British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the national long-haul carrier of the United Kingdom from 1939 to 1972, when it was merged with British European Airways (BEA) to form British Airways (BA).
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British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was founded in 1939, when British Airways Ltd. and Imperial Airways were merged into one nationalized airline.
The company maintained operations during WWII.
After the war, BOAC remained the British long-haul airline. 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.
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. BOAC ceased operations in 1974 when the two airlines were merged completely, forming today’s British Airways.
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