About British Airways
British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline's corporate lineage traces back to five airlines established between 1916 and 1922, with its earliest ancestor, Aircraft Transport & Travel (AT&T), initiating the world's first daily international commercial air service in August 1919. The present company, British Airways, was formally established on March 31, 1974, through the merger of the two largest UK state-owned airline corporations, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA), along with two regional airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines. It was privatized in February 1987.
British Airways operates with a hub system, primarily from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), which serves as its largest and busiest base and the main hub for its extensive domestic and international flights. It also maintains a significant presence at London Gatwick Airport (LGW), serving both short-haul and long-haul destinations, particularly for leisure travel, and has a base at London City Airport (LCY), where its subsidiary BA CityFlyer is the largest operator. The airline's fleet comprises aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing. Its narrowbody fleet primarily consists of the Airbus A320 family (A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo), while its widebody aircraft include the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777 (777-200ER, 777-300ER), and Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8, 787-9, 787-10). BA CityFlyer exclusively operates Embraer ERJ-190 regional jets.
As the flag carrier of the UK, British Airways boasts one of the world's most extensive flight networks, serving around 200 destinations in over 65 countries across all six inhabited continents. British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld Alliance, which offers a global network of hundreds of destinations and shared benefits for frequent flyers. Notable services and cabin classes include First, Club World (long-haul Business Class with lie-flat beds and direct aisle access, including the newer Club Suite), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy with wider seats and more legroom), and World Traveller (long-haul Economy). For short-haul European flights, it offers Club Europe (Business Class) and Euro Traveller (Economy).
Airline facts
Route network
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Route Network Map
Top destinations
Airports served
Showing 186 airports in the British Airways network.
All routes
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