the third-largest in Europe (behind Air France–KLM and Lufthansa). The oneworld member owns more than 230 aircraft and provides flights to every inhabited continent in the world. British Airways was one of two airlines operating the supersonic Concorde until its retirement in 2003. In 2006, they received the Skytrax award airline of the year for the first time.
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On March 31, 1924, Imperial Airways was formed out of existing British airlines Instone Airline Limited, Daimler Airways, Handley Page Transport Limited and British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd. The new airline was subsidised by the British government (₤ 1 million spread over 10 years) and was required to build a route network including the whole British Empire - South Africa, India and ultimately Australia.
In 1935, a different merger of small airlines formed the privately-owned British Airways, Ltd. Both British Airways and Imperial Airways were merged into one nationalized airline, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), in 1939. The company maintained operations during WWII.
After the war, BOAC continued its long-haul services. For domestic and inner-European flights a new company was founded, British European Airways (BEA).
On May 2, 1952, BOAC launched the world’s first pure jet plane route, London – Johannesburg, using De Havilland Comets. More followed in the years to come, making BOAC the leading company in terms of passenger jet transport.
In 1956, BOAC ordered its first Boeing 707s. Later, British Airways would become the largest Boeing customer outside North America.
In 1969, BEA Airtours (later British Airtours) was founded as BEA’s charter airline. This was a reaction to the higher demand for holiday flights.
BOAC became the fourth airline to fly the 747-100 in 1971.
In 1972, BEA and BOAC were combined under the newly formed British Airways Board, in 1974 the two airlines were merged completely, forming today’s British Airways (BA).
In 1976, the new supersonic Concorde was introduced. It was used by Air France and British Airways, BA first using it on the route London – Bahrain. The Concorde travelled at Mach 2.02 (2,200 km/h).
Sir John King – later Lord King – was appointed chairman of BA in 1981. He was supposed to turn the airline into a profitable company and prepare it for privatization.
In 1986, BA ordered the company’s first 16 Boeing 747-436s. Eventually they would own 57 of them.
British Airways was privatised in 1987, valued at more than 900 million British pounds. In the same year, opponent British Caledonian was taken over, introducing new aircraft types like the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 or BA’s first Airbus to the BA fleet.
In the early 1990s, a time of repression for most airlines, British Airways became the most profitable airline in the world and started to use the slogan: “The world’s favourite airline”.
In 1992, the subsidiary Deutsche BA was formed to operate in Germany. When it was sold in 2003, the company, which was now named dba, was the second largest domestic carrier in Germany, after Lufthansa. It ceased to exist in 2007, when it was integrated into German carrier Air Berlin.
In 1995, BA launched an Asian subsidiary, British Asia Airways, based in Taiwan. The subsidiary ceased operations again in 2001, due to low yield.
In 1997, BA introduced new ethnic tailfins that were to contribute to a better reputation for the airline, giving it a more cosmopolitan look. Later, the Union Jack returned to all BA tailfins.
In 1998, British Airways launched a low-cost subsidiary, Go Fly, which was successful but heavily subsidised. Several years later, it was sold and merged with easyJet.
BA has long been a Boeing customer, not buying Airbuses although it would have been natural for a big European carrier to support the European aircraft. This only changed in the late 1990s, when BA ordered more than hundred A320/A319s in order to replace the old 737s.
In 2003, the Concorde was grounded and retired as a consequence of the Paris crash of 2000, the attacks of 9/11 and increasing maintenance costs.
In 2006, the fully owned British Airways CitiExpress was renamed BA Connect. In the same year, Skytrax named British Airways airline of the year for the first time.
BA is the third largest airline in Europe (behind Air France–KLM and Lufthansa). It is a member of oneworld alliance. The company’s main hubs are London Heathrow and Gatwick.
British Airways owns more than 230 aircraft and flies to more than 200 destinations on every inhabited continent.
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