British Airways
British Airways at a glance
British Airways is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and the dominant airline at London Heathrow, where it holds roughly half the slots at Europe's busiest hub. Formed in 1974 from the merger of BOAC and BEA, it flies about 250 aircraft to some 200 destinations and carries more passengers across the Atlantic than any other European airline.
Under CEO Sean Doyle, BA is spending 7 billion pounds on transformation: Club Suite business class across the fleet, refreshed lounges, new technology that lifted punctuality sharply in 2025, and fleet renewal built around the A350-1000, 787 and incoming Boeing 777-9. In 2025 it also rebranded its loyalty programme as The British Airways Club, switching earning to spend-based Avios.
Fleet
British Airways runs a two-family long-haul fleet of Boeing 777s and 787s plus Airbus A350-1000s and A380s, with 777-9s ordered to replace the oldest 777-200ERs.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320neo | Short-haul backbone from Heathrow and Gatwick | ~130 A320 family |
| Airbus A350-1000 | Flagship with Club Suite | 18 |
| Airbus A380-800 | High-density trunk routes | 12 |
| Boeing 777-9 | On order for the next flagship generation | 18 ordered |
Hub & route network
London Heathrow is BA's fortress hub, where it holds around half of all slots and operates from Terminals 5 and 3, supplemented by a leisure-focused operation at Gatwick and London City. The network of about 200 destinations leans transatlantic, where BA carries more passengers between Europe and the US than any other airline.Alliance & partnerships
A founding member of oneworld, BA flies the Atlantic in a joint business with American Airlines, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair, and coordinates closely with Qatar Airways, IAG's largest shareholder.Group structure
British Airways is the largest airline of International Airlines Group, formed in 2011 through its merger with Iberia; IAG also owns Vueling, Aer Lingus and Level, with Qatar Airways holding about a quarter of the group.Full specifications
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Frequently asked questions
International Airlines Group, the Anglo-Spanish group formed by BA's 2011 merger with Iberia, which also owns Vueling, Aer Lingus and Level; Qatar Airways is IAG's largest shareholder.
London Heathrow, where BA controls around half of all takeoff and landing slots, operating primarily from Terminal 5.
In 2025 it became The British Airways Club, with status earned on spending rather than flights; Avios remain the programme's currency.