British Airways

  • London - Heathrow
  • London -Gatwick

British Airways, BA short, the UK's largest airline is headquartered in London and hub at London Heathrow Airport. She is one of the largest airlines in the world and a founding member of the oneworld airline alliance, and together with the Iberia Holding International Airlines Group.

  • 9.1 discrimination allegations
  • 9.2 Luggage losses

History

Early years

The history of British Airways begins with the merger of Instone, Handley Page, Daimler Airway and British Air Marine Navigation to Imperial Airways on 31 March 1924, the intercontinental flights offering. 1935, included four British Airways, which offered an air service within Europe, together with British Airways. Due to a law enacted by Parliament Imperial Airways and British Airways were nationalized in 1939 and the British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC ) merged. In August 1946, the intra-European air traffic under the name of British European Airways ( BEA) was separated from the group. A helicopter flight service called British Airways Helicopters was founded in 1964, his responsibilities included the rescue.

The Jet Age

The BEA founded early 1969, the BEA Airtours, later British Airtours, the charter and cruises offered. On October 31, 1970 bought BEA Cambrian Airways and BKS / Northeast in order to secure further regional transportation routes. On September 1, 1972 BOAC and BEA were merged to today's British Airways, the first appearance under the new name was on 1 April 1974.

In July 1979, the British government announced its plans to privatize BA want quickly. Massive losses due to a prolonged recession delayed those plans, however. By the equally rapid as massive rise in fuel prices due to the ongoing economic crisis, drastic measures were necessary for BA to secure the survival of the operation. Short-term non-profitable routes have been set, cut jobs and aircraft shut down, the medium was carried out until May 1982 at the company an extensive restructuring in different divisions with their own business plans. On 1 May 1984, the company British Airways Plc. and was fully privatized. In the second half of the 80s it was the company well economically, so that increasingly interests in other airlines were sought. In addition, private branding was revised and modernized.

1990

In 1992, the small German airline Delta Air, which was renamed in German BA BA. So BA would become more prominent in appearance on the German market. However, since these yielded no profits, it was sold on June 2, 2003 to the intro Management Company.

Since the early 1990s had British Airways, like other formerly state-owned airlines, struggling with increasing competition for low cost airlines. However, British Airways was the world's only international airline that made ​​no loss in the recession year 1992. In contrast to the main European rivals Lufthansa and Air France SA recognized already in the 1990s the problem and began to revise their concept. Due to the strong competition from Easyjet and Ryanair on intra-European routes began a partial withdrawal of these compounds and a gain of intercontinental transport, particularly to Southeast Asia and North America.

Signed in 1999, a BA franchise agreement with Comair South Africa who since crews and aircraft in British Airways' Design equips, since 2000 BA holds a 18 % stake in the airline. Also in 1999, founded the international BA oneworld airline alliance with.

2000

Among other things, caused the Irish Ryanair was the first time in 2003 claiming to have carried on links between the UK and Continental Europe more passengers than British Airways by the partial withdrawal from the intra-European market. BA tried this development by the subsidiary, founded in 2002 BA CitiExpress counter. However, since this was in the red, it was renamed and repositioned in January 2006 in BA Connect. BA flights now offered from 25 GBP to, from all UK airports with the exception of the London airports. On 1 March 2007, the continued loss-making subsidiary was eventually sold to the British low -cost carrier Flybe. Exceptions to this are the routes from London City Airport, which will continue to operate under the new name of BA City Flyer. At the same time took over BA 15 percent stake in Flybe.

On October 24, 2003 BA presented as a last airline operating the Concorde. As a result of the crash of an Air France Concorde near Paris in July 2000 and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the operating costs could not be covered. Added to this was the decision of the aerospace group EADS, to increase the cost of spare parts dramatically.

On 12 November 2009, British Airways and Iberia announced their merger to create the world's third -largest airline. The two companies will seek to finalize the 7- billion-dollar merger by the end of 2010. The contract for the merger was signed on April 8, 2010. Thus, both airlines are introduced into a new company called International Airlines Group, what BA will keep 55 % and Iberia 45%. In the medium term - although both companies remain - thus an annual potential savings of 400 million euros be exploited.

2010s

In July 2010, British Airways and Iberia received from the EU's approval, economically unite under a common umbrella company. As CEO of International Airlines Group Holding said acts of the former BA boss Willie Walsh. Both airlines will but keep their individual brands and products, the name of the holding company is not to be used for. On 21 January 2011, the merger was completed with the entry in the commercial register.

Also received in July 2010, British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines beyond the approval of the EU and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the future to operate the business with transatlantic connections cooperative in the form of an alliance.

In January 2014, British Airways announced that it would withdraw from the business to me pure cargo flights under the brand British Airways World Cargo. A contract with Global Supply Systems to operate three Boeing 747- 8F has been terminated in accordance April 2014.

Figures

In fiscal year 2004/2005 British Airways carried 35 million passengers ( previous year: 37 million passengers ) to 222 destinations in 95 countries. In the same period, almost 52,000 people were employed by British Airways. Revenue of 2004/2005 at around 7.8 billion pounds (previous year: 7.6 billion pounds sterling). The airline achieved despite declining passenger numbers a profit of 415 million pounds sterling (previous year: 230 million pounds sterling).

In fiscal year 2009/2010 British Airways carried 32 million passengers (previous year: 33 million passengers) to 150 destinations in 72 countries. In the same period nearly 38,000 employees worked for British Airways employees (previous year: almost 42,000 employees). Revenue of 2009/2010 is about 8.0 billion pounds (previous year: around 9.0 billion pounds ). The airline achieved with falling passenger numbers, a loss of 425 million pounds sterling (previous year: 358 million pounds sterling).

In fiscal 2012, to go, despite high sales growth and increased demand for the transatlantic flights, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia from a loss of about 146 million euros. The reason for this was the sharp rise in fuel price, according to the parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG ).

Investments and alliances

British Airways holds 13.15 % stake in Spanish airline Iberia, 15% of the British budget airline Flybe and 18% of the South African airlines operating company Comair. By 2004, BA also held 18.25 percent of Qantas Airways, to which it has continued rented seven Boeing 767. There are franchise agreements with Sun Air of Scandinavia in Denmark. The agreements with GB Airways and Loganair were dissolved on 30 March 2008 and 25 October 2008.

BA sought since the mid- 90s for a way of closer cooperation with American Airlines. The last two attempts to join forces with the largest U.S. carrier, had been stopped repeatedly by government agencies. In July 2010, however BA first obtains permission from the EU to join forces with the Spanish Iberia and Iberia and American Airlines to operate the business as a transatlantic joint business with combined revenue pots. This development is generally seen as a key process to reposition itself in the most economically important market.

Destinations

British Airways operates one of the few airlines destinations on the six continents of Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America and Oceania. Your home base is the specially erected for them on the Terminal 5 London Heathrow Airport, start from where most routes. In addition to some British and many European destinations, numerous long-haul flights are offered. The network currently includes, for example, Aberdeen, Barcelona, Moscow, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Beijing, Tokyo and Sydney. A smaller base is maintained at Gatwick Airport, south of London, from which mainly smaller European cities such as Bologna and various objectives are served in the Caribbean. Targets in German-speaking countries are currently in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen in Germany, Austria Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck and Basel, Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland.

Fleet

As of January 2014, British Airways fleet of aircraft consists of 266 with an average age of 12.9 years:

Some other aircraft are operated independently by the subsidiary BA City Flyer. The fleet of the South African franchise Comair South Africa consists of seven Boeing 737-300 and eight Boeing 737-400 (1 decommissioned).

Subsidiary airlines

OpenSkies

On 19 June 2008, the BA subsidiary OpenSkies with a Boeing 757-200 went into service between Paris -Orly and New York JFK. In October 2008, followed by a daily service between New York and Amsterdam. By the end of 2009, the fleet will be expanded to six aircraft and routes to be extended. The Boeing 757 used to fly in a two- class layout, with only 64 seats. In July 2008, British Airways expanded the OpenSkies fleet through the acquisition of the French airline L' Avion, with the previously there was already a code-sharing agreement. By early 2009, the airline was fully integrated.

BA City Flyer

BA City Flyer 2007 went forth from the subsidiary BA Connect to Flybe and sold exclusively operates from London City Airport. A total of ten national and European destinations are served from there. Since September 2009, BA City Flyer replaced its fleet of Avro RJ85 Avro RJ100 by machines and the Embraer 170 and Embraer 190

Incidents

In the history of present-day British Airways since 1974, there was only one crash and that is regarded as an accident emergency landing; the two predecessor companies (BEA and BOAC ), however, come to 124, Imperial Airways on again 41

Awards

2006 British Airways from Skytrax awarded as the best airline in the world, relegating Cathay Pacific from first place.

In December 2007, British Airways was awarded for the third time in a row at the World Travel Awards in the category 'World's Leading Airline ' ( world's best airline). In addition, British Airways won the awards ' Europe's Leading First Class Airline ' (Best First Class Airline in Europe ) and 'Europe's Leading Airline Website' ( best airline website in Europe). Excluding the categories that affect low-cost or charter airlines, route, so British Airways was nominated in all categories except one. In addition, the Oneworld alliance was continuously since the existence of this category and thus for the fifth time in a row the world's best airline alliance ( 'World's Leading Airline Alliance ' ) is selected. 2012 has been named the winner of British Airways also by Skytrax in the category "Best Translantic Airline" ( Best Transatlantic Airline).

Controversies

Discrimination allegations

2006 triggered the airline a controversy when she in uniform wearing visible one about two inches large cross pendant forbade the Coptic Orthodox employees Nadia Eweida, however, members of the Sikh allowed to wear turbans and Muslims in female headscarves. The airline announced this differentiation that crosses should not be worn open, to live out the Christian religion, while turbans and headscarves can not be hidden. For other airlines, such as bmi, for some time there are similar rules. Meanwhile, the company has turned in and abolished the ban on cross again. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair advised the BA chairman Martin Broughton to yield.

In November 2006, also came out a case of discrimination against men, since, according to the guideline of the British Airways adult men " of child protection reasons " (English Child Welfare programs ) are not allowed to sit next to unaccompanied children. Umplatzierungswünsche are brought by flight attendants, without giving any reasons to the men. In the case of concrete has become known a departure to spatial separation was denied. Was informed by British Airways in official statements that it was their duty as responsible airline to separate unaccompanied children of men. Similar guidelines also exist in other airlines, such as Qantas and Air New Zealand.

Lost luggage

A study of the Airport Transport Users Council classified British Airways for the year 2006 as the European airline with the most baggage losses a. According to the BBC, British Airways lost in 2006 per day 3000 pieces of luggage. A major difficulty is the hub of London Heathrow with its partially outdated infrastructure project This problem should be solved with the opening of the new Terminal 5 in 2008. Separately multiple lockout at London Heathrow in 2006 has to be considered due to bad weather and terror alerts. The loss rate during such events is significantly higher than under normal circumstances and has a significant effect on the statistics from. So went for example, in June 2007, over one weekend 12,000 pieces a result of heightened security measures lost.

= Antitrust fines

In July 2007, the British Cartel Office imposed a fine of 121.5 million pounds ( € 180 million) against British Airways. Reason for the hitherto highest fine imposed by the Competition Authority punishment were illegal collusion with respect to the fuel surcharges between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic from August 2004 to January 2006. Further 300 million U.S. dollars (148 million pounds ) must BA payable to the U.S. Department of Justice, which is also determined in this case. Thus, the overall penalty amounts to about 270 million pounds. BA had informed in advance of the decision that the airline had traveled precaution £ 350 million for possible fines.

Trivia

  • British Airways took 1919 as the first airline in the world is a daily international air service, between London and Paris.
  • In 1952, the forerunner of British Airways, the BOAC, on the London -Johannesburg, the first jet passenger aircraft in service, the Comet.
  • British Airways introduced on 24 October 2003 as a last airline operating the Concorde.
  • British Airways was the first European fully privatized national carrier.
  • British Airways offers the shortest scheduled flight in the world line between the two north-western islands of the Orkneys. The flight BA 8872 from Westray to Papa Westray eastern island ( Papay ) lasts for just over 1.5 nautical miles as planned two minutes ( Westray departure 09:39, arrival 09:41 ), and is between the two grass runways of the Scottish airline Loganair on behalf of British Airways carried out several times a week. With a good wind, a pilot already made ​​the record of only 56 seconds, but in the frequent hurricanes the flight can take up to 12 minutes. For this flight, you can book tickets; the pilot collected directly from the £ 14 max. 8 passengers of the Britten- Norman BN -2 Islander. The price of £ 7 per minute exceeds the ticket prices of Concorde flights. (As flight schedule March 29, 2009 )
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