British Airways (BA-BAW) is one of the most loved and recognizable brands in the sky. From its origins as Imperial Airways in the early twentieth century to the retirement of the Boeing 747, it’s fair to say the airline has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite pics from the airline’s history, and explore how it became the leading global carrier we know today.
Imperial Airways and the ‘Empire routes’
The first iteration of the company that would one day evolve into BA begins with Imperial Airways. Established in 1924, Imperial Airways played a pivotal role in shaping the foundations of long-distance air travel, operating routes connecting the outposts of the British Empire. Its legacy of innovation and global connectivity laid the groundwork not just for the development of BA, but the aviation industry generally. As air travel advanced, Imperial Airways’ operations and expertise became integral in the formation and evolution of subsequent British airlines (including BA’s other predecessors) and formed a crucial chapter in the continuum of British and European aviation. Imperial operated around 38 types of aircraft throughout its existence, from single-engined biplanes to large, multi-engined piston seaplanes.
A 1936 advertisement for Imperial Airways services featuring an Armstrong Whitworth Atlanta aircraft.
A tale of two airlines
Shortly before the Second World War, Imperial Airways was restructured to form the British Overseas Airways Corporation, or ‘BOAC’. BOAC took over the long-haul Empire routes as well as expanding to new destinations. Following the war, the UK Government sought a rethink of Britain’s commercial airline operations to take advantage of the postwar demand for travel. The result was the formation of British European Airways, or ‘BEA. This airline focussed on shorter European routes. Both of these airlines would become icons in their own right.
1. British European Airways
BEA launched operations with converted wartime piston-powered aircraft such as the DC3 Dakota/C47 Skytrain and the Avro Anson. It evolved to operate a large number of piston and turboprop powered types from the Airspeed Ambassador/Elizabethan to the Vickers Viscount. At its peak in the 1970s, the airline became one of the most prolific operators at London Heathrow (LHR) and was instantly recognisable thanks to its bold branding (the ‘Red Square’ and ‘Speedjack’ liveries) and their impressive British-built Trident jets and turboprops. The Trident itself is a record holder, having performed the first automatic landing in the UK using the pioneering ‘autoland’ system. The Trident 3 also claimed the mantle of the world’s only 5-engined airliner at the time, its three turbojets being joined by its APU and an additional booster engine to improve takeoff performance (this helped the aircraft compete with the Boeing 727-200).
BEA experienced two particularly high profile accidents in its time. The crash of an Airspeed Ambassador at Munich in 1958 killed 8 members of the highly successful Manchester United football team, nicknamed the ‘Busby Babes’, as well as other staff and passengers. 14 years later, the crash of Hawker Siddeley Trident 1 G-ARPI on takeoff from London Heathrow (LHR), referred to as the ‘Staines Air Disaster’, claimed the lives of 118 people, and remains the deadliest aviation accident on UK soil as of 2023. Both of these incidents were attributed to pilot error.
2. The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)
BOAC expanded its post war operations using converted bomber aircraft such as the Avro Lancastrian (a converted version of the Avro Lancaster), and throughout its existence operated around 50 different types of aircraft. The airline operated the first jet-powered airliner in the form of the DeHavilland Comet, as well as other innovative aircraft such as the Vickers VC10 and the turboprop Bristol Britannia. BOAC was a launch customer for the Boeing 747 and Concorde, though the airline had rebranded by the time the supersonic jet came into service (spoiler alert). At its peak, BOAC operated around 200 aircraft.
Despite its diverse fleet mix, BOAC’s decision making throughout the 1950s to 1970s contributed to the decline of the British aviation industry. The airline would often release specifications to aircraft manufacturers who would build aircraft tailored to the airline. One such example is the VC10, which was designed for ‘hot and high’ environments. The airline would then be reluctant to buy the aircraft, favoring cheaper American products such as the Boeing 707. This left the manufacturers with technologically advanced aircraft, but little to no market for them.
British Airways – a new flag carrier for the 1970s
BOAC and BEA were merged (along with Cambrian and Northeast Airlines) to form British Airways in 1974. The amalgamation of BOAC and BEA, along with the subsequent integration of their fleets and services, was a multifaceted process that encountered various challenges. Combining distinct corporate cultures, fleets, and operational methodologies presented formidable hurdles. However, the merger aimed to create a stronger, more competitive entity capable of withstanding the evolving demands of the global aviation landscape. The new livery was a paired down tricolor of red, white and blue, taking elements of BEA’s speedjack design and BOAC’s ‘Speedbird’ icon (and callsign). The new look was designed by firm ‘Negus & Negus’.
The merger also led to a brief period of hybrid liveries as the fleet was repainted. Most aircraft wore their original BEA or BOAC tail and colors, with ‘British Airways’ applied to the fuselage.
The early years of British Airways were marked by extensive restructuring and modernization efforts aimed at standardizing operations and unifying the brand. The airline sought to redefine its identity in an increasingly competitive market. Strategic initiatives were implemented to enhance customer experience, expand route networks, and modernize the fleet through the incorporation of more advanced aircraft models. The airline’s commitment to innovation and adaptation was evident in its efforts to embrace technological advancements in aviation. British Airways played a pioneering role in introducing supersonic travel, with Concorde making its first scheduled BA passenger flight on January 21, 1976 with a flight from London (LHR) to Bahrain (BAH).
As well as new widebody and supersonic developments, British Airways introduced their innovative ‘shuttle’ service in 1975. A business model borrowed from carriers in the United States, this service allowed passengers to buy walk-up tickets with a guaranteed seat. This service began with a flight from London (LHR) to Glasgow (GLA) and expanded to include routes to Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast. Initially using the older Hawker Siddely Trident 1s, these services eventually evolved to utilize the Boeing 757. Whilst the shuttle business model is no longer used today, BA aircraft operating from LHR to these destinations still use the unique callsign ‘Shuttle’, or ‘SHT’. You can see these flights operating daily on Flightradar24.
Another new identity for the 1980s
British Airways unveiled yet another new corporate identity in 1984. Designed by Landor Associates, the new livery effectively flipped the red and blue of the Negus scheme to be predominantly blue. As well as a fresh face for the business, the new identity was partly designed to prepare British Airways for privatization, which was completed in 1987. The UK government saw privatization as the best way to protect themselves from the substantial losses the airline was ensuring at the time.
Older aircraft in the fleet such as the Hawker Siddeley Trident, Vickers VC10 and Boeing 707 were phased out throughout the 1980s, and British Airways merged with British Caledonian Airways in 1988, accessing the airline’s coveted slots at London Gatwick Airport (LGW). This merger proved controversial at the time due to reduced market competition, and was widely seen as a saving deal for Caledonian.
Into the nineties
The early 1990’s saw Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic (VS-VIR) emerge as a key competitor to British Airways. The threat from Virgin led to the BA leadership of the time undertaking a series of campaigns that became known as the ‘Dirty Tricks’ scandal. This is generally agreed to have included representatives from BA impersonating Virgin employees contacting Virgin customers by telephone, and hacking databases of Virgin customers. The case was eventually resolved in court, with BA settling the case in favor of Virgin. Whilst the two carriers have been in direct competition ever since, tensions between the rivals have cooled significantly over the years. In November 2021, both airlines celebrated the lifting of Covid 19 travel restrictions by performing a celebrated simultaneous takeoff event from London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK).
Following poor financial performance in the 1980s, British Airways was, at one point, the world’s most profitable airline in the 1990s. The decade also saw another shakeup of the fleet. Newer types such as the Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777 were introduced and the airline accelerated retirement of their Douglas DC10s and Lockheed Tristar trijets. British Airways also expanded its commitment to a narrowbody Airbus fleet, with more Airbus A320s coming online through the latter part of the decade.
The final part of the decade was defined by the emergence of new low cost carriers like Easyjet (U2-EZY) and Ryanair (FR-RYR)
The unfortunate ‘tail’ of an unloved livery
1997 saw the introduction of a new livery intended to celebrate the global footprint of ‘The World’s Favourite Airline’. This was our first glimpse of the BA brand we know today, with a lighter blue fuselage belly color and softer font introduced. This was also the first livery to feature the ‘Speedmarque’, the red and blue swish inspired by the original Speedbird logo of BOAC and BA Negus. The tail fin, however, proved controversial. Officially named the ‘World Images’ livery, each tail featured an artist designed take on different countries around the globe (intending to shine a light on the global nature of the airline). Sadly, this was not very well received by the public and politicians alike, with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher notably covering a BA aircraft model with a Handkerchief at the 1997 Tory party conference. The world tails were quietly phased out from the late nineties and replaced with the tricolor tail we know today. British Airways ended the 20th century by forming the OneWorld Alliance in 1999 alongside American Airlines (AA-AAL) and Qantas (QF-QFA).
The new millennium
British Airways had a challenging start to the year 2000 following posting a 50% drop in profits in 1999, and the first few years of the millennium were defined by divestments and job cuts (exacerbated further by the September 11 attacks in 2001). The first half of the decade also saw the retirement of supersonic Concorde services in 2003. The already financially tight Concorde operations took a hit following the crash of Air France flight 4590 in 2000, and the aircraft only continued to operate for around two years before being retired in 2003. British Airways’ final Concorde flight was from New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) and took place on October 24, 2003.
Around this time, the airline retired its remaining Boeing 747-200 and older Boeing 767 model aircraft. The airline also expressed interest in the Boeing 7E7, the concept that would eventually evolve into the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. As of February 2024, the airline has 37 variants of the aircraft in service. Between 2003 and 2004, BA sold its German subsidiary and its 18.5% stake in Qantas (QF-QFA). The airline also sold its subsidiary BA Connect to Flybe, retaining a 15% stake in the UK-based regional airline.
It was at this time the airline began to prepare in earnest for its move to its newly built home at London Heathrow Terminal 5, which was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on March 14 2008.
On July 30, 2008, British Airways and Iberia Airlines disclosed a merger proposal involving a collaboration through an all-stock transaction. The plan aimed to bring the two airlines together while allowing them to maintain distinct brands, akin to the approach adopted by KLM and Air France in their merger agreement. American Airlines also entered into a transatlantic joint venture with BA.
The airline continued consolidating its network and partnerships throughout the 2010s. The Covid19 pandemic proved a challenge for numerous airlines including BA. The drop in demand for global air travel saw many airlines restructure their fleets, and pushed BA to a faster retirement of their Boeing 747-400 fleet.
2008 saw a notable accident at London Heathrow involving Boeing 777 G-YMMM operating BA038 from Beijing (PEK) to London Heathrow. Melting ice deposits in the fuel system caused both engines to power back on final approach to the airport, with the captain’s quick actions in retracting a stage of flap ensuring the aircraft made it to the runway.
British Airways today
Today, British Airways stands as one of the world’s best known airlines, operating a fleet of nearly 300 aircraft.
Aircraft typeNumber in fleet
Airbus A320neo20
Airbus A321neo 13
Airbus A319-13130
Airbus A320-23265
Airbus A321-20011
Airbus A350-100018
Airbus A380-80012
Boeing 777-200ER43
Boeing 777-300ER16
Boeing 787-812
Boeing 787-918
Boeing 787-107
Embraer 190SR20
Dornier 328 Jet4
BA effectively operates with three Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) – British Airways ‘mainline’ (BA-BAW) at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), BA Euroflyer (A0/EFW) at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and BA Cityflyer (CJ/CFE) based at London City Airport (LCY).
The British Airways of today stands as a prominent global carrier, navigating the complexities of the aviation sector while striving to meet the evolving needs and expectations of passengers. Its rich history, characterized by mergers, innovations, challenges, and strategic adaptations, serves as a testament to the resilience and evolution of one of the world’s renowned airlines.
Cover photo: Akbarali Mastan, JetPhotos
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