BritishAirwayscompetitorsincludeVirginAtlantic,bmi,AirBerlin,AirFrance,KLMRoyalDutchAirlines,Ryanair,easyJet.
BritishAirwayswasvoted10thbestairlineintheworldina2007Skytraxsurvey,inwhichSingaporeAirlinecameinfirst(justbeforeBritishAirways,in9thplace,wasEmiratesAirline).BritishAirwayshasafourstarratingwithSkytrax.Inthe2007survey,BritishAirwayswasvotedbestairlineinEuropeaswellasbeingthebesttransatlanticairline.
Onthe28thJune2007,theUKlauncheditsfirstairlinecustomersatisfactionindex,withBritishAirwaysandVirginAtlanticleadingasthenation'sfavouriteairlinebrands.Whenitcametoperceivedvalueformoney,EasyjetscoredaboveBritishAirwaysandVirginAtlantic.
Inthe1980SBritishAirwayspurchaseda51percentholdinginacompanycalledAirMilesandintroducedtheUKtravelindustrytomajorincentiveprograms.AirMiles”wereprovidedtomembersforpurchasingflightswithBritishAirways,spendingmoneyoncertaincreditcards,etc...Havingaccumulatedacertainnumberof“AirMiles”,memberscouldswaptheAirMilesforaBritishAirwaysflights.DespiteinitialsceptismtheAirMilesconcepttookoff.EventuallyBritishAirwayssoldAirMilestostarttheirownfrequentflierprogram.
BritishAirways,asweknowittoday,wasformedin1974throughthemergeroftwostate-ownedentities-BOACandBEA.
Onthe14thAugust2007Moody's(acreditratingagency)upgradedthecorporatefamilyratingofBritishAirwaysPLC'stoBaa3(thelowestlevelofinvestmentgrade),withastableoutlook.Moody'salsoupgradedBritishAirways'seniorunsecuredratingto'Ba1'(thehighestjunkbondrating),onenotchlowerthanthecorporatefamilyratingofBaa3,reflectingthesubordinationofunsecureddebttothesecureddebt."Theupgradereflectsthegradualimprovementinthecompany’soperatingperformanceinspiteofvolatileearnings,aswellasthebeginningofthecompany’splantoreduceitssignificantunfundedpensionplan,whichhashadapositiveimpactoncreditmetrics,"Moody'ssaidinapressrelease.BritishAirwayshadcontributed￡800milliontoreducingitspensiondeficitsinceFebruary2007.
Standard&Poor'supgradedBritishAirwaysfromaBB+toaBBB-rating(thelowestlevelofinvestmentgrade)inJune2007,thefirsttimeinfouryearsthatBritishAirwayshadaninvestmentgraderating.
OnSunday10thJune1990BritishAirwaysFlight5390wasonitswaytoMálaga(Spain)fromBirminghamAirport(England),whentherewasaloudbangandtheleftwindshieldofthecockpithadbroken.CaptainTimLancasterwassuckedoutofhisseat(hehadreleasedhislapbeltandshoulderharnesses)andpartiallyoutofthewindow(head-first).NigelOgden,aflightattendantwhohappenedtobeontheflightdeckatthetime,grabbedthecaptain'sbelt(hewaslaterrelievedbytwootherflightattendants).Otherthanaflightattendant(withminorbruisesandcuts)andTimLancaster(bruising,frostbite,shock,andfracturestohisrightarm,leftthumbandrightwrist)nobodywashurt.AreportlatershowedthatthecauseofthewindshieldbreakingwasaBritishAirwaysengineer,workingunderpressure,hadfittedanewwindscreenwithboltsthatweretoosmall(hopefullytheBAengineersaren'tplacedunderasmuchpressureanymore!).Theflightattendant,NigelOgden,returnedtoworkafterabreakbutsufferedpost-traumaticstressandtookill-healthretirementin2001,laterworkingasanightwatchmanataSalvationArmyhospital.
BritishAirtourswasownedbyBritishAirways.Onthe22ndAugust1985thecaptainofBritishAirtoursFlight28MabandonedtakeoffafterhearingaloudthumpfromundertheBoeing737-236.Thinkingthatatyrehadburstthecaptainappliedthereversethrustersandtookcareinapplyinggradualbreaking,howeveronstoppingthecrewdiscoveredthatthenumberoneenginewasonfire.Toxicsmokeandheatcausedthedeathsof2ofthecrewand53passengers(48ofthemfromsmokeinhalation).Fourofthecrewandseventyeightpassengerssurvived,although15wereseriouslyinjured.
Theactionsoftheairlinecrew,unfortuanately,madethingsworse.Theslowbrakingoftheaircraft(becausetheythoughtatyrehadburst)gavetimeforthefiretospreadtothecabinandrobbedeverybodyofpreciousevacuationtime,andtheuseofthrustreversersfannedthefire.
Onthe10thSeptember1976BritishAirwaysFlight476(aTrident3B)wasflyingtoIstanbul(Turkey)fromLondon(Heathrow),whenitcollidedwithaDouglasDC-9(Inex-AdriaAvioprometFlight550)inmid-airnearZagreb,Yugoslavia.TheouterfivemetresoftheDouglasDC-9sleftwinghittheTrident3B'scockpit.TheDC-9wentintoanosedive,whilsttheTridentremainedlevelforashortperiodbeforegoingdown.All176crewandpassengersaboardbothflightsdied.
Whatcausedtheaccident:"1)DirectcauseoftheaccidentwasthestruckoftheDC-9wingintothemiddlesideoftheTRIDENTTHREEfuselagewhichoccurredattheheightof33.000feetaboveZagrebVORsothatbothaircraftbecameuncontrollableandfellontheground.;2)ImproperATCoperation;3)Non-compliancewithregulationsoncontinuouslisteningtotheappropriateradiofrequencyofATCandnon-performanceoflook-outdutyfromthecockpitsofeitheraircraft."
ThegraphbelowprovidesanindicationofthepercentageoftotalwebtrafficwhichBritishAirwaysisreachingthroughitswebsite.
AnAlexarankinggivesanideaofthepopularityoftheBritishAirwayswebsite(thelowertherankingthemorepopularthesite).BritishAirways'Alexarankinghasbeenslippingoverthe2monthsto27Oct2007.
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2012
22Sep2008
BritishAirwayssuspendsflightstoPakistanafterasuicidebomberexplodesneartheMarriotHotelinIslamabad.
18Sep2008
BAannouncesthaton31Mar2008ithada1500millionpounddeficitinitsNewAirwaysPensionSchemeanda240millionpounddeficitinitsAirwaysPensionScheme.
13Sep2008
BAannouncesaspecialone-dayairfareforpassengersleftstrandedthroughtheliquidationofExcel(atravelcompany).StrandedExcelpassengerscanmakeflightreservationswithBAbyphoning08444930787.
1Aug2008
Alongwiththefinancialresults,WillisWalsh(BA'sChiefExecutive)announcesthatBritishAirwayshasplacedanorderfor6Boeing777-300ERwidebodyjets,withoptionsfor4more.
29Jul2008
17Jul2008
14Jul2008
10Jul2008
BA&RollyRoyceannouncethattheywillinitiateajointtenderprocess,invitingsupplierstotrialtheiralternativefuelsonaBABoeing747'sRollsRoyceRB211engine.Thefuelshouldofferareductionincarbonfootprintcomparedtokerosenewithoutbeingdetrimentaltofood,waterorland.
3Jul20081715
BritishAirwaysgoeslivewiththebetaversionoftheirsocialnetworkingsite,Metrotwin.Metrotwinisanonlinecommunityfocussing(initially,wesuspectthey'llrollitoutfurtherifsuccessful)onLondonandNewYork.TheideaistotwineverythingbetweenLondonandNewYork(e.g.ifyoulikethisrestaurantinLondon,you'lllikethisoneinNewYork).
24Jun2008
5Jun2008
BritishAirwayswinstheOAGAirlineoftheYearawardfor"BestTransatlanticAirline"and"BestBusiness/ExecutiveClass".
2May2008
BritishAirwaysdecidestoreplaceitsfleetwithHondaCivichybrids,inordertoreduceemissionsandfuelconsumption.
3Apr2008
NaomiCampbellisbannedfromBritishAirwaysflights,aftersheshoutedataflightattendantandspatinapoliceofficer'sfaceatastheplanesatonthetarmacatLondonHeathrow.Campbellhadlostherluggage.
1Apr2008
BritishAirwaystoofferfreewirelessinternetinitsloungesatAberdeen,Edinburgh,Gatwick,Glasgow,Heathrow,Jersey,ManchesterandNewcastleairports.
27Mar2008
OnflightBA075,MrAyodejiOmotadecomplainsaboutthetreatmentofanotherNigerian,whowashelddowninhisseatbyfourpoliceofficerswhilsttellingotherpassengersthatifhereturnstoNigeriahemaydie.Omotadeislaterchargedwithabusive/threatening/disorderly/insultingactionstowardsBAcrew.Ultimately,theonlypersonflyingontheflightwastheunidentifieddeportee.
AfemaleBritishAirwayspilot,CaptainLynnBarton,becomesthefirstpilottooffloadpassenengersintoHeathrow'sTerminal5.
19Mar2008
BritishAirwaysincreasesitsstakeinIberiaAirwaysby3%,to13.15%;andsaidthatitwouldconsiderincreasingitsstakefurtherinthefuture.UnderSpanishlawcoreshareholderscanbuyupto5%ofacompany'ssharesoverany12monthperiod,butiftheypurchasemorethanthisacompulsorybidistriggered.
17Mar2008
TheQueenopensTerminal5atHeathrowairport(London),aterminalwhichissolelyfortheuseofBritishAirways.Terminal5wasbuiltbyBAA,whichownsHeathrowairport,andistheUnitedKingdom'slargestfree-standingbuilding.TheterminalcontainslinkstotheHeathrowExpressandtheLondonunderground,andwasdesignedbyRogersStirkHarbourandPartners.
14Mar2008
26Dec2008
BritishAirwayspilotsoverrunthelandingstripatMiamiAirportwhilstcarryingBritishPrimeMinisiter,TonyBlair,onboard.Nobodyisinjured.TheNationalTransportationSafetyBoardlaterattributedtheincidentto"theflightcrew'sinadequatevisuallookout".
1999
ElectronicgoodsaresoldthroughBA'sdutyfreeforthefirsttime.
1987
LynnBartonbecomesBritishAirwaysfirstfemalepilot,joiningtheBoeing747fleet.
1979
LynnBartonbecomesthefirstfemaletobesponsoredforhercommercialpilotslicencebyBritishAirways.
1973
BritishAirwayspurchasesastakeinAirMauritius.
BritishAirwaysintroducesitsfirstin-flightbrochure-"ShoppingtheWorld".
1955
TheQueenopensHeathrowairport'sfirstpassengerterminal(thencalledtheEuropabuilding,nowknownasTerminal2).