British Airways Information
British Airways (BA) is a private commercial airline based in the United Kingdom that flies to destinations all over the globe, including the United Kingdom and Ireland, North America, the Caribbean and South America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Africa. Headquartered at Heathrow Airport in London, BA is known for its attention to detail and emphasis on safety and security. In addition to passenger services, BA also provides cargo transport and engineering maintenance services.
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History
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British Airways has a long line of predecessors dating back to after the first World War. In 1919, British Airways' predecessor, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited began the first international daily flight service between London and Paris. Throughout the decades, there were many mergers with fledgling airlines, including Imperial Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways. British Airways in its current form was not created until 1987, when the airline was privatized by the British government.
Traveler Services
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Depending on the origin of the flight, BA offers several different passenger classes. Most of its flights offer first class service. In addition, BA offers Club World and Club Europe sections for its Business travelers and World Traveler Plus and World Traveler sections for its Economy travelers. For shorter flights to Europe or within the UK, BA offers Euro Traveler or UK Domestic classes.
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Airplanes
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BA prides itself on having a modern fleet of aircraft. The average age of its fleet is 11.6 years. BA recently invested in 11 new fuel-efficient airplanes that are known as the next generation of aircraft. These airplanes, known as Embraer jets, are the most modern and fuel efficient type of jet available. The Embraer jets were purchased to replace the current fleet of Avro RJ100 and RJ85 jets.
The rest of BA's fleet consists primarily of Airbus and Boeing jets. At one point in history, BA operated seven Concorde jets, but those airplanes are no longer in operation and have been stored.
Safety and Security
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BA places a premium on the safety and security of its crew, passengers and fleets and has instituted a number of protective measures to ensure safety. Some of these measures include administering criminal and background checks on all employees and screening all flying crews and ground staff. BA also thoroughly searches passengers and hand bags at the boarding gate. In addition, BA has installed reinforced bullet proof doors on the airplane cockpits for its entire fleet. BA is continually striving to improve its security measures.
British Airways Cargo Services
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In addition to providing passenger services, BA also operates as a cargo airline. Known as British Airways World Cargo (BAWC), this subsidiary of BA carries freight, courier and mail products around the world. BAWC is equipped to transport goods and products in a climate controlled environment. It also offers transport services for live animals and human remains.
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