British Airways (BA) is the UK’s flag carrier airline, headquartered in London near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. As the second largest UK-based airline, BA merged with Iberia in 2011 to form the International Airlines Group (IAG), the world’s third-largest airline group by revenue.

Founded in 1974 from the merger of British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways, Cambrian Airways, and Northeast Airlines, BA was privatized in 1987. It has since expanded by acquiring British Caledonian, Dan-Air, and British Midland International.

A founding member of the Oneworld alliance, British Airways employs 34,000 people and continues to be a leader in the aviation industry, celebrated for its extensive global network and historic milestones, including being the first airline to generate over $1 billion on a single route in a year.