British Airways

in full British Airways PLC

International passenger airline based in London. In 1936 British Airways Ltd. was founded through the merger of three smaller airlines. A merger with Imperial Airways in 1939 created British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The British Airways name returned in 1974 with the government-mandated merger of BOAC and British European Airways (BEA). The airline was privatized in 1987. It merged with British Caledonian later that year. British Airways is one of Europe's largest air carriers.

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