History of British Airways in Timeline
British Airways (BA) is the UK's flag carrier, headquartered in London near Heathrow Airport, its primary hub. As a major international airline, BA connects the UK to destinations worldwide, playing a key role in global travel and commerce. It is a significant player in the aviation industry and the British economy.
1953: Proposals to establish a joint British airline
In 1953, 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.
1969: Edwards Report recommendations
Following the recommendations of the 1969 Edwards Report, a new British Airways Board was formed to manage BEA, BOAC, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines.
1969: Operated 747 aircraft by BOAC
In 1969, BOAC operated the 747 aircraft.
April 1972: New British Airways Board Constituted
On 1 April 1972, a new British Airways Board, managing both BEA and BOAC, and the two regional British airlines Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines, was constituted.
1973: Founding of High Life magazine
In 1973, High Life, the official in-flight magazine of British Airways, was founded.
March 1974: British Airways Formed
On 31 March 1974, British Airways was formed through the merger of British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways, Cambrian Airways, and Northeast Airlines.
1974: Operated 747 aircraft
From 1974, British Airways operated the 747, including the -100, -200, and -400 aircraft.
1974: New British Airways colour scheme
In 1974, British Airways' aeroplanes were given a new white, blue, and red colour scheme with a cropped Union Jack on the tail fins, designed by Negus & Negus.
1974: Inception
Since BA's inception in 1974, it has been involved in three hull-loss incidents and two hijacking attempts.
January 1976: First supersonic passenger service
On 21 January 1976, British Airways and Air France operated the world's first supersonic passenger service from London Heathrow Airport to Bahrain International Airport using the Concorde airliner.
May 1976: Supersonic Flights to the U.S.
On 24 May 1976, British Airways began Concorde supersonic flights to the U.S. with a flight to Washington Dulles airport.
1976: Government changed its aviation policy
In 1976, the Government changed its aviation policy so that British Airways and British Caledonian would no longer compete on long-haul routes.
1976: Fatal Accident
In 1976, the only fatal accident experienced by a BA aircraft occurred with British Airways Flight 476, which was involved in a midair collision attributed to an error made by air traffic control.
September 1977: Concorde flights to New York JFK Airport
On 22 September 1977, British Airways began Concorde flights to New York JFK airport.
1981: BA instructed to prepare for privatisation
In 1981, British Airways was instructed by the Conservative Thatcher government to prepare for privatisation.
1983: Introduction of slogan 'the world's favourite airline'
In 1983, British Airways first used the slogan 'the world's favourite airline'.
1984: Use of "The Flower Duet" in advertising
In 1984, British Airways first used "The Flower Duet" by Léo Delibes as a musical theme in its advertising, arranged by Howard Blake.
1984: New livery designed by Landor Associates
In 1984, a new livery designed by Landor Associates updated British Airways' look.
1984: Formation of Virgin Atlantic
In 1984, the formation of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic created a competitor for British Airways.
February 1987: British Airways Privatised
In February 1987, British Airways was privatised after almost 13 years as a state company, as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government.
February 1987: British Airways floated on the London Stock Exchange
In February 1987, British Airways was privatised and floated on the London Stock Exchange.
1989: "Face" advertisement
In 1989, Malcolm McLaren and Yanni reworked "The Flower Duet" for British Airways' iconic "Face" advertisement.
1990: Use of 'The Flower Duet' in advertising between 1990 and 2010
Between 1990 and 2010, "The Flower Duet" appeared in many different arrangements for British Airways' advertising.
1992: British Airways acquired Dan-Air
In 1992, British Airways expanded through the acquisition of the financially troubled Dan-Air.
1992: BA acquired Dan-Air
In 1992, British Airways expanded with the acquisition of Dan-Air.
March 1993: British Asia Airways formed
In March 1993, British Asia Airways, a subsidiary based in Taiwan, was formed to operate between London and Taipei. That same month BA purchased a 25% stake in the Australian airline Qantas.
1993: BA sued for libel in "dirty tricks" campaign
In 1993, British Airways was sued for libel, arising from claims and counterclaims over a "dirty tricks" campaign against Virgin Atlantic, resulting in an apology and settlement.
1997: Strike action by cabin crew
In 1997, Bob Ayling's management faced strike action by cabin crew over a £1 billion cost-cutting drive.
1997: Controversial Project Utopia livery change
In 1997, British Airways implemented a controversial new Project Utopia livery with multiple tailfin designs, facing criticism, including from Margaret Thatcher.
June 1998: Waterside Head Office Completed
In June 1998, British Airways completed its new head office, Waterside, in Harmondsworth, replacing Speedbird House.
September 1998: British Airways formed the Oneworld airline alliance
In September 1998, British Airways, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and Canadian Airlines, formed the Oneworld airline alliance.
1998: Establishment of Go
In 1998, Bob Ayling's leadership led to the establishment of a budget airline, Go.
1998: Stake in InterCapital and Regional Rail (ICRR)
In 1998, British Airways owned a 10% stake in InterCapital and Regional Rail (ICRR), the company that managed the operations of Eurostar (UK) Ltd.
February 1999: Oneworld airline alliance began operations
On 1 February 1999, the Oneworld airline alliance, including British Airways, began operations.
1999: New Tailfin Design Announcement
In 1999, British Airways CEO Bob Ayling announced that all BA planes would adopt the Chatham Dockyard Union Flag tailfin design, which was originally intended for the Concorde and based on the Union Flag.
1999: Co-founding of Oneworld airline alliance
In 1999, British Airways co-founded the Oneworld airline alliance with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas.
1999: Virgin filed a separate action in the U.S.
In 1999, a separate action filed by Virgin in the U.S. regarding British Airways' domination of the trans-Atlantic routes was thrown out.
March 2000: Bob Ayling was removed from his position
In March 2000, Bob Ayling was removed from his position and British Airways announced Rod Eddington as his successor.
September 2000: British Airways and KLM merger plan fell through
In September 2000, British Airways and KLM's potential merger plan fell through.
June 2001: Go was sold to its management
In June 2001, Go was sold to its management and the private equity firm 3i.
2001: Dropping of slogan 'the world's favourite airline'
In 2001, British Airways dropped the slogan 'the world's favourite airline' after Lufthansa overtook it in passenger numbers.
2002: Purchase of ba.com domain
In 2002, British Airways purchased the internet domain ba.com from Bell Atlantic.
October 2003: Final commercial Concorde flight
On 24 October 2003, British Airways had its final commercial Concorde flight, BA002 from New York-JFK to London-Heathrow, ending 27 years of service after the crash of Air France Flight 4590 and the 11 September attacks.
September 2004: BA sold its stake in Qantas
In September 2004, British Airways sold its stake in Qantas.
2004: BA owned 40% of the Heathrow Airport slots
In 2004, British Airways owned 40% of the slots available at Heathrow Airport
2005: Cartoon safety video
From circa 2005, British Airways used a cartoon safety video.
2005: Willie Walsh became the chief executive officer of British Airways
In 2005, Willie Walsh, managing director of Aer Lingus and a former pilot, became the chief executive officer of British Airways.
2005: Wildcat action by union members
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.
October 2006: Civil rights dispute over religious symbol
In October 2006, British Airways became involved in a civil rights dispute when a Christian employee was forbidden to wear a necklace bearing the cross.
2006: Older Seat Type Introduced
In 2006, British Airways introduced an older seat type which is currently featured on the remaining aircraft that are due to have their seats re-fitted.
March 2007: British Airways obtained 15% stake in Flybe
In March 2007, British Airways obtained a 15% stake in the now-defunct UK regional airline Flybe from the sale of BA Connect.
2007: Sale of Airways Aero Association
In 2007, British Airways sold Airways Aero Association, the operator of the British Airways flying club based at Wycombe Air Park, to Surinder Arora.
2007: Change of advertising agency
In 2007, British Airways started using Bartle Bogle Hegarty as its advertising agency.
2007: Threatened strike action over salary changes
In 2007, cabin crew threatened strike action over salary changes imposed by British Airways management, resulting in the airline losing £80 million after the strike was called off.
January 2008: BA unveiled OpenSkies
In January 2008, British Airways unveiled its new subsidiary OpenSkies, taking advantage of the liberalisation of transatlantic traffic rights between Europe and the United States.
July 2008: British Airways announced a merger plan with Iberia
In July 2008, British Airways announced a merger plan with Iberia, another flag carrier airline in the Oneworld alliance.
2008: easyJet surpassed British Airways in passenger numbers
In 2008, British Airways carried 34.6 million passengers, while easyJet transported 44.5 million, surpassing British Airways for the first time.
December 2009: Ballot for strike action blocked by court injunction
In December 2009, a ballot for strike action over Christmas received high support but was blocked by a court injunction.
2009: Cabin crew threatened strike action
In 2009, BA cabin crew would threaten strike action after a strike action in 1997.
April 2010: Agreement confirmed
In April 2010, the merger agreement between British Airways and Iberia was confirmed.
May 2010: Announced strike action
In May 2010, a strike was announced and British Airways sought an injunction. Negotiations were disrupted and confidential details were leaked online.
September 2010: IAG considering acquiring other airlines
In September 2010, Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, announced that the group was considering acquiring other airlines and had drawn up a shortlist of twelve possible acquisitions.
October 2010: Alliance between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia formally began operations
On 6 October 2010, the alliance between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia formally began operations.
December 2010: Accounting reference date change
In December 2010, the accounting reference date was changed from 31 March to 31 December due to the merger with Iberia.
2010: Use of 'The Flower Duet' in advertising between 1990 and 2010
Between 1990 and 2010, "The Flower Duet" appeared in many different arrangements for British Airways' advertising.
2010: Eurostar Restructuring
In 2010, the management of Eurostar was restructured.
January 2011: BA merges with Iberia, creating IAG
In January 2011, British Airways merged with Iberia, creating the International Airlines Group (IAG), a holding company registered in Madrid, Spain.
January 2011: Merger with Iberia finalised, creating IAG
On 21 January 2011, the merger between British Airways and Iberia was finalised, resulting in the establishment of International Airlines Group S.A. (IAG). British Airways ceased trading independently on the London Stock Exchange.
November 2011: IAG announced an agreement in principle to purchase British Midland International
In November 2011, IAG announced an agreement in principle to purchase British Midland International from Lufthansa.
2011: Brand Relaunch Project
In 2011, British Airways launched a brand relaunch project, introducing a stylised, metallic version of the arms by For People Design, to be used with its Speedmarque logo on aircraft, the First Wing Lounge, and in advertisements.
March 2012: Sale of British Midland International Completed
On 30 March 2012, the sale of British Midland International to IAG was completed for £172.5 million. The airline established a new subsidiary based at London City Airport operating Airbus A318s.
May 2012: British Airways flew the Olympic flame
On 18 May 2012, British Airways flew the Olympic flame from Athens International Airport to RNAS Culdrose as the official airline partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
2012: BA acquired British Midland International
In 2012, British Airways expanded with the acquisition of British Midland International.
2012: Official airline of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics
In 2012, British Airways was the official airline and tier one partner of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
August 2014: Continuation of flights over Iraq
In August 2014, Willie Walsh advised British Airways would continue using flight paths over Iraq despite ongoing hostilities, while other airlines avoided the airspace.
2014: Sale of Flybe stake
In 2014, British Airways sold its 15% stake in Flybe.
November 2016: Ballot for industrial action
In November 2016, a ballot for industrial action was distributed to Mixed Fleet crew which resulted in an overwhelming yes majority for industrial action.
January 2017: Commencement of strike action by Mixed Fleet
In January 2017, strike action by Mixed Fleet commenced after rejecting a pay offer.
April 2017: British Airways generated over $1 billion on a single route
Beginning 1 April 2017, British Airways became the first passenger airline to have generated more than US$1 billion on a single air route in a year, specifically the New York-JFK – London-Heathrow route.
May 2017: British Airways suffered a computer power failure
On 27 May 2017, British Airways suffered a computer power failure, causing all flights to be cancelled and affecting thousands of passengers.
September 2017: Introduction of new Comic Relief safety video
On 1 September 2017, British Airways introduced a new Comic Relief live action safety video hosted by Chabuddy G, featuring British celebrities.
October 2017: Mixed Fleet accepts new pay deal
On 31 October 2017, after 85 days of discontinuous industrial action, Mixed Fleet accepted a new pay deal from BA which ended the dispute.
March 2018: British Airways generated over $1 billion on a single route
Ending 31 March 2018, British Airways became the first passenger airline to have generated more than US$1 billion on a single air route in a year, specifically the New York-JFK – London-Heathrow route.
September 2018: BA to stop services in Iran
Due to the decline in the value of Iranian currency, BA announced it would stop its services in Iran, effective 22 September 2018.
2018: Partnership with Ozwald Boateng to redesign uniforms
In 2018, British Airways partnered with British tailor and designer Ozwald Boateng to redesign the company's historic uniforms.
2018: Release of sequel safety video
In 2018, British Airways released a sequel safety video hosted by Chabuddy G, featuring Michael Caine, Olivia Colman, Jourdan Dunn, Naomie Harris, Joanna Lumley, and David Walliams.
March 2019: New Business-Class Seats Unveiled
In March 2019, British Airways unveiled its new business-class seats, named Club Suite, on the new A350 aircraft, featuring a suite with a door.
2019: BA owns 50% of the Heathrow Airport slots
As of 2019, British Airways owns 50% of the slots available at Heathrow Airport and 52% of the slots at London City Airport.
2019: BA marks its centenary
British Airways marked 2019 as its centenary, based on predecessor companies.
2019: Announcing retro liveries to celebrate its centenary
In 2019, British Airways announced four retro liveries: three on Boeing 747-400 aircraft and one A319.
2019: Retro liveries announced
In 2019, British Airways announced that four aircraft would receive retro liveries as part of the celebrations of a centenary of airline operations in the United Kingdom.
April 2020: Plans to make staff redundant
On 28 April 2020, British Airways set out plans to make up to 12,000 staff redundant due to the global collapse of air traffic from the COVID-19 pandemic and that it may not reopen its operations at Gatwick airport.
July 2020: Immediate retirement of 747-400 fleet
In July 2020, British Airways announced the immediate retirement of its entire 747-400 fleet, originally intended to be phased out in 2024, due to the downturn in air travel following the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2020: Retirement of the 747-400 fleet
In October 2020, British Airways retired its fleet of 747-400 aircraft.
October 2020: Sean Doyle to succeed Álex Cruz as CEO
On 12 October 2020, it was announced that Sean Doyle, CEO of Aer Lingus, would succeed Álex Cruz as CEO of British Airways.
2020: Wi-Fi Rollout
By 2020, British Airways expects that 90% of its aircraft will be Wi-Fi enabled.
2020: Boeing 747-400s retired
In 2020, Boeing 747-400 (G-BNLY) and Boeing 747-400 (G-CIVB) were retired.
2020: Workforce Reduction due to COVID-19
In 2020, British Airways reduced its workforce by 12,000 jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. IAG estimated it would take several years for the air travel industry to recover.
2021: Loss during the pandemic
In 2021, The international airlines group, the owners of British Airways experienced a €2.8 billion loss during the pandemic.
March 2022: Reopened at Gatwick in March 2022
British Airways reopened at Gatwick in March 2022.
October 2022: Launch of "A British Original" ad campaign
In October 2022, British Airways launched a brand new ad campaign, titled "A British Original" produced by London-based Uncommon Creative Studio.
2022: Dramatic increase in travel leading to worker shortage
In 2022, British Airways experienced a significant increase in travel demand, resulting in a worker shortage and the cancellation of more than 1,500 flights.
February 2023: Return to annual profit
In 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.
April 2023: Launch of new safety video as part of "A British Original" campaign
On 17 April 2023, British Airways launched a new safety video as part of “A British Original” campaign, featuring Emma Raducanu, Robert Peston, Little Simz, and Steven Bartlett.
2023: New collection launched
The new collection "A British Original" designed by Ozwald Boateng was launched in 2023.
June 2024: Most Family Friendly Airline Award
On 24 June 2024, British Airways was voted 2024 Most Family Friendly Airline in the World by Skytrax, based on the overall family travel experience.
2024: Original plan to phase out 747s
British Airways originally intended to phase out the remaining 747s in 2024, but retired them earlier in July 2020.
2024: Damaged Letters Patent Auction
In 2024, the damaged letters patent of the arms went up for auction online before being withdrawn.
February 2025: Fleet size as of February 2025
As of February 2025, British Airways operates a fleet of 274 aircraft with 42 orders, including Airbus and Boeing models.
April 2025: Programme Rebrand
On the 1st of April 2025, British Airways rebranded its loyalty programme from 'Executive Club' to 'The British Airways Club'.
2050: Intention to eliminate carbon emissions
In July 2020, British Airways announced its intention to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050.
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