BEA (British European Airways)

♦ BEA (British European Airways) was founded By BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corp.) on 01Jan1946. It was originally based at Northolt and took over the RAF transport wing. BEA was organised into two divisions based at Northolt and Liverpool Speke respectively, with the former responsible for all scheduled services to the Continent and the latter for all scheduled services within the British Isles. On 01Feb1947 it took over several airlines after AAJC (Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC), which had been formed of several pre-war charter companies on 27Jun1940) ceased (Allied Airways (Gandar Dower), Channel Islands Airway , Air Commerce , Railway Air Services, Great Western & Southern Airlines, Isle of Man Air Services, Scottish Airways, Highland Airways, North Eastern Airways, West Coast Air Services and Western Isles Airways). Later acquired CHANNEL ISLAND AIRWAYS and ALLIED AIRWAYS (same year). Launch customer for DH Trident 1 in 1964, DH Trident 2E in 1968, Vickers Viscount in 1953 and Vickers Vanguard in 1961. Ceased operations 31Mar1974 and merged with BOAC, Northeastern Airlines, Cambrian Airways and BEA Airtours to form British Airways (ii)
< BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom > ♦

♦ British Airways (ii) – Following the recommendations of the 1969 Edwards Report that a new British Airways Board, managing both BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corp.), BEA (British European Airways), and the two regional British airlines Cambrian Airways based at Cardiff, and Northeast Airlines based at Newcastle upon Tyne, was constituted on 01Apr1972, establishing British Airways as an airline on 31Mar1974. BA started operations on 01Apr1974. British Asia Airways, a subsidiary based in Taiwan, was formed in March 1993 to operate between London and Taipei. The carrier acquired BCAL (British Caledonian Airways) (1988) and Dan-Air (1992). In Jul2008, British Airways announced a merger plan with Iberia, another flag carrier airline in the Oneworld alliance, wherein each airline would retain its original brand. bmi was purchased on 30Mar2012
< scheduled passenger and cargo services and is the UK flag carrier > ♦