BRITISH AIRWAYS, LTD. (1): United Kingdom (1935-1939). Allied British Airways, Ltd., is formed by Whitehall Securities, Ltd., on September 30, 1935, through the merger of the small independent carriers purchased earlier—Spartan Air Lines, Ltd. and United Airways, Ltd.
The Hon. Clive Pearson is named chairman, with W. D. L. Roberts as vice chairman. J. Ronald McCrindle is appointed managing director and other directors include Harold Balfour, Gerard d’Erlanger, J. R. Bryans,
E. L. Granville, F. W. Jones, and W. C. Tomlinson. These officials continue discussions, begun even earlier, with the post office concerning an airmail subsidy.
The amalgamated carrier’s fleet will comprise 7 de Havilland DH 84 Dragons, 6 DH 86As, 9 Spartan Cruisers, 10 DH 89A Dragon Rapides, 2 DH 83 Fox Moths, 2 DH 60G Moths, 1 Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy II, and 1 DH 80A Puss Moth.
The corporate identity is changed to British Airways, Ltd. (1), on October 29. Hillman’s Airways, Ltd. is purchased on December 11.
Services over the previous routes of the merger partners are inaugurated from Heston Airport at London on January 1, 1936. During the month, an airmail subsidy is received from the GPO.
Following a February 12-13 de Havilland DH 89A route-proving flight by Capt. W. F. Anderson, regularly scheduled DH 86 mail service is launched on February 17 from London to Malmo via Amsterdam, Hamburg, Brussels, and Copenhagen.
The next day, Imperial Airways, Ltd., under pressure, agrees to turn over to the new entrant its inactive routes north of a line between London and Berlin. It is also agreed that the older company will cooperate on business and operational matters with the non-monopoly carrier. On February 18, BA-1 receives a post office mail contract to operate in this area, as well as a government subsidy.
Four Fokker F-XIIs are purchased from Crilly Airways, Ltd. late in the month and are employed to start London to Paris flights on March 2; two ex - KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) F-XIIs will be acquired later in the year.
With the backing provided by government subsidy, DH 86s begin the first U. K.-Scandinavia flat-rate “Viking Royal Mail Express” airmail service on March 17; Brussels passenger service is halted on March 31. Also during the month, Sir Warren Fisher, chairman of the government’s Interdepartmental Committee on International Air Communications, recommends that Imperial Airways, Ltd. concentrate on servicing empire routes and that a second company be invited to develop an airmail service to compete with the Germans and French on the South Atlantic. After all, this year alone, the post office will pay the state carriers of those two nations ?87,500 to fly British letters to Brazil.
All of Crilly Airways, Ltd.’s foreign routes are acquired in April, including those into southeastern Europe, through the takeover of that company. Cooperation between Imperial Airways, Ltd. and BA-1 now begins to disintegrate. The state carrier, as agent for Deutsche Luft Hansa, A. G. (DLH) , against which BA-1 is now in direct competition, refuses to carry British Airways advertisements in its publications or to book potential passengers of the partners on BA aircraft.
Headquarters and flight operations are transferred to London (LGW) on May 17 as the carrier becomes the first British independent to employ that facility as its base. Gatwick, with its railway connection to Victoria Station and its grass landing field, is meanwhile officially opened on June 6.
On July 1, the Malmo route is extended to Stockholm (summer only) and on July 26, de Havilland DH 86A night airmail service is launched to Cologne and Hanover. On July 27, DH 86As replace Fokker F-XIIs on the Paris service. The same night, and in cooperation with ABA Swedish Air Lines, A. B., London-Stockholm night mail service is started via Cologne and Hanover; company DH 86s fly the London to Hanover sector.
British Continental Airways, Ltd. is purchased and merged on August 1; 1 de Havilland DH 84, 5 DH 86s, and 3 DH 89As are acquired in the process. The former London to Lille service is restarted under new livery on September 9 (having come as part of the purchase of BCA.). Fokker F-XIIs displace the DH 86s on the German night mail route from London to Cologne and Hanover on November 7.
In early December, government permission is granted to the independent allowing it to purchase foreign-made airliners. On December 8, an order for 7 Lockheed Model 10A Electras is placed.
Enplanements over the 1,200-mi. route network for the year total 15,500, but despite a government subsidy of ?2,960, a huge ?159,618 loss is suffered.
The former ABA Swedish Airlines, A. B. Junkers Ju-52/3m Vastman-land is acquired in January 1937; rechristened Juno, it is assigned to the London-Hanover night mail service. On February 7, the operations base is transferred to Croydon from Gatwick. The new London airport offers a rail service into the central city and is equipped with electronic landing aids; unfortunately, it will also have a tendency to become easily flooded.
The next day, the first of four Lockheed Model 10A Electras to be delivered during the month arrives from the United States. Also during the month, the British government announces that the carrier has been chosen to operate to Bathurst, Gambia, with the intention of extending across the Atlantic to Brazil.
The first Junkers Ju-52/3m is delivered; christened Juno, it is placed on the Cologne and Hanover night mail run on March 2. London-Lille flights end on March 6. One-time Aircraft Transport and Travel, Ltd. (AT & T) pilot, Alan Campbell Orde, most recently chief test pilot for Armstrong-Whitworth, is now appointed the carrier’s operations manager.
Following familiarization and promotional flights, the speedy U. S.-built Electras are placed on the twice daily London to Paris service on April 5. They fly the route in E-z hours, significantly faster than the planes of state-owned rival Imperial Airways, Ltd. L-10A operations begin to Malmo and Stockholm on April 17 and 19, respectively.
Also during April, the ex-ABA Swedish Airlines, A. B. Ju-52/3m S. A. Andre is acquired; rechristened Jupiter, it is also assigned to the German night airmail route.
A fifth Electra is delivered on May 29 and will later be followed by a sixth purchased from Minneapolis-based Northwest Airlines. A two-class Paris service is introduced on May 20—first class is flown by L-10As and second class by DH 86s.
Following a meeting at the Greyhound Hotel, near Croydon Airport, during the month, the British Airline Pilots’ Association is formed, with Lord Chesham as president and Lord Amhurst as vice president. Two BA-1 pilots, together with two pilots from Imperial Airways, Ltd. and one each from Olley Air Services, Ltd. and Surrey Flying Services, Ltd. establish an organizing committee.
Unable to build a South Atlantic service alone, the company turns to the government for help in July; officials at the Air Ministry agree that the carrier will require financial assistance to establish any airmail service to Brazil. Also during the month, the London to Paris service is doubled to four times a day.
In cooperation with Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G., the Cologne to Hanover night mail route is extended to Berlin on August 9. This is a direct service that transports all British first-class mail for central and eastern Europe.
On August 12, the carrier joins London Midland and Scottish Railway and David MacBrayne, Ltd., in forming the subsidiary Scottish Airways, Ltd. Later in the month, Air Ministry officials persuade the
Portuguese to grant BA-1 landing rights in Lisbon for the first stop on its proposed South Atlantic service.
During the fall, two ex-KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) Fokker V-IIIs are acquired and, on October 1, the Air Ministry imposes new safety requirements on the company and other British carriers. These include compulsory use of seatbelts by passengers and crew on all aircraft. For planes seating more than 10, oxygen equipment is mandatory for flights above 15,000 ft., a pair of fire extinguishers must be carried, and cockpits must include directional gyroscopes and artificial horizons.
The Malmo-Stockholm sector is closed on October 4 for the winter. Representatives from the company and the Air Ministry depart London on November 17 to survey the Bathurst-Lisbon segment of a proposed South Atlantic route. Orders are now placed for 9 Lockheed L-14s. An Electra crashes at Croydon Airport on December 13. Having been unprofitable for a second consecutive year, the company again refuses to release its traffic figures. E. H. Murrant succeeds F. W. Jones on the board of directors and is joined by the new government director, Viscount Monsell, the retiring First Lord of the Admiralty. The year’s en-planements are 17,130 and the loss is ?177,975.
A third Junkers trimotor, the new Ju-52/3m named Jason, is placed into service on January 28, 1938. In February, the Bathurst-Lisbon survey group returns and submits its report. Orders are placed for Lockheed L-14 Super Electras.
Company officials sign an agreement on March 23, with the Air Ministry assuming responsibility for surveying proposed routes from the
U. K. to South America and West Africa. The Malmo to Stockholm route is reopened on April 11, and day operations are returned to Heston Airport on May 29.
In South America during June, company representatives test a possible Natal-Buenos Aires route on the ground. An Electra ditches in Copenhagen harbor on August 15. The first of 8 Lockheed L-14 Super Electras is delivered to Southampton by ship; unloaded and reassembled, it is flown to Heston the same day. It will be followed by two more on August 26 and 28; the last of these is the first in the fleet to be christened, receiving the name Lafayette. These are employed to inaugurate nonstop Stockholm service on September 18.
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is flown by one of the company’s Electras roundtrip from Heston Airport to Obserwiesenfeld Airport at Munich on September 15-16 and to Cologne on September 22-24. The company’s first L-14 Super Electra returns the prime minister to Munich on September 29-30, where accords are signed to end the Czech crisis. The initial flight requires three hours and is a turbulent introduction to commercial flight for the British leader. The use of U. S.-made flight equipment for the diplomatic mission brings complaints from various segments of U. K. public opinion and helps the government to accelerate plans for the improvement of British air services.
The new L-14 Livingstone enters service on September 30 and L-14 survey flights are made over the 1,000 miles to Lisbon and Seville on October 7, 25, 27; the first is seven-hours nonstop as is the third while the second halts briefly at Bordeaux. A fourth L-14 is acquired on November 9 and is christened Lochinvar.
As a result of a 1937 parliamentary investigation of the British air transport industry, the government, in the person of Sir Kingsley Wood, on November 11 announces its intention to merge the independent with Imperial Airways, Ltd. to form a new state-owned British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). Company shareholders will be bought out and former BBC Chairman Lord Reith is appointed the new flag carrier’s first chairman. From offices near Victoria Station, he and his chief assistant, Leslie Runciman, draft guidelines for the new state entity. The L-14 Lothair is received on November 16; six days later on November 22, the first L-14 to be received is the first lost when it crashes at Wal-tar in Somerset.
Early in December, Air Ministry officials announce that British Airways, Ltd. (1) will commence direct London to Lisbon flights in January and that the government will subsidize the service at an annual rate of ?116,000. Only proving flights and the acquisition of permission from General Franco’s government for overflights have yet to be achieved, though Franco intimates that, if Britain recognizes his government, the granting of authority will not be a problem.
Capt. V. E. Flowerday flies an unnamed L-14 from London on December 28 on a four-day route proving flight to Bathurst. He stops while en route at Lisbon, Casablanca, Agadir, Port Etienne, and Dakar. This will be the only such mission flown in connection with a possible South Atlantic airmail service. The British government will recognize that it cannot establish such an operation with war clouds on the horizon and, consequently, the post office will be forced to pay the British and French national airlines a huge ?118,000 to fly U. K. mail to Brazil during the upcoming year.
Customer bookings over the carrier’s 3,800-mi. route network total 22,500 this year. Despite the government’s subsidies of ?110,653, the loss is ?80,721, although when accumulated deficits are deleted, that figure falls to minus ?24,128.
The first of two Lockheed L-12A Electra Juniors to be delivered to a frontline operation is received in January 1939 and is immediately and secretly taken in hand for clandestine work. In a cooperative project between British Intelligence and the French Deuxieme Bureau, the plane is outfitted with high-resolution cameras. Piloted by Australian aerial photographer and Dufaycolor, Ltd. executive Sidney Cotton, it is flown in company or Dufaycolor, Ltd. livery on regular routes, but over military installations in Germany and Italy. Cotton recruits a former German World War I ace to serve as his Berlin sales representative for color film and thus obtains a reason to visit the German capital. The spy flights continue, with particular success over the Mannheim area.
Two more L-14s are received on February 27 and March 7, respectively; the first is unnamed while the second is christened Leander. A third of this type, the Lepelaar (Spoonbill) is purchased from KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.). Government officials are surprised when General Franco, in March, refuses BA-1 permission to overfly Spain during its proposed new service to Lisbon. Consequently, flights cannot immediately begin. The authority question will be resolved within a few weeks, but the ban on flights will remain in place due to the threat and later, the fact of war.
On April 15, the last Croydon-Paris flight is made; the next day, the route is operated jointly with Imperial Airways, Ltd., using the latter’s de Havilland DH 91s, as the process of merger begins in earnest.
Also on April 16, company L-14s are employed, under contract, to fly Imperial Airways, Ltd.’s London-Basel-Zurich service.
Twice-daily L-10A Brussels service is resumed on April 17, the same day daily L-14 flights are begun to Frankfurt and Budapest and to Berlin and Warsaw while Electras extend the Malmo weeknight mail route to Stockholm.
Beginning in May, a second camera-equipped Lockheed L-12A in company markings enters service; it is employed by Sidney Cotton and his intelligence colleagues during the next four months to repeatedly photograph Axis positions in Somaliland.
Financial arrangements for the carrier’s purchase are completed in June, allowing introduction of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Bill into Parliament; BA-1 shareholders will receive ?262,500 for their company.
After the BOAC Bill passes through the legislative process, it receives royal assent on August 4. On August 11, the second delivered L-14, operating an Imperial Airways, Ltd. replacement service, catches fire in midair and crashes at Luxieuil, France; there are no fatalities.
Four days later, on August 15, an L-10A crashes into the sea off the Zeeland coast of Denmark (five dead). Following the announcement of the Russo-German nonaggression pact on August 23, Poland begins to transfer units of its airline fleet to Great Britain. Six Super Electras are ordered to serve with BA-1 in England, but only the Lublin escapes before the Nazi invasion of September 1, the same day on which Sydney Cotton completes his final spy flight.
Meanwhile, a midnight on August 30, the U. K. government orders the company’s aircraft, along with those from Imperial Airways, Ltd., to evacuate Croydon Airport as the entire east coast of England is closed to civil aviation. Most are sent to Whitchurch, near Bristol, as war breaks out on September 3; there, officers of the two carriers will set up their headquarters at the Grand Spa Hotel.
Many of the carrier’s pilots and other personnel in the RAF Reserve, now transfer to the military and, on September 9, part of the BA-1 fleet is diverted to Exeter to begin National Air Communications flights on behalf of the government. The Scandinavian service, meanwhile, is rerouted from Perth to Stockholm via Stavanger and Oslo and is flown by the 3 Ju-52/3ms and 1 L-14. British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) is formally established on November 24 with Sir John Re-ith as chairman and former BA-1 Chairman Clive Pearson as his deputy. BA-1’s Operations Manager Campbell Orde is given the same post with the new state carrier. The former Dutch Super Electra Lepelaar (Spoonbill) is lost in a crash at Malta on December 21.
On January 15, 1940, the unnamed Super Electra acquired the previous February is lost when it overshoots the runway at Heston and crashes. Beginning in February and continuing for two months, Sidney Cotton flies one of his BA1-registered Electra Juniors on commercial routes that just happen to take his camera-equipped aircraft over Italian airfields in North Africa. In March, Deputy Chairman Pearson succeeds Sir John Reith as chairman; the latter has been given a peerage and named U. K. Minister of Information.
On April 1 British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) officially acquires British Airways, Ltd., along with Imperial Airways, Ltd., its routes and assets, in an event totally obscured by the winds of war. Two of the three camera-equipped L-12As officially in service since the previous January are transferred to France and the third is taken over by the RAF at Heston.
BRITISH AIRWAYS, LTD. (2): Speedbird House, P. O. Box 10, London Heathrow Airport, Hounslow, Middlesex, England, TW6 2JA, United Kingdom; Phone 44 (181) 759-5511; Fax 44 (181) 562-9930; Http://www. british-airways. com; Code BA; Year Founded 1974. The
Civil Aviation Act becomes law on August 5, 1971, providing for the formation of the British Airways Board (BAB). At its inaugural meeting on January 10, 1972, the BAB prepares for ownership and control of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways Corporation (BEA), which is assumed on April 1. On July 14, the first Report on British Airways Organization is approved by the government. On July 17 it is announced that British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways Corporation (BEA) will be merged under unified top management in the British Airways Group, which is accomplished on September 1. The least noticed addition during the year is creation of the British Airways Band, which will travel internationally to play at promotional events.
The second and third Reports are approved by the British government on January 22 and November 22, 1973. A new union jack and blue speedbird color scheme is introduced for company aircraft late in the year and Chairman Keith Granville is knighted. Consolidated BOAC/BEA results on the year show a 7.5% rise in passenger boardings to 14,390,000, a 6.5% boost in freight traffic, and a group net profit of ?5.2 million.
BOAC and BEA are dissolved on March 31,1974, under the Air Corporation (Dissolution) Order of 1973 and the new entity, British Airways, Ltd. (2), or BA, appears the following day. As initially organized under Chairman Sir David Nicholson, with Sir Keith Granville as deputy chairman, the flag carrier has seven divisions. The Regional division comprises the acquired companies of Northeast Airlines, Ltd., Cambrian Airways, Ltd., Channel Island Airways, Ltd., and Scottish Airways, Ltd.), and British Airways Helicopters, Ltd. (BAH). The other six divisions are Overseas (ex-BOAC), European (ex-BEA), British Airways Associated Companies, British Airways Engine Overhaul, and International Aeradio.
The fleet, rapidly repainted in a new livery featuring the national colors of red, white, and blue, now comprises 16 Boeing 747-136s, 24
B-707-336s, 21 Vickers VC10s, 64 de Havilland Tridents, 25 BAC 1-11s, 35 Vickers Viscounts, 10 Merchantmen, 10 Sikorsky S-61s, 1 Bell 212, and 1 Bell 206L LongRanger. With 53,213 employees, the new carrier is the largest airline employer in the world.
Long Island, New York, businessman Leo Kaye is indicted on April 25 for obtaining 247 transatlantic airline tickets from the carrier by fraudulent means. A May 6-20 strike by cabin crews and baggage handlers forces the temporary cancellation of international flights and costs the state company $15 million. The final flight by a Vickers Vanguard 951 is made on June 16 from Jersey to London (LHR).
The Provisional Wing of the Irish Republican Army admits to placing a bomb aboard the B-707-336 en route from Belfast to London on July 25 with 85 aboard. It is forced to make an emergency landing at Manchester in response to a warning telephoned in by an anonymous caller.
The first of 9 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Is ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA) several years earlier is delivered in October. Also during mid-month, a Concorde makes a worldwide publicity tour. The SST is the first supersonic transport to land at Los Angeles (LAX), where it remains on exhibit October 23-24.
The flight crew of a B-747-136 at Sydney on November 3 refuses to board two Soviet diplomatic couriers who refuse to undergo routine security checks prior to a departure for London.
The first Jumbojet delivered since the corporate changeover arrives on November 6 and is christened Portsmouth. Three Lockheed L-1011s arrive during the fourth quarter.
On November 23,4 PFLA terrorists seize Flight 870, a Super VC10 with 93 passengers, after it lands at Dubai from London en route to Brunei. An Indian stewardess is shot in the back during the takeover, but is released for medical aid. From Dubai, the plane is forced to fly to Tunis, where the gunmen demand the release of 13 other guerrillas, jailed in Egypt, after releasing 4 hostages. The Egyptians at first refuse, but the next day, 5 guerrillas are freed in Egypt and 2 in the Netherlands in return for 13 more people from the VC10. Later in the day, the pirates murder West German hostage Werner G. Kehl in public view, claiming the Tunisians are operating in bad faith. On November 25, after receiving assurances from Tunisia that they will receive asylum, the gunmen surrender and free their remaining prisoners.
Passenger boardings on the year dip 6% to 13.5 million, but freight traffic is up by 5%. Net income is $38.5 million.
Atotal of 1,111 employees are laid off in 1975 or not replaced.
An unidentified hijacker commandeers a BAC 1-11 during a Manchester-London flight on January 7 and releases the 45 passengers at Heathrow Airport, where he threatens to blow up the plane and shoot the crew if he is not given a parachute, $230,000, and flown to Paris (ORY). Tricked into believing he has landed in France, the man is instead flown to the U. K. and captured by British police at Stansted Airport in Essex. His weapon turns out to be a toy gun. He is later convicted of the first U. K. domestic airline skyjacking and given a seven-year prison term. BA subsequently orders improved antihijacking measures be implemented by its personnel.
The first of 3 new L-1011-100s received in late 1974 and christened The Sunsilk Rose enters service on January 12, over a London-Malaga route. The same day, walk-on London (LHR)-Glasgow Airport shuttle service is introduced, modeled on that of Eastern Air Lines in the U. S. Hourly (except on Sundays, when flights are every two hours) no-booking, guaranteed-seat service is guaranteed by use of the carrier’s nine Trident 1Cs.
The B-747-136 Dundee is delivered on March 14. Joint DC-10-40 London-Los Angeles-Auckland operations are initiated with Air New Zealand, Ltd. on May 7 and, on June 26, a contract is let for 4 Rolls-Royce powered B-747-236Bs. Hawker Siddeley HS 748s are introduced on internal Scottish routes on August 4. Preparation for the introduction of supersonic transport continues with the fourth production aircraft beginning on July 7.
A series of 128 proving or “shadow flights” are launched over projected revenue routes in a campaign designed to demonstrate to the public and the airline industry the need for and desirability of the Anglo-French Concorde. With full passenger loads carried on every flight, trips are made to a variety of long-haul destinations, beginning with Hong Kong and Singapore. On August 4, the 3,852 miles from Singapore to Melbourne are covered in just 3 hrs. 37 min., while on August 11, flights are made to Bombay and Kuala Lumpur to test flying operations under monsoon conditions. The test series ends on September 13 following six roundtrips on seven consecutive days between London and Gander, Newfoundland.
An HS 121 Trident 2E with 7 crew and 110 passengers encounters a significant amount of standing water on the runway while taking off from Bilbao on September 15; the maneuver is aborted, but the aircraft runs off the runway and is badly damaged. No injuries are reported.
The Concorde receives its British airworthiness certificate on December 4 and Sir David Nicholson retires as chairman on December 31.
An HS 121 Trident 1C is destroyed in a ground accident at Heathrow Airport on December 28.
On the year, passenger boardings grow 13.8% to 13,638,000. Cargo is down to 684.15 million FTKs, a 5.5% drop.
Sir Frank McFadzean becomes chairman on January 1, 1976. In a joint operation with Air France, British Airways, Ltd. (2) opens the world’s first regularly scheduled supersonic passenger service on January 21 with a London-Bahrain flight piloted by Capt. Norman Todd. Upon landing after a 3-hr. 37-min. flight, the British Concorde, G-BOAA, is the first of its type to complete a revenue service between two planned destinations.
The new computerized reservations system BABS is fully integrated on February 1 and, on February 4, U. S. transportation secretary William
T. Coleman announces that the Concorde will be allowed landings at New York (JFK) four-times-per-day and Washington, D. C. (lAD) twice-daily for a sixteen-month trial period.
London-Edinburgh shuttle service commences on April 1. The same day, a B-747-148 is chartered from Aer Lingus Irish Airlines, Ltd. The 18th B-747-136 is delivered on April 8 and is christened Aberdeen. Marking the start of London-Washington, D. C. Concorde service on May 24, an aircraft from the British line is joined by one from Air France in making a spectacular joint arrival at the American facility. There, with the two SSTs parked nose-to-nose, special ceremonies are held, speeches given, and references made to the U. S. bicentennial.
A Concorde is forced to return to Washington, D. C. (lAD) on June 20 after an engine overheats. In August, the carrier becomes launch customer for the long-range Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar, ordering six.
En route from London (LHR) to Istanbul on September 9, Flight 475, an HS 121 Trident 3B with 9 crew and 45 passengers, collides in midair with Inex Adria Aviopromet Flight 550 en route from Split to Bonn. The collision with the DC-9-31 carrying 5 crew and 108 passengers occurs 33,000 ft. over Vrobec, near Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Both aircraft crash and there are no survivors from the worst midair collision in civil aviation history to date. Six years later, the tragedy will be reported in Richard C. Weston and Ronald Hurst, Zagreb One-Four—Cleared to Collide?: A Study of Human and Technological Conflict in Aviation (London: Granada, 1982).
A joint announcement from London and Paris, made on November 2, confirms an end to the production of Concorde SSTs; at this point, the British line owns five, with two more to be delivered. The fourth Report on British Airways Organization is released on November 15.
Passenger traffic during the 12 months climbs 4.2% to 14.2 million, but freight grows only 1.6%.
In January 1977, the carrier and Air France share the 1976 “Airline of the Year” award from Air Transport World magazine for their introduction of Concorde. The fleet now includes 5 Concordes, 15 VC10s, 20 B-707-436s, 25 B-747-136s, 15 Viscounts, 61 Tridents, 25 BAC 1-11s, 2 HS 748s, and 9 TriStar 1s.
A British Air Tours, Ltd. B-707-436, with four crew, aborts its takeoff on a training flight from Prestwick on March 17 and crashes; the undercarriage collapses and all four engines are torn off, but there are no fatalities.
The last vestige of the old BOAC/BEA inheritance is removed on April 1 when the Overseas, European, and Regional divisions are consolidated; henceforth, there will be departments for commercial operations, flight operations, engineering, planning, catering, and personnel plus central services for public relations and finance. London-Belfast jet shuttle service opens the same day and the “Queen’s Award for Export Achievement” is received on April 21.
On May 6, engine trouble forces a Concorde to return to Washington, D. C., after departing for London with 100 passengers. Pooled flights with Gulf Air commence late in the month between London and the Gulf States. The last two Pratt & Whitney powered Jumbojets, Dash-236Bs, are delivered on June 16 and 22, respectively, and are christened Liverpool and Manchester. The first Rolls Royce powered B-747-236B to be delivered is the Cardiff, which arrives on July 27.
A B-747-136 carrying 420 people makes a safe emergency landing at London (LHR) on August 1 after losing 1 of its 16 wheels upon takeoff for Bahrain. Five days later, a three-week repair program is undertaken for the fleet’s 25 Trident 3Bs, nearly half of which have been grounded with hairline wing cracks. On September 16, 17 of the 25 Trident 3Bs are permanently grounded.
On September 23, President Jimmy Carter approves a U. S. Department of Transportation decision that will allow the Anglo-French Concorde to land at any U. S. airport pending local approval.
A Concorde takes Queen Elizabeth II from Barbados to London on November 1. Barbados will remain one of the few destinations in the world with regularly scheduled SST service.
After years of opposition from environmental groups, the premier London-New York roundtrip Concorde service is launched on November 22. At 8:30 a. m. on that date, a company SST arrives at New York (JFK) from London on a flight that has cost its passengers $716 one way; ceremonies are held along with an Air France Concorde that arrived from Paris.
A Concorde aborts its takeoff from New York (JFK) on December 1 as its engines fail. In association with Singapore Airlines, Ltd., London-Bahrain-Singapore Concorde operations begin on December 9; the service will be suspended after only three flights due to political difficulties. The 4 BAE-ordered TriStar 1s now commence revenue services from London to Malaga.
Passenger traffic for the year falls to 13.3 million passengers flown.
Standby fares on certain North Atlantic flights are introduced on March 18, 1978. Between March 27 and June 16, 4 more B-747-236Bs are received—the Glasgow, Plymouth, York, and Oxford. The fleet, on April 18, still operates 19 Vickers Viscounts, which this date are toasted in celebrations marking them as the first turboprop type to complete 25 years of regularly scheduled airline service.
The 100,000th Concorde passenger is greeted on August 10. On August 31, the company joins with Eastern Air Lines to become launch customer for the Boeing 757; the British firm orders 19 units. Frequencies on the New York to London Concorde route are increased from 10 to 12 per week beginning on October 29.
Late in the year, a massive reequipment order is placed with Boeing for 19 B-757-236s, 19 B-737-236s, 3 BAC 1-11-539s, and the first Ver-tol Model 234 Civil Chinook helicopter. A BAC 1-11-537 is chartered from Cyprus Airways, Ltd. on October 15.
Foote, Cone & Belding, the U. K.’s contract advertising agency since 1947, is appointed the airline’s worldwide agency; the U. S. advertising campaign, built around British actor Robert Morley by the previous advertiser, Campbell Ewald, is retained intact.
Aroute exchange, valued at ?4 million, is arranged with British Midland Airways, Ltd. Passenger boardings this year jump 17.7% to 15.7 million.
Sir Ross Stainton becomes the third chairman on January 1, 1979; Roy Watts becomes CEO. On January 12 and in cooperation with Air France, Concorde services are extended to Dallas (DFW); the Washington, D. C.-Texas subsonic leg is flown by crews from Braniff International Airways. The American pilots bring the two SSTs (the British ship has 90 passengers) onto two parallel runways within 2 seconds of one another after a flight of 2 hrs. 17 min. made at Mach 0.95.
British Airways, Ltd. (2)/Singapore Airlines, Ltd. joint London-Singapore operations are restarted on January 24. A flight from London to New York makes an emergency landing at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, on January 27 because of low fuel and bad weather. The airport manager reports minimal reaction from people living nearby to the first-time landing of a Boeing Jumbojet.
Explosive booms are heard over the U. S. East Coast between Massachusetts and Pennsylvania on February 8 and 10. The FAA investigates the possibility that a Concorde caused sonic booms; however, on both occasions, the carrier’s SSThad decelerated to subsonic speeds 60 miles out to sea.
The Queen and Prince Philip fly the Concorde to Kuwait on February 12, returning from their Middle East tour on March 2 aboard a VC10 boarded at Muscat. A Concorde pilot reports his aircraft and a small private plane narrowly miss each other on March 15, 23 mi. E of New York. The B-747-236B Edinburgh arrives on March 27.
Piloted by Capt. Brian Trubshaw, the 16th and last Concorde makes its maiden flight from Filton on April 20. When ready, it will join the BA fleet. Easily recognizable by its shortened fuselage and increased wing span, the world’s first Lockheed L-1011-500 is delivered on April 30 and enters service on May 5; it is named The Harry Wheatcroft Rose and recognizes one of the nation’s best-known rose growers.
In July, the new Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announces its intention to sell shares in the airline and sends legislation to Parliament to enable this privatization plan.
A Concorde makes an emergency landing in Scotland on a flight from Toronto to London on September 2 after losing engine oil pressure. Flights to Iran are indefinitely suspended on December 2 because of the political situation there.
During the year, the company gradually retires its Vickers 953C Merchantman fleet and retrofits much of its fleet, particularly its 1-11s, with engine hush kits. Employing flight attendants as spokespersons, Foote, Cone & Belding launches a “Looking Up” advertising campaign in the
U. K. stressing the patriotism citizens could display by frequenting the national flag carrier.
Enplanements rise 7.6% to 16,906,318 and freight traffic accelerates 11.2%. Total revenues reach $3.2 billion (a 28% increase over 1978) allowing a 108% jump in operating profits to $176 million.
Airline employment is decreased by 4.2% in 1980 to 52,600 and the first BAC 1-11-539 is delivered on February 22. It will later be christened County of West Midlands. It is followed by a second unit, later called County of Stafford, which arrives on March 3. The ninth B-747-236B, the Cambridge, is delivered on March 5. On March 12, the carrier introduces its new Club Class Service, a business-class service offered at regular fares. The last VC10 flight, Dar es Salaam-Heathrow, is completed on March 29.
At the end of March, BA is forced, in the name of economy, to abandon a number of domestic routes, including services from London and Manchester to the Isle of Man. London to Singapore via Bahrain Concorde service is discontinued on April 1. Fresh off a charter to Air Malawi, Ltd., the BAC 1-11-530 Isle of Raasay is chartered from British Caledonian Airways, Ltd. (BCAL) on April 24, allowing the April 28 return of the leased Cyprus Airways, Ltd. BAC 1-11-537. The 10th B-747-236B arrives on May 2 and is christened Birmingham.
Unable to accommodate its British partner’s request for increased services from Dallas (DFW) to New York and Washington during the upcoming summer season, Braniff International Airways cancels its subsonic Concorde services on May 31.
A private aircraft comes within 450 feet of colliding with a B-707-436 10 mi. E of New York (JFK) on July 10.
Beginning on August 15, the Cunard Steamship Company offers a free flight from New York to London to any of its passengers sailing the
Queen Elizabeth IIfrom Great Britain to Manhattan. The offer will remain in effect for five years. The third and final BAC 1-11-539, later christened County of Warwick, is handed over on August 18.
On September 5, Gerald J. Tobias sets a speed record of 3 hrs. 33 min. for a flight between central London and downtown New York by flying the Concorde across the Atlantic and using helicopter shuttles between airports and downtown areas. BA and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) jetliners brush each other on a runway at London (LHR) on September 20; no injuries are reported. The B-747-236F British Trader enters service on September 30.
London-Peking service is begun on November 13 via Bahrain and Hong Kong.
A Concorde reports a near miss with a Ransome Airlines turboprop 25 mi. E of New York on December 1. During the year, other new routes are opened to Seattle, Manila, and Salisbury, Zimbabwe, and Transavia Holland, N. V. begins to fly two of its B-737-2K2s under contract to the British flag line. At this point, all Trident 1Es are withdrawn.
The Civil Aviation Act passes parliament during the year and provides for privatization of the airline.
Passenger boardings remain level at 16.09 million, while freight increases by 3.5% to 996.34 million FTKs. With the world economic situation worsening, the financial picture begins to darken as, led by fuel price increases, expenses begin to mount. Still, an operating profit of $28.76 million is registered along with net gain of $7.08 million.
Sir John King, later Lord King of Wartnaby, a colleague of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, chairman of FKI Babcock International, Ltd., and a board member for a year, becomes chairman on January 1, 1981. Not only is he charged by the secretary of state for trade to take all steps necessary to prepare for privatization, but is faced by a fiscal crisis. As the result of an unresolved pay dispute, 9,000 employees stage a one-day strike on January 15.
The Aer Lingus Irish Airlines, Ltd. Jumbojet is returned in May and a total of 117 domestic and international flights must be cancelled on June 26 because of a strike by traffic controllers at Heathrow Airport.
During takeoff from New York (JFK) on August 9, a left-hand tire of a Concorde bursts, putting a hole in the No. 5 fuel tank and causing damage to the No.2 engine by ingestion. Departure is successfully aborted and no injuries are reported.
Meanwhile, a series of economic moves designed to regain profitability are begun on September 1. One-million-sq.-ft. of London office space is sold and staffing is reduced to 43,000 on a volunteer basis, with severance pay further contributing to financial woe. In addition, early model Tridents, VC10s, and B-707s begin retirement to make way for 24 new B-737-236s, christened River Tamar, River Tweed, River Humber, and River Tees.
A decision is taken that all services north of Glasgow, operated by the Highlands and Islands division, be closed down and licenses for the various affected routes be distributed to private regionals. As a result of union opposition, BA gives its Scottish operation permission to operate for one year longer on an experimental basis.
Beginning on October 1, frequent travelers are offered a $100-a-year membership package of various conveniences. On October 16, BA introduces $249 London-New York roundtrip fares. Fare cutting against Laker Airways, Ltd. becomes both ruthless and reckless.
While piloting a Jumbojet, Prince Phillip reports a near miss with a lightplane shortly after takeoff from London (LHR) on December 1.
Employing the advertising agency of the Conservative Party, Saatchi & Saatchi, the company now begins a ?25-million advertising campaign on the theme “The World’s Favourite Airline.”
The fleet now includes 7 Concordes, 15 B-707-436s, 27 Jumbojets, 9 TriStar 1s, 8 Viscounts, 52 Tridents, 26 BAC 1-11s, 6 HS 748s, and 24 B-737-236s.
Still, passenger boardings for the year dip 5% to 15,272,000 and freight falls 5.6% to 940 million FTKs. Revenues are up 5.8% to $3.1 billion, but expenses jump 13.3% to $3.3 billion, leaving the carrier to suffer a horrendous $900-million loss.
Economic restructuring continues in 1982. Despite a strike by 2,000 baggage handlers and other ground staff at London (LHR) on February 15, most flights operate normally. The B-747-236F British Trader is sold to Cathay Pacific Airways (Pty.), Ltd. in March. In April, the Highlands and Islands division is replaced by a new Highlands Division, with Gerry Devine as executive in charge, who is given a mandate to change the previous year’s ?6-million loss into a ?1-million profit. The staff is cut from 600 to 167 and the division’s Vickers Viscounts are replaced with 5 British Aerospace BAe (HS) 748-B2s. Because of a slowdown in the demand for supersonic flights, the Concorde Alpha Golf is grounded and used for spare parts. It will later be upgraded and refurbished.
When Argentine marines invade the Falkland Islands in April, service between London and Buenos Aires is cancelled.
On June 24, Flight 009, the B-747-236B City of Edinburgh flying at 37,000 feet with 263 aboard en route from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, near Bandung, Indonesia, suddenly plunges five miles to 12,500 feet before the pilot, Capt. Eric Moody, can restart the engines. A cloud of volcanic ash from Indonesia’s erupting volcano, Mount Galunggung, had choked them. The aircraft will later be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the “world’s heaviest glider.” The incident will be reported by Betty Tootell in her “All Four Engines Have Failed”: The True and Triumphant Story of BA 009 and the “Jakarta Incident” (London: Andre Deutsch, 1985).
In an effort to contain sonic booms over the east end of Long Island during its arrivals and departures, the Concorde is rerouted out of New York (JFK) beginning on August 29.
Staff cuts now bottom out, leaving a workforce of 37,500. The last of 17 stations to be cut are closed, 33 additional routes are ended, and 65 airliners are disposed of, including all 6 L-1011-500s. Lord King, in October, ends BA’s 35-year relationship with Foote, Cone & Belding and requests that the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising firm develop a worldwide advertising campaign designed to enhance the airline’s image. The agency agrees and resigns its account with British Caledonian Airways, Ltd. In November, the liquidator of Laker Airways, Ltd. files suit against BA and several other carriers and manufacturers in U. S. District Court, Washington, D. C.
The year’s enplanements fall another 2.9% to 13.6 million and freight declines 13.1% to 748.9 million FTKs. Concorde service to New York and Washington is a bright spot as 63,678 and 9,793 passengers are carried on the two routes, respectively. On total revenues of $2.07 billion, the net loss is $337 million. Even the Highlands Division misses its $1-million profit goal, but not by enough to be eliminated.
The workforce grows to 36,700 in 1983. The first of 17 B-757-236s is delivered on January 25; christened Dover Castle, it begins service on the London-Belfast shuttle route on February 9. Former Avis President Colin Marshall becomes CEO during the month with a mandate to turn the company around. On March 15, the company contracts with the new U. S. commuter, Americair, to provide shuttle flights for its passengers between Washington, D. C. (IAD) and both Washington, D. C. (DCA) and Baltimore (BWI).
The last Trident 1C revenue flight is made over the Glasgow to London (LHR) shuttle route on April 4. A ?1-million “Manhattan Landing” advertising campaign planned by Saatchi & Saatchi during the first quarter is launched in the U. K. on April 10. Actors Peter O’Toole, Joan Collins, and Omar Sharif emphasize the idea that BA is “the world’s favourite airline” and “every year, flies more people across the Atlantic than the entire [1.4 million] population of Manhattan.” The 90-second television commercials are also unveiled in Casablanca, India, and South Africa and “the world’s favourite airline” will be the company’s slogan for years to come.
The last Trident 2E service is flown between Glasgow and London (LHR) on April 24 and, by May 1, the new advertising campaign has spread to 20 countries.
On July 11,50 senior executives are laid off and a team of younger executives (many without airline experience) is hired in their place. A major reorganization is now initiated as the company is split into eight major market centers. Additionally, the TriStar fleet is largely retired with some units sold to the RAF for conversion into aerial tankers while most of the BAC 1-11s (except those backing up the shuttle) are retired to avoid costly modifications necessary to meet new noise regulations.
In August, the first of several major charter adventures with a dedicated Concorde takes place: an around-the-world flight from London to London via Washington, D. C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Honolulu, Edmonton, and New York.
On September 9, in the wake of the Soviet downing of Korean Air-lines/Korean Airlines (KAL) Flight 007, BA announces a suspension of its four weekly London-Moscow flights.
After several years of complaints concerning the uncaring attitudes of shuttle cabin crews that culminates in an open letter printed in Flight International, the internal U. K. shuttle is upgraded, becoming the Super Shuttle. The ability to buy a ticket on board is exchanged for the facility to purchase tickets in the departure lounge until 10 minutes before departure; limited catering is also provided. A Concorde flies subsoni-cally from London to Glasgow in a promotional move to highlight launch of the Super Shuttle. British Midland Airways, Ltd., which also flies the route, counters by briefly scheduling its Boeing 707-320C charter aircraft upon it.
On October 1, joining in the price war between Trans World Airlines (TWA) and PEOPLExpress, BA reduces its roundtrip London-New York fare to ?249. The company’s largest promotional contract to date is signed on November 7, an $8.25-million renewal of the pact with Cu-nard Steamship Company. This arrangement provides for the Concorde, beginning next April, to fly passengers one-way over the Atlantic after they cross on the Queen Elizabeth II.
The shuttle arrangement with Americair ends when the U. S. company fails at the end of the year.
Passenger boardings overall dip 4.2% to 14,307,000 while cargo grows 13.3% to 911.35 million FTKs. A $110-million operating profit is announced and, with 130,728 international departures, the carrier is still the largest international airline in the world.
The payroll is increased again in 1984, jumping 3.1% to 37,833. A B-747-236B, the City of Winchester, is leased to the company’s charter subsidiary, British Air Tours, Ltd., for eight months beginning on February 9; it will operate transatlantic charters from London (LHR) and Manchester. The company withdraws an offer of a 4% pay increase on February 25 in retaliation for a one-day flight attendants’ strike.
Between March 12-14, about 100 passengers and crew develop salmonella food poisoning from hors d’oeuvres served aboard 13 flights; British health officials trace the source of contamination to a powder used by a London catering service’s in the food’s preparation.
En route from Hong Kong to Beijing on March 22, Flight 003, a B-747-236B with 354 passengers, is taken over by a lone assailant, who claims to have a bomb and demands to be flown to Taiwan. When the perpetrator steps down onto Nationalist Chinese soil, he is quickly arrested. He will be tried and given a 1 1/2-year prison term.
Thrice-weekly roundtrip London-Miami Concorde service begins on March 27 as an extension of the Washington, D. C. run. At this time, there are insufficient terminal facilities at Washington, D. C. (IAD) to handle incoming SST traffic, so passengers are deplaned during refueling to a mobile “people-mover,” there to wait for 50 minutes.
As a first step toward privatization, British Airways, on April 1, is declared a “public limited company.” Pursuant to the Civil Aviation Act of 1980, the property, liabilities and obligations, and assets of the British Airways Board, formed back in 1971, are transferred to the new entity. Prior to privatization a few years later, shares will be held by the secretary of state for transport. Thereafter, press and other references to BA usually cite British Airways, plc, but this work will continue to refer to the company as British Airways, Ltd. (2).
The CAA issues a report recommending more competition for BA and the transfer of certain of its routes to BCAL. An alliance of officials from the state carrier and the treasury are able to block implementation of the suggestions on the grounds that they would hinder BA’s forthcoming privatization.
The dedicated SST charter service is expanded when the BA-Cunard contract takes effect late in the month. Baltimore-London flights begin on May 14. Simultaneously, regularly scheduled Concorde flights are initiated to Washington and Miami.
On December 4, the new color scheme and corporate image are revealed as a prelude to the next year’s expected privatization. Designed by the San Francisco firm Landor Associates, the livery is controversial. The familiar “Speedbird” logo, despite employee petitions for retention, is discarded in favor of the company’s coat of arms and a portion of the Union Jack on aircraft tails. Politically sensitive third world countries even voice disappointment.
Passenger boardings zoom upward 11.6% to 15,964,000 scheduled while another 2.2 million travelers are flown in charters; freight traffic jumps 22.9% to 1.12 billion FTKs. On total revenues of $1.8 billion, an operating profit of $283 million and a net profit of $224 million are earned. Still, a ?900-million debt remains on the books.
Employment is up 4.9% in 1985 to 37,955. The fleet now comprises s7 Concordes, 30 B-707-436s, 10 Jumbojets, 26 BAC 1-11s, 6 HS 748s, 9 TriStar 1s, 46 B-737-236As and 24 B-757-236s.
In January-February, implementation of the “new image” concept continues. The first repainted and upgraded Concorde, Alpha Golf, is rolled out of the London maintenance base to the skirling of a Scottish bagpipe. Following Iraq’s warning to the world’s airlines to stay out of Iranian airspace as the Persian Gulf war escalates, BA suspends flights to Tehran on March 17.
On April 1, the carrier introduces the only direct London to Orlando and Tampa weekday service, together with weekday nonstop New York to Manchester flights. The last of 43 B-737-236As is received during the month and christened River Yslwyth.
A Concorde, en route from London to New York on May 8, is forced by engine trouble to make an emergency landing at Boston. Next day, a B-747-2B4C is leased from Middle East Airlines, S. A.L. (2) and is christened Lincoln. Privatization does not now occur as residues of litigation in the Laker antitrust case and new Bermuda II contentions with the U. S. conspire to keep the company off the stock market.
Indeed, an out-of-court settlement in the Laker case is reached on June 12. As the result of a government white paper’s recommendations, British Airways, Ltd. (2)’s Saudi Arabian routes are transferred to British Caledonian Airways, Ltd. (BCAL) while the latter’s South American routes come to the state carrier. Employing several Lockheed L-1011-500s purchased from Air Lanka, Ltd., the company, after a two-decade service gap, undertakes nonstop twice-weekly flights from London (LHR) to Caracas, Bogota, and Rio de Janeiro, continuing to Sao Paulo. The Concorde, which carries over 800,000 passengers on the year, is named “flagship” of the fleet.
One woman is killed and at least 27 people are wounded when a bomb destroys the carrier’s downtown Madrid offices on July 1. A B-737-236 makes an emergency landing in Dinard, France, on July 5, because of a warning that a bomb is aboard. The plane, en route from London to Malaga, Spain, is evacuated by all 79 people aboard down emergency slides, but no bomb is found.
In early August, a Concorde “steals the show” at the Experimental Aircraft Association “fly-in” at Oshkosh, Wisconsin; arriving with charter passengers, the SST remains for several days offering $400-per-head demonstrations to the Canadian border and back. The company announces on August 21 that Sir Freddie Laker has accepted the out-ofcourt settlement reached in June. It requires BA to pay the Laker liquidators $32.5 million of the $48-million agreement.
On August 22, an engine fails on British Air Tours, Ltd. Flight 328M, a B-737-236 charter with 6 crew and 131 passengers, as it roars down the runway at Manchester for takeoff on a service to Kerkira, Corfu. The plane bursts into flames and breaks into two parts (55 dead).
Three days later, on August 25, a B-737-236 with 80 aboard makes an emergency landing at London (LHR) after a faulty signal light indicates an engine failure.
A Concorde, with 105 aboard, makes a safe emergency landing at Shannon on October 12 after engine trouble develops out over the Atlantic.
A second B-747-2B4B is chartered from Middle East Airlines, S. A.L. (2) on November 1 and is named Lancaster. Also in November, the five-millionth passenger is welcomed aboard the domestic Super Shuttle service while Manchester-Hong Kong service is inaugurated via Munich and Dubai.
During takeoff from London (LHR) on November 15, a left-hand tire of a Concorde bursts and forces a section of the main landing gear door to create a 1" X 1.5" fuel tank hole. Although two engines are damaged by ingestion, the departure is successfully aborted and no injuries are reported.
A B-747-236B with 17 crew and 254 passengers loses two wing-flap sections as it approaches Boston on December 15; although the plane lands safely, a 10-ft. section of the flap strikes a car and a house, but no injuries are reported.
The last two Trident 3Bs are retired on December 31, one after completing a shuttle flight to London from Manchester and the second after a Heathrow landing from Amsterdam. In 22 years, the short-haul type has logged 1.59-million flight hours and operated over 500-million miles.
Passenger boardings rise 8.7% to 17.4 million and freight transport increases 3.4% to 1.16 billion FTKs. Total revenues for the year are $4.65 billion, from which a $307.5-million operating profit and a $274.5-million net profit are made. As the year closes, the carrier ranks 11th among world airlines in terms of passenger volume, 9th in freight and fleet size, and 5th in total number of employees.
The payroll dips 0.4% in 1986 to 37,810. In January, British Airways, Ltd. (2) joins Air France in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Concorde supersonic operations and acquires a 14% share of Brymon Airways, Ltd.
A Concorde charter is flown to the famous Rio de Janeiro carnival in February. Two B-747-236Cs and a B-757-236 are ordered, also in February, with three of the latter type purchased earlier delivered in March.
Formerly flown by SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) a B-747-283B is leased on March 3; christened City of Swansea, it is assigned to the British Air Tours, Ltd. subsidiary to fly transatlantic charters. In late winter, 11 Trident 3s, made obsolete by U. K. noise regulations, are sold to CAAC (General Administration of Civil Aviation of China).
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 1 when Prince Charles and Princess Diana open the new $275-million Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport, long-haul services are started from that facility on April 12. Culminating a year of terrorist activity, the U. S. bombs Libya on April 14; in the week that follows, BA reservations fall to only 20,000—the most severe business plunge in company history.
Later in the month, a seventh Concorde is taken from storage and placed into service. Privatization set for June is again postponed, while also in June, the subsidiary British Airways Helicopters, Ltd. (BAH) is sold to Robert Maxwell’s new British International Helicopters, Ltd. (BIH).
As summer approaches, airline employment climbs 3,500 to 40,000, but fear among U. S. travelers concerning Libyan terrorism and possible reprisals dampens traffic. A massive $6-million “Go for It America” advertising and promotional campaign is undertaken in the U. S. The initial promotion entails a drawing for of every one of the carrier’s 5,000 seats over the Atlantic on one day. A few winners are promised tea with Prime Minister Thatcher at No. 10 Downing St.
In July, the cockpit of a retired Trident 3B is transferred by truck to Manchester and with the aid of a crane, is placed into the Museum of Science and Industry. Promotions of various kinds continue through the summer, including scratch-off coupons good for free Rolls-Royce automobiles and shopping sprees at London’s Harrods department store.
In August, BA orders 16 B-747-436s valued at $4.1 billion, with deliveries set for 1991-1994. The Concorde, on September 21, visits California for the first time since its stopover in summer 1984.
The inspiration of flight attendants Patricia Pearce and Derek Pereira, the first annual Dreamflight is made in October. Through funds raised by the two workers and hundreds of other people, the airline transports nearly 200 incurably ill and disabled children from London (LHR) to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.
In November, the flag carrier is forced to begin rerouting flights to the Far East and Australia around Syria following the U. K.’s diplomatic break with that Middle Eastern nation. Secretary of State for Transport John Moore in November announces details of the carrier’s forthcoming privatization.
Simultaneously, a Concorde is employed to fly 100 financial journalists from London to Scotland and then down the east coast of the U. K. at twice the speed of sound while the privatization story is retold. On December 20, the airline begins to offer a series of short-duration Concorde charter flights from New York.
Customer bookings during the 12 months rise a slight 0.6% to 17,467,000 and freight jumps 8.2% to 1.26 billion FTKs.
Airline employment grows 5.3% in 1987 and the fleet includes 166 aircraft, exclusive of the B-747-283B, 10 B-737-236s, and six L-1011-500s operated by the British Air Tours, Ltd. subsidiary.
In January, the company receives the 1986 “Airline of the Year” award from Air Transport World magazine.
BA is officially privatized on February 1. The 341.4-million, 125-pence shares of stock (worth $1.4 billion) offered in a flotation, beginning on February 11, quickly increase in worth on public exchanges, bringing a charge of government undervaluing by the Labour Party. Over one million applications are received for shares in the flotation and a massive oversubscription (by 11 times) occurs. This development is accommodated by a reduction in the number of shares allowed to applicants.
When 100.3% (due to rounding) of the public limited company ownership process is finished, the British public will own 35.4% of the airline; other owners will include company employees (8.6%), overseas private markets (0.7%), overseas business markets (16.5%), and others (2.7%).
A Jumbojet combi is received on February 25; the B-747-236C is christened Derby. The B-747-236C Stoke on Trent arrives on March 17, followed by the last B-747-236B, Bath, on April 23.
New routes are inaugurated to Luxor, San Juan, and Grenada and in July, four extra weekly Jumbojet flights are added to the daily B-747-236B service from Chicago (ORD) to London (LHR). Later in the month, the company participates with other European airlines in the unveiling of the Galileo computerized reservations system. It also announces that a merger with British Caledonian Airways, Ltd. (BCAL) will shortly occur.
Five tires of a Concorde, carrying 93 passengers, blow out as the plane lands at New York on August 11; no injuries are reported. The third weekly frequency from London to Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Rio de Janeiro is suspended late in the month as the merger with BCAL is referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Orders are placed for 11 B-767-336s.
In October, it announced that the carrier, a member of the Galileo reservations system, will invest $86.9 million over the next three years to upgrade its computer systems; additionally, $60.7 million will be expended upon new equipment and $9.8 million on extending its data centers. During the same month, the one-millionth Concorde passenger is carried on supersonic transatlantic services and the Jumbojet City of Swansea, operated by the British Air Tours, Ltd. subsidiary, is purchased by the parent.
Five months into takeover negotiatio
World History
