![]() | |||||||
| |||||||
Founded |
| ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AOC # | 441 | ||||||
Hubs | |||||||
Frequent-flyer program | Executive Club/Avios | ||||||
Alliance | Oneworld | ||||||
Subsidiaries | |||||||
Fleet size | 244 | ||||||
Destinations | 206 [2] | ||||||
Parent company | International Airlines Group | ||||||
Headquarters | Waterside London, England, UK | ||||||
Key people | |||||||
Revenue | ![]() | ||||||
Net income | ![]() | ||||||
Website | britishairways |
British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. [5] [6]
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers carried, behind easyJet. In January 2011 BA merged with Iberia, creating the International Airlines Group (IAG), a holding company registered in Madrid, Spain. IAG is the world's third-largest airline group in terms of annual revenue and the second-largest in Europe. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the FTSE 100 Index. British Airways is the first passenger airline to have generated more than US$1 billion on a single air route in a year (from 1 April 2017, to 31 March 2018, on the New York-JFK – London-Heathrow route). [7]
BA was created in 1974 after a British Airways Board was established by the British government to manage the two nationalised airline corporations, British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways, and two regional airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines. On 31 March 1974, all four companies were merged to form British Airways. However, it marked 2019 as its centenary based on predecessor companies. [8] After almost 13 years as a state company, BA was privatised in February 1987 as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government. The carrier expanded with the acquisition of British Caledonian in 1987, Dan-Air in 1992, and British Midland International in 2012.
It is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, along with American Airlines, the now-defunct Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. The alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam and Star Alliance.
Proposals to establish a joint British airline, combining the assets of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA), were first raised in 1953 as a result of difficulties in attempts by BOAC and BEA to negotiate air rights through the British colony of Cyprus. Increasingly BOAC was protesting that BEA was using its subsidiary Cyprus Airways to circumvent an agreement that BEA would not fly routes further east than Cyprus, particularly to the increasingly important oil regions in the Middle East. The chairman of BOAC, Miles Thomas, was in favour of a merger as a potential solution to this disagreement and had backing for the idea from the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, Rab Butler. However, opposition from the Treasury blocked the proposal. [9]
Consequently, it was only following the recommendations of the 1969 Edwards Report that a new British Airways Board, managing both BEA and BOAC, and the two regional British airlines Cambrian Airways based at Cardiff, and Northeast Airlines based at Newcastle upon Tyne, was constituted on 1 April 1972. [10] Although each airline's branding was maintained initially, two years later the British Airways Board unified its branding, effectively establishing British Airways as an airline on 31 March 1974. [11]
Following two years of fierce competition with British Caledonian, the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom at the time, the Government changed its aviation policy in 1976 so that the two carriers would no longer compete on long-haul routes. [12]
British Airways and Air France operated the supersonic Concorde airliner, and the world's first supersonic passenger service flew on 21 January 1976 from Heathrow Airport to Bahrain International Airport. [13] Services to the U.S. began on 24 May 1976 with a flight to Washington Dulles airport, and flights to New York JFK airport followed on 22 September 1977. Service to Singapore was established in co-operation with Singapore Airlines as a continuation of the flight to Bahrain. [11] Following the Air France Concorde crash in Paris and a slump in air travel following the 11 September attacks in New York in 2001, it was decided to cease Concorde operations in 2003 after 27 years of service. The final commercial Concorde flight was BA002 from New York-JFK to London-Heathrow on 24 October 2003. [14]
In 1981 the airline was instructed to prepare for privatisation by the Conservative Thatcher government. [15] Sir John King, later Lord King, was appointed chairman, charged with bringing the airline back into profitability. While many other large airlines struggled, King was credited with transforming British Airways into one of the most profitable air carriers in the world. [16] The flag carrier was privatised and was floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 1987. [17] British Airways effected the takeover of the UK's "second" airline, British Caledonian, in July of that same year. [18]
The formation of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic in 1984 created a competitor for BA. The intense rivalry between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic culminated in the former being sued for libel in 1993, arising from claims and counterclaims over a "dirty tricks" campaign against Virgin. This campaign included allegations of poaching Virgin Atlantic customers, tampering with private files belonging to Virgin, and undermining Virgin's financial reputation in the city. As a result of the case BA management apologised "unreservedly", and the company agreed to pay £110,000 in damages to Virgin, £500,000 to Branson personally and £3 million legal costs. [19] Lord King stepped down as chairman in 1993 and was replaced by his deputy, Colin Marshall, while Bob Ayling took over as CEO. [20] Virgin filed a separate action in the U.S. that same year regarding BA's domination of the trans-Atlantic routes, but it was thrown out in 1999. [19]
In 1992 British Airways expanded through the acquisition of the financially troubled Dan-Air, giving BA a much larger presence at Gatwick Airport. British Asia Airways, a subsidiary based in Taiwan, was formed in March 1993 to operate between London and Taipei. That same month BA purchased a 25% stake in the Australian airline Qantas and, with the acquisition of Brymon Airways in May, formed British Airways Citiexpress (later BA Connect). [20] In September 1998, British Airways, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and Canadian Airlines, formed the Oneworld airline alliance. Oneworld began operations on 1 February 1999, and is the third-largest airline alliance in the world, behind SkyTeam and Star Alliance. [18]
Bob Ayling's leadership led to a cost savings of £750m and the establishment of a budget airline, Go, in 1998. [21] The next year, however, British Airways reported an 84% drop in profits in its first quarter alone, its worst in seven years. [22] In March 2000, Ayling was removed from his position and British Airways announced Rod Eddington as his successor. That year, British Airways and KLM conducted talks on a potential merger, reaching a decision in July to file an official merger plan with the European Commission. [23] The plan fell through in September 2000. [24] British Asia Airways ceased operations in 2001 after BA suspended flights to Taipei. Go was sold to its management and the private equity firm 3i in June 2001. [25] Eddington would make further workforce cuts due to reduced demand following 11 September attacks in 2001, [14] and BA sold its stake in Qantas in September 2004. [26] In 2005 Willie Walsh, managing director of Aer Lingus and a former pilot, became the chief executive officer of British Airways. [27] BA unveiled its new subsidiary OpenSkies in January 2008, taking advantage of the liberalisation of transatlantic traffic rights between Europe and the United States. OpenSkies flies non-stop from Paris to New York's JFK and Newark airports. [28]
In July 2008, British Airways announced a merger plan with Iberia, another flag carrier airline in the Oneworld alliance, wherein each airline would retain its original brand. [29] The agreement was confirmed in April 2010, [30] and in July the European Commission and U.S. Department of Transportation permitted the merger and began to co-ordinate transatlantic routes with American Airlines. [31] [32] On 6 October 2010 the alliance between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia formally began operations. The alliance generates an estimated £230 million in annual cost-saving for BA, in addition to the £330 million which would be saved by the merger with Iberia. [33] This merger was finalised on 21 January 2011, resulting in the establishment of International Airlines Group S.A. (IAG), the world's third-largest airline in terms of annual revenue and the second-largest airline group in Europe. [30] [34] Prior to merging, British Airways owned a 13.5% stake in Iberia, and thus received ownership of 55% of the combined International Airlines Group; Iberia's other shareholders received the remaining 45%. [35] As a part of the merger, British Airways ceased trading independently on the London Stock Exchange after 23 years as a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. [36]
In September 2010 Willie Walsh, now CEO of IAG, announced that the group was considering acquiring other airlines and had drawn up a shortlist of twelve possible acquisitions. [37] In November 2011 IAG announced an agreement in principle to purchase British Midland International from Lufthansa. [38] A contract to purchase the airline was agreed the next month, [39] and the sale was completed for £172.5 million on 30 March 2012. [40] The airline established a new subsidiary based at London City Airport operating Airbus A318s. [41]
British Airways was the official airline partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games. On 18 May 2012 it flew the Olympic flame from Athens International Airport to RNAS Culdrose while carrying various dignitaries, including Lord Sebastian Coe, Princess Anne, the Olympics minister Hugh Robertson and the London Mayor Boris Johnson, along with the footballer David Beckham. [42]
On 27 May 2017, British Airways suffered a computer power failure. All flights were cancelled and thousands of passengers were affected. [43] By the following day, the company had not succeeded in reestablishing the normal function of its computer systems. When asked by reporters for more information on the ongoing problems, British Airways stated "The root cause was a power supply issue which our affected our IT systems - we continue to investigate this" and declined to comment further. [44] Willie Walsh later attributed the crash to an electrical engineer disconnecting the UPS and said there would be an independent investigation. [45]
Amidst the decline in the value of Iranian currency due to the reintroduction of U.S. sanctions on Iran, BA announced that the Iranian route is "not commercially viable". As a result, BA decided to stop its services in Iran, effective 22 September 2018. [46] [47]
In 2018, British Airways partnered with British tailor and designer Ozwald Boateng to redesign the company's historic uniforms, in honour of its approaching centenary, creating a new look for BA, while adhering to its traditional style. The new collection "A British Original" was launched in 2023. [48] [49] This design initiative also included English bone china manufactured by William Edwards and cutlery by Studio William for the company's first class service. [50]
In 2019, as part of the celebrations of a centenary of airline operations in the United Kingdom, British Airways announced that four aircraft would receive retro liveries. The first of these is a Boeing 747-400 (G-BYGC), which was repainted into the former BOAC livery, which it retained until its retirement. Two more Boeing 747-400s were repainted with former British Airways liveries. One wore the "Landor" livery until its retirement in 2020 (G-BNLY), the other (G-CIVB), wore the original "Union Jack" livery until its retirement in 2020 also. An Airbus A319 was repainted into British European Airways livery, which is still flying as G-EUPJ. [51]
On 28 April 2020, the company set out plans to make up to 12,000 staff redundant because of the global collapse of air traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic [52] and that it may not reopen its operations at Gatwick airport. [53] They reopened at Gatwick in March 2022. [54]
In July 2020, British Airways announced the immediate retirement of its entire 747-400 fleet, having originally intended to phase out the remaining 747s in 2024. The airline stated that its decision to bring forward the date was in part due to the downturn in air travel following the COVID-19 pandemic and to focus on incorporating more modern and fuel-efficient aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. At the same time, British Airways also announced its intention to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. [55] [56] On 28 July 2020, the company's cabin crew union issued an "industrial action" warning in order to prevent the 12,000 job cuts and pay cuts. [57]
On 12 October 2020, it was announced that Sean Doyle, CEO of Aer Lingus (also part of the IAG airline group) would succeed Álex Cruz as CEO. [58]
The key trends for the British Airways PLC Group are shown below. [59]
On the merger with Iberia, the accounting reference date was changed from 31 March to 31 December; figures below are therefore for the years to 31 March up to 2010, for the nine months to 31 December 2010, and for the years to 31 December thereafter:
Year | Turnover (£ bn) | Net profit (£ m) | Number of employees (FTE) [lower-alpha 1] | Number of passengers (m) | Passenger load factor (%) | Number of aircraft [lower-alpha 2] | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 Mar | 8.7 | 694 | 41,745 | 34.6 | 79.1 | 245 | [60] [61] |
2009 Mar | 8.9 | −358 | 41,473 | 33.1 | 77.0 | 245 | [61] |
2010 Mar | 7.9 | −425 | 37,595 | 31.8 | 78.5 | 238 | [61] |
2010 [lower-alpha 3] | 6.6 | 170 | 35,778 | 24.1 | 78.5 | 240 | [62] |
2011 | 9.9 | 672 | 36,164 | 34.2 | 78.2 | 245 | [62] |
2012 | 10.8 | 84 | 38,761 | 37.6 | 79.9 | 273 | [63] |
2013 | 11.4 | 281 | 38,592 | 39.9 | 81.3 | 278 | [63] |
2014 | 11.7 | 702 | 39,710 | 41.5 | 81.0 | 279 | [64] |
2015 | 11.3 | 975 [lower-alpha 4] | 39,309 | 43.3 | 81.5 | 284 | [65] |
2016 | 11.4 | 1,345 | 39,024 | 44.5 | 81.2 | 293 | [66] |
2017 | 12.2 | 1,447 | 38,347 | 45.2 | 81.8 | 293 | [67] |
2018 | 13.0 | 2,091 | 38,202 | 46.8 | 82.5 | 294 | [68] |
2019 | 13.2 | 1,109 | 38,230 | 47.7 | 83.6 | 305 | [69] |
2020 | 4.0 | −3,489 | 33,898 | 12.2 | 61.4 | 277 | [70] |
2021 | 3.6 | −1,648 | 26,890 | 10.3 | 58.3 | 276 | [71] |
2022 | 11.0 | 61 | 33,644 | 33.0 | 79.9 | 276 | [72] |
2023 | 14.3 | 1,161 | 37,401 | 43.0 | 83.6 | 284 | [73] |
In 2020, due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, British Airways had to reduce its 42,000-strong workforce by 12,000 jobs. According to the estimate by IAG, a parent company, it will take the air travel industry several years to return to previous performance and profitability levels. [74]
However, 2022 saw a dramatic increase in travel, and the company now faced a worker shortage, forcing it to cancel more than 1,500 flights. [75] During February 2023, The international airlines group, the owners of British Airways announced that the group has returned to making an annual profit of €1.3 billion for the first time since the pandemic, following a €2.8 billion loss in 2021. The company warned that due to the surge in demand for flying this could lead to more disruption. [76]
British Airways is the largest airline based in the United Kingdom in terms of fleet size, international flights, and international destinations and was, until 2008, the largest airline by passenger numbers. The airline carried 34.6 million passengers in 2008, but, rival carrier easyJet transported 44.5 million passengers that year, passing British Airways for the first time. [77] [78] British Airways holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, it is permitted to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. [79]
The airlines' head office, Waterside, stands in Harmondsworth, a village that is near Heathrow Airport. [80] Waterside was completed in June 1998 to replace British Airways' previous head office, Speedbird House, [81] [82] located in Technical Block C on the grounds of Heathrow. [83]
British Airways' main base is at Heathrow Airport, but it also has a major presence at Gatwick Airport. It also has a base at London City Airport, where its subsidiary BA Cityflyer is the largest operator. BA had previously operated a significant hub at Manchester Airport. Manchester to New York (JFK) services were withdrawn; later all international services outside London ceased when the subsidiary BA Connect was sold. Passengers wishing to travel internationally with BA either to or from regional UK destinations must now transfer in London. [84] Heathrow Airport is dominated by British Airways, which owns 50% of the slots available at the airport as of 2019, [85] growing from 40% in 2004. [86] The majority of BA services operate from Terminal 5, with the exception of some flights at Terminal 3 owing to insufficient capacity at Terminal 5. At London City Airport, the company owns 52% of the slots as of 2019. [85]
In August 2014, Willie Walsh advised the airline would continue to use flight paths over Iraq despite the hostilities there. A few days earlier Qantas announced it would avoid Iraqi airspace, while other airlines did likewise. The issue arose following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, and a temporary suspension of flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. [87]
Over its history, BA has had many subsidiaries. In addition to the below, British Airways also owned Airways Aero Association, the operator of the British Airways flying club based at Wycombe Air Park in High Wycombe, until it was sold to Surinder Arora in 2007. [88]
Airline | Still Owned by BA | Current Status | Details |
---|---|---|---|
BA Cityflyer | Yes | Active | Founded 25 March 2007 as a reforming of the former subsidiary CityFlyer Express with assets of BA Connect not sold to Flybe |
British Airways Engineering | Yes | Active | Responsible for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of British Airways' aircraft. BAE was formed from the merger of the engineering divisions of BOAC and BEA's when the two airlines merged in 1974 to form British Airways. |
British Airways World Cargo | No | Merged with fellow Cargo subsidiaries of IAG to form IAG Cargo | British Airways first opened a World Cargo centre at Heathrow in 1999. The company ended operations on 30 April 2014, [89] [90] having been fully merged into IAG Cargo |
British Airways Helicopters | No | Sold | Sold in 1986 - Now trades as British International Helicopters |
BA Connect | No | Closed | Formerly known as BA CitiExpress. Sold in 2007 to Flybe, [91] closed down in 2020 |
OpenSkies | Yes | Reorganised | Founded in 2008. OpenSkies ceased to operate under its own brand after summer 2018 to operate for IAG's new low-cost subsidiary brand Level. [92] |
British Airways Limited | No | Closed | Established in 2012 to take over the operation of the premium service between London City Airport and New York-JFK. The flights returned to be directly operated by British Airways plc in 2015. The service was suspended in March 2020 amidst COVID-19, before being cancelled in August 2020. [93] |
CityFlyer Express | No | Closed | Formerly a short-haul regional airline founded in 1991 (as Euroworld Airways). In 1993 it became the first British Airways (BA) franchisee operating as British Airways Express. CityFlyer's ownership passed to BA in 1999 when that company bought out the original promoters as well as 3i, the airline's main shareholder at the time. Initially, CityFlyer continued to operate as a separate unit, but it was eventually absorbed into British Airways' mainline short haul operation at Gatwick in 2001. |
British Regional Airlines | No | Closed | Founded in March 1991 when Manx Airlines created Manx Airlines Europe in order to expand and fly routes within the United Kingdom. [94] In 1994 Manx Airlines Europe became a franchise carrier for British Airways. In March 2001 British Airways purchased the British Regional Airlines Group (holding company of British Regional Airlines and Manx Airlines) for £78m and merged it with Brymon Airways to create British Airways CitiExpress. [95] |
Deutsche BA | No | Closed | Sold in 2008 to Air Berlin where it traded as dba by Air Berlin, before closing down in 2008 [96] [97] |
Air Liberté | No | Closed | Purchased Air Liberté together with TAT and inaugurated them under one management. On 5 May 2000, BA sold Air Liberté to a partnership between Taitbout Antibes and Swissair. |
BA Euroflyer | Yes | Active | Created in 2022, was established to compete with easyJet at Gatwick by providing a lower cost option to the primary airline. [98] |
Airline | Still a BA Franchisee | Still Operating | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Sun-Air | Yes | Active | Founded in 1978. Became a franchisee in 1996 [99] |
Comair | No | Closed | Founded in 1943. Became a franchisee in 1996 [100] The company entered into voluntary business rescue proceedings on 5 May 2020, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. [101] Operations were suspended on 31 May 2022. [102] |
Loganair | No | Active | Founded in February 1962. In 1993, the airline became a franchisee of British Airways, operating its Islanders in the British Airways livery. This would stand until July 2008, when it became the new franchisee of Flybe. [103] |
Maersk Air UK | No | Closed | Founded in May 1993 as part of the demerger of BEA. It flew out of Birmingham Airport to domestic and European destinations under a British Airways franchise agreement. By early 2003 the Maersk Group had given up on operating an airline in the UK and put Maersk Air UK up for sale. However, there were not interested buyers and the company was therefore sold in a management buyout in 2003, with the airline becoming Duo Airways before ceasing operations in May 2004, when an investor withdrew support at short notice. |
British Airways obtained a 15% stake in UK regional airline Flybe from the sale of BA Connect in March 2007. [104] It sold the stake in 2014.
BA also owned a 10% stake in InterCapital and Regional Rail (ICRR), the company that managed the operations of Eurostar (UK) Ltd from 1998 to 2010, [105] [106] when the management of Eurostar was restructured.
Staff working for British Airways are represented by a number of trade unions, pilots are represented by British Air Line Pilots' Association, cabin crew by British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (a branch of Unite the Union), while other branches of Unite the Union and the GMB Union represent other employees. Bob Ayling's management faced strike action by cabin crew over a £1 billion cost-cutting drive to return BA to profitability in 1997; this was the last time BA cabin crew would strike until 2009, although staff morale has reportedly been unstable since that incident. [107] In an effort to increase interaction between management, employees, and the unions, various conferences and workshops have taken place, often with thousands in attendance. [108]
In 2005, wildcat action was taken by union members over a decision by Gate Gourmet not to renew the contracts of 670 workers and replace them with agency staff; it is estimated that the strike cost British Airways £30 million and caused disruption to 100,000 passengers. [109] In October 2006, BA became involved in a civil rights dispute when a Christian employee was forbidden to wear a necklace bearing the cross, a religious symbol. [110] BA's practice of forbidding such symbols has been publicly questioned by British politicians such as the former Home Secretary John Reid and the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. [111]
Relations have been turbulent between BA and Unite. In 2007, cabin crew threatened strike action over salary changes to be imposed by BA management. The strike was called off at the last minute, British Airways losing £80 million. [107] In December 2009, a ballot for strike action over Christmas received a high level of support, [112] action was blocked by a court injunction that deemed the ballot illegal. Negotiations failed to stop strike action in March, BA withdrew perks for strike participants. [113] Allegations were made by The Guardian newspaper that BA had consulted outside firms methods to undermine the unions: the story was later withdrawn. [114] A strike was announced for May 2010, British Airways again sought an injunction. Members of the Socialist Workers Party disrupted negotiations between BA management and Unite to prevent industrial action. [115] Further disruption struck when Derek Simpson, a Unite co-leader, was discovered to have leaked details of confidential negotiations online via Twitter. [116] Industrial action re-emerged in 2017, this time by BA's Mixed Fleet flight attendants, whom were employed on much less favorable pay and terms and conditions compared to previous cabin staff who joined prior to 2010. A ballot for industrial action was distributed to Mixed Fleet crew in November 2016 [117] and resulted in an overwhelming yes majority for industrial action. [118] Unite described Mixed Fleet crew as on "poverty pay", with many Mixed Fleet flight attendants sleeping in their cars in between shifts because they cannot afford the fuel to drive home, or operating while sick as they cannot afford to call in sick and lose their pay for the shift. Unite also blasted BA of removing staff travel concessions, bonus payments and other benefits to all cabin crew who undertook industrial action, as well as strike-breaking tactics such as wet-leasing aircraft from other airlines and offering financial incentives for cabin crew not to strike. [119] [120] The first dates of strikes during Christmas 2016 were cancelled due to pay negotiations. [121] Industrial action by Mixed Fleet commenced in January 2017 after rejecting a pay offer. [122] Strike action continued throughout 2017 in numerous discontinuous periods, resulting in one of the longest running disputes in aviation history. [123] [124] [125] [126] On 31 October 2017, after 85 days of discontinuous industrial action, Mixed Fleet accepted a new pay deal from BA which ended the dispute. [127]
The position was formed in 1977.
British Airways serves over 170 destinations in 70 countries, including eight domestic and 27 in the United States. [129]
British Airways co-founded the airline alliance Oneworld in 1999 with airlines American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. [130] British Airways is still currently a member of Oneworld.
British Airways has codeshares with the following airlines: [131]
As of January 2024 [update] , the British Airways operates a fleet of 253 aircraft with 47 orders. BA operates a mix of Airbus narrow and wide-body aircraft, and Boeing wide-body aircraft, specifically the 777 and 787. In October 2020, British Airways retired its fleet of 747-400 aircraft. [138] It was one of the largest operators of the 747, having previously operated the -100, -200, and -400 aircraft from 1974 (1969 with BOAC).
The airline has its own engineering branch to maintain its aircraft fleet, this includes line maintenance at over 70 airports around the world. [139] [ non-primary source needed ] As well as hangar facilities at Heathrow and Gatwick airport it has two major maintenance centres at Glasgow and Cardiff Airports.
The musical theme predominantly used on British Airways advertising has been "The Flower Duet" by Léo Delibes. [140] This was first used in a 1984 advertisement directed by Tony Scott, in an arrangement by Howard Blake. [141] It was reworked by Malcolm McLaren and Yanni for 1989's iconic "Face" advertisement, [142] and subsequently appeared in many different arrangements between 1990 and 2010. The slogan 'the world's favourite airline', first used in 1983, was dropped in 2001 after Lufthansa overtook BA in terms of passenger numbers. [143] Other advertising slogans have included "The World's Best Airline", "We'll Take More Care of You", "Fly the Flag", and "To Fly, To Serve". [144] [145] [146]
BA had an account for 23 years with Saatchi & Saatchi, an agency that created many of their most famous advertisements, including "The World's Biggest Offer" [147] and the influential "Face" campaign. Saatchi & Saatchi later imitated this advert for Silverjet, a rival of BA, after BA discontinued their business activities. [148] Since 2007, BA used Bartle Bogle Hegarty as its advertising agency. [149]
In October 2022, BA launched a brand new ad campaign, titled "A British Original" produced by London-based Uncommon Creative Studio. This was to be another record-breaking campaign for its use of 500 unique executions along with a series of 32 short films, coinciding with the launch of Ozwald Boateng's new collection of uniform. [150] [151] [152]
British Airways purchased the internet domain ba.com in 2002 from previous owner Bell Atlantic, [153] 'BA' being the company's initialism and its IATA Airline code.
British Airways is the official airline of the Wimbledon Championship tennis tournament, and was the official airline and tier one partner of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. [154] [155] BA was also the official airline of England's bid to host the 2018 Football World Cup. [156]
High Life, founded in 1973, is the official in-flight magazine of the airline. [157]
The airline used a cartoon safety video from circa 2005 until 2017. [158] Beginning on 1 September 2017 the airline introduced the new Comic Relief live action safety video hosted by Chabuddy G, with appearances by British celebrities Gillian Anderson, [159] Rowan Atkinson, [160] Jim Broadbent, Rob Brydon, Warwick Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ian McKellen, Thandie Newton, and Gordon Ramsay. [159] A "sequel" video, also hosted by Chabuddy G, was released in 2018, with Michael Caine, Olivia Colman, Jourdan Dunn, Naomie Harris, Joanna Lumley, and David Walliams. [161] The two videos are part of Comic Relief's charity programme. [162] On 17 April 2023, the airline launched a new safety video as a part of “A British Original” campaign, with Emma Raducanu, Robert Peston, Little Simz, and Steven Bartlett. [163] [164] [165] [166]
The aeroplanes that British Airways inherited from the four-way merger between BOAC, BEA, Cambrian, and Northeast were temporarily given the text logo "British airways" but retained the original airline's livery. With its formation in 1974, British Airways' aeroplanes were given a new white, blue, and red colour scheme with a cropped Union Jack painted on their tail fins, designed by Negus & Negus. In 1984, a new livery designed by Landor Associates updated the airline's look as it prepared for privatization. [167] For celebrating centenary, BA announced four retro liveries: three on Boeing 747-400 aircraft (one in each of BOAC, Negus & Negus, and Landor Associates liveries), and one A319 in BEA livery.
In 1997, there was a controversial change to a new Project Utopia livery; all aircraft used the corporate colours consistently on the fuselage, but tailfins bore one of multiple designs. [168] Several people spoke out against the change, including the former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who famously covered the tail of a model 747 at an event with a handkerchief, to show her displeasure. [169] BA's traditional rival, Virgin Atlantic, took advantage of the negative press coverage by applying the Union flag to the winglets of their aircraft along with the slogan "Britain's national flagcarrier". [170]
In 1999, the CEO of British Airways, Bob Ayling, announced that all BA planes would adopt the tailfin design Chatham Dockyard Union Flag originally intended to be used only on the Concorde, based on the Union Flag. [171] All BA aircraft have since borne the Chatham Dockyard Union flag variant of the Project Utopia livery, except for the four retro aircraft.
![]() |
|
In 2011, British Airways made a brand relaunch project, in which BA introduced a stylised, metallic version of the arms by For People Design to be used along with its Speedmarque logo. This is used exclusively on aircraft, First Wing Lounge and advertisements. [174] [145] [175] [146]
British Airways' tiered loyalty programme, called the Executive Club, includes access to special lounges and dedicated "fast" queues. [176] Its programme consists of six tiers: Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold guest list and Premier. [177] [ non-primary source needed ] BA invites its top corporate accounts to join the "Premier" incentive programme.
The programme incentivises its members to fly with BA by awarding them Avios and Tier Points. Avios is the spending currency, which can be redeemed. Tier Points are a score used to determine the member's tier, and cannot be redeemed. Tier Points are reset at the end of each membership year, and Avios are retained for three years.
British Airways operates airside lounges for passengers travelling in premium cabins, and these are available to certain tiers of Executive Club members. [178] [ non-primary source needed ] First class passengers, as well as Gold Executive Club members, are entitled to use First Class Lounges. Business class passengers (called Club World or Club Europe in BA terms) as well as Silver Executive Club members may use Business lounges. [179] [ non-primary source needed ] At airports in which BA does not operate a departure lounge, a third party lounge is often provided for premium or status passengers. [180] [ non-primary source needed ]
Members of the programme were also granted status within the Oneworld alliance, which permitted similar benefits when flying with Oneworld member airlines. The level of benefits were determined by the member's tier. [181] [ non-primary source needed ]
Euro Traveller is British Airways' economy class cabin on all short-haul flights within Europe, including domestic flights within the UK. [182] Heathrow and Gatwick-based flights are operated by Airbus A320 series aircraft. Standard seat pitch varies from 29" to 34" depending on aircraft type and location of the seat.
All flights from Heathrow and Gatwick have a buy on board system with a range of food designed by Tom Kerridge. [183] [ non-primary source needed ] Food can be pre-ordered through the British Airways mobile application. [184] [ non-primary source needed ] Alternatively, a limited selection can be purchased on-board using credit and debit card or by using Frequent Flyer Avios points. [185] [ non-primary source needed ] British Airways is rolling out Wi-Fi across its fleet of aircraft with 90% expected to be Wi-Fi enabled by 2020. [186]
Club Europe is the short-haul business class available on all short-haul flights. This class allows for access to business lounges at most airports and complimentary onboard catering. [187] [188] [ non-primary source needed ] The middle seat of the standard Airbus configured cabin is left free. Instead, a cocktail table folds up from under the middle seat on refurbished aircraft. [18] [189] [ non-primary source needed ] Pillows and blankets are available on longer flights.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(December 2023) |
First is offered on all Airbus A380s, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787-9/10s and on some Boeing 777-200ERs. There are between eight and fourteen private suites depending on the aircraft type. Each First suite comes with a 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) bed, a 15-inch (38 cm) wide entertainment screen, in-seat power and complimentary Wi-Fi access on select aircraft. [190] [191]
The exclusive Concorde Room lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 offers pre-flight dining with waiter service and more intimate space. Dedicated British Airways 'Galleries First' lounges are available at some airports, and Business lounges are used where these are not available. Some feature a 'First Dining' section where passengers holding a first class ticket can access a pre-flight dining service. [192]
Club World is the long-haul business class cabin. It is offered on all long-haul aircraft. [193] [194] [ non-primary source needed ] The cabin features fully convertible flat bed seats. In March 2019, BA unveiled its new business-class seats - named Club Suite - on the new A350 aircraft, which feature a suite with a door. [195] Since the unveiling, Club Suite has been installed on the Boeing 787-10 and is currently being installed on BA's Boeing 777s. The remaining aircraft are due to have their seats re-fitted over the coming years and they currently feature an older seat type introduced in 2006. [196]
World Traveller Plus is the premium economy class cabin provided on all BA long haul aircraft. [182] This cabin offers wider seats, extended leg-room, additional seat comforts such as larger IFE screen, a foot rest and power sockets. [197] [ non-primary source needed ] A complimentary 'World Traveller' bar is offered along with an upgraded main meal.
World Traveller is the mid-haul and long-haul economy class cabin. It offers seat-back entertainment, complimentary food and drink, pillows, and blankets. [182] [198] [199] While the in-flight entertainment screens are available on all long-haul aircraft, international power outlets are available on the aircraft based at Heathrow. [200] Wifi is also available on selected aircraft at an extra fee. [201] [ non-primary source needed ]
British Airways is known to have a strong reputation for safety and has been consistently ranked within the top 20 safest airlines globally according to Business Insider and AirlineRatings.com. [202] [203]
Since BA's inception in 1974, it has been involved in three hull-loss incidents (British Airways Flight 149 was destroyed on the ground at Kuwait International Airport as a result of military action during the First Gulf War with no one on board) and two hijacking attempts. To date, the only fatal accident experienced by a BA aircraft occurred in 1976 with British Airways Flight 476 which was involved in a midair collision later attributed to an error made by air traffic control.
Heathrow Airport, called London Airport until 1966, is the main international airport serving London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system. The airport is owned and operated by Heathrow Airport Holdings. In 2023, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe, the fourth-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and the second-busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic. As of 2023, Heathrow is the airport with the most international connections in the world.
Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways, and was originally planned by its co-founders Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary to fly between London and the Falkland Islands. Soon after changing the name to Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his shares in the company to Richard Branson in return for unlimited free travel. The maiden flight from London–Gatwick to Newark took place on 22 June 1984.
London Gatwick, also known as Gatwick Airport, is the secondary international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Crawley, West Sussex, England 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London. In 2022, Gatwick was the second-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after Heathrow Airport, and was the 8th-busiest in Europe by total passenger traffic. It covers a total area of 674 hectares.
Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of International Airlines Group (IAG). The airline's head office is on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Cloghran, County Dublin.
Singapore Airlines is the flag carrier of Singapore with its hub located at Changi Airport. A member of Star Alliance, the airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in the corporate branding segment and not significantly changing its livery throughout its history. Widely renowned as one of the world's best carriers, the airline is ranked as a 5-star airline as well as ranked as the world's best airline by Skytrax five times. The airline operates a variety of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, namely the A350, A380, Boeing 737, Boeing 747 Freighter, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, among others.
Swiss International Air Lines AG, stylized as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, as well as a Star Alliance member. It operates scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its main hub and Geneva Airport as its secondary hub.
British Midland Airways Limited was an airline in the United Kingdom with its head office in Donington Hall in Castle Donington, close to East Midlands Airport, England. The airline flew to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Central Asia from its main hub at London Heathrow Airport, where at its peak it held about 13% of all takeoff and landing slots and operated over 2,000 flights a week. BMI was a member of Star Alliance from 1 July 2000 until 20 April 2012.
EVA Airways Corporation is a Taiwanese international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately owned airline operates passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe & North America. Its network fully consists of international routes, with no domestic routes. It is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and is the second largest airline based in Taiwan after China Airlines. EVA Air is headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport in Luzhu, Taoyuan City. The company slogan is "Sharing the World, Flying Together".
The Boeing 747-400 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, an advanced variant of the initial Boeing 747. The "Advanced Series 300" was announced at the September 1984 Farnborough Airshow, targeting a 10% cost reduction with more efficient engines and 1,000 nautical miles [nmi] of additional range. Northwest Airlines became the first customer with an order for 10 aircraft on October 22, 1985. The first 747-400 was rolled out on January 26, 1988, and made its maiden flight on April 29, 1988. Type certification was received on January 9, 1989, and it entered service with NWA on February 9, 1989.
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C., operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, the airline operates a hub-and-spoke network, flying to over 170 international destinations across five continents from its base at Hamad International Airport. The airline currently operates a fleet of more than 200 aircraft. Qatar Airways Group employs more than 43,000 people. The carrier has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since October 2013, and the official company slogan has been "Going Places Together" since 2015.
Etihad Airways is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, alongside Emirates. Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Zayed International Airport. The airline commenced operations in November 2003, and is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates.
Caribbean Airlines Limited is the state-owned airline and flag carrier of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. Headquartered in Iere House in Piarco, the airline operates flights to the Caribbean, North America and South America from its base at Piarco International Airport, Trinidad. Presently Caribbean Airlines employs more than 1,700 people and is the largest airline in the Caribbean. The company slogan is The Warmth of the Islands.
British Airways World Cargo, formerly British Airways Cargo, was a division of IAG Cargo, operating air cargo services under the British Airways brand. It was the twelfth-largest cargo airline in the world by total freight tonne-kilometres flown. Freight services were provided using the main British Airways fleet, as well as dedicated freighter aircraft operating under a wet lease agreement with Global Supply Systems.
OpenSkies SASU was a French airline owned by International Airlines Group (IAG) which operated under the Level brand prior to closing down, and before that operated under its own brand name. Its headquarters were located in Rungis, near Paris.
British Airways Flight 38 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, to London Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom, an 8,100-kilometre trip. On 17 January 2008, the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft operating the flight crashed just short of the runway while landing at Heathrow. No fatalities occurred; of the 152 people on board, 47 sustained injuries, one serious. It was the first time in the aircraft type's history that a Boeing 777 was declared a hull loss, and subsequently written off.
A business class airline is an airline concept which emerged during the mid-first decade of the 21st century a number of airlines that operated all-business class service.
British Airways Helicopters was a British helicopter airline from 1964 to 1986.
British Airways (BA), the United Kingdom's national airline, was formed in 1974 with the merger of the two largest UK airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA), and including also two smaller regional airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines. The merger was the completion of a consolidation process started in 1971 with the establishment of the British Airways Board, a body created by the British government to control the operations and finances of BOAC and BEA, which initially continued to exist as separate entities.
Club World London City was an executive all-business-class flight service between London City Airport and New York City marketed by British Airways. The service launched in September 2009 and operated until March 2020.
British Airways operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It operates a single-aisle fleet of Airbus aircraft, including the Airbus A320-200 and the Airbus A320neo. It also operates a twin-aisle aircraft fleet of the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and 787.
[...]replacing the current animated film, which has run for the past 12 years.