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British Airways: Past and Present

Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the spring edition of English Journal 20 17. By subscribing to Angloopia Prin magazine, which is a love letter written to Britain every quarter, there is no advertisement. You can subscribe here.

Before you arrived in England, did you know there was a way to England? Visit any international airport of British Airways and take any of their planes. As soon as you set foot on the British Airways plane, you arrived in England. I don't mean legally. I mean, with British Airways, you can fly in the most British way. All the crew members are British, and they will warmly welcome you. They will give you English newspapers. Classical music is playing on the intercom-usually British composers, such as elgar or Vaughan Williams. They will serve English food. Most of the entertainment on board is British. Once those doors are closed and the plane starts to take off, you will arrive in England. It's like magic, even if you're not there for hours.

The key fact comes from the first jet and supersonic passenger planes operated by the earliest British commercial airlines, which were initially supported by subsidies and ownership. Now it is the largest airline in Britain, with 268 planes flying to 183 destinations. British Airways has a history of nearly 100 years, and its roots can be traced back to the earliest international passenger flights. This airline originated from the early BOAC Airlines and is now a part of the international aviation group, with a long history of acquisition, merger, nationalization and privatization. It has always been an innovator, operating the world's first commercial jet and the only supersonic passenger plane. With the support of Britain, the company lost money for most of the first 68 years, but it continued to grow and develop. After being sold to the public, it has maintained profitability and growth, and destroyed many other airlines through the turmoil at the end of the 20th century. Its fleet includes almost all the most iconic aircraft, and it is still a prestigious airline, although it is still experiencing employee disputes and changes in order to maintain profitability in the highly competitive market.

This is a fascinating and extensive history. I have my own personal experience in airlines. Our headquarters is just outside Chicago. Fortunately, British Airways has two direct flights from O'Hare to London every day. From 200 1 to now, I have to take the British Airways 14 flight every time I go to England. I won't fly any other way. If I do this, I will feel that I have betrayed Pakistan. Of course, like other airlines, things are not always smooth sailing (I also experienced unexpected delays and broken bathrooms during my flight). But through it, British Airways has been providing a first-class experience, and they have been very supportive of the ten-year history of British English. Last year they invited us to visit the museum near Heathrow Airport, and this year we accepted the invitation to test their latest products. But first, let's look at the history and development of British Airways over the years.

19 19 One day in August, World War I finally ended. A single-engine de haviland biplane took off from Hornslow Heath Airport, an empty treeless area near Heathrow Airport. Besides the pilot, it also carries a passenger and his luggage. The plane was also loaded with a small batch of newspapers, jam, curd and some grouse. Soon it landed in Paris. This is the first international commercial flight in the world, and a new mode of mass transportation was born. A week later, Handley Page Transport Co., Ltd., the second single-carrier airline, began to use the modified twin-engine World War I bomber. After many mergers and reorganizations, Handley Page, together with er of other early British commercial airlines, will become a British airline. In fact, the pilot of the first Handley-Page flight will become the chairman of BA Network. Today, this airline operates 268 aircraft flying to 183 global destinations, and its annual revenue exceeds 1 1 billion. It has the largest fleet of British Airways, and its passenger capacity is second only to the emerging EasyJet. It is the sixth largest airline in the world by revenue.

From the very beginning, Britain thought it necessary to intervene and control the development of this new industry. A parliamentary standing advisory committee on civil aviation suggested that the "appropriate starting point" for connecting all parts of the British Empire through this new mode of transportation is a route to India and from there to Australia. Shortly thereafter, it witnessed the development of service industry in South Africa, followed by Canada and New Zealand. Most importantly, it decided that the best way to develop these imperial routes was to adopt a mixed model of private enterprises supported by the state.

1924, * * * merged most of the small airlines operated at that time and founded Imperial Airlines. The new company began to operate from a new airport in Croydon to several European capitals, and made test flights to Africa, India and the Middle East. At the end of 1930, a new luxury plane was born, Handley page H.P.42, which carried 24 passengers and was divided into two categories, one was India and the other was Europe, because shorter transportation required less luggage space.

With the rapid growth of service demand, Imperial Airlines took a gamble, or a far-sighted move. According to your point of view, it ordered 28 long-range single-wing undeveloped flying boats from Shor Brohers company in Belfast, which are still in use today. This plane is called the short empire. At that time, airships were regarded as the future of the aviation industry. This short-lived empire can carry 17 passengers and a lot of goods and mail, and fly 700 miles before refueling. This allows it to reach South Africa and Australia in a short time, but the Atlantic Ocean is more challenging. It was not until 1939 that airlines began to fly across the Atlantic to Montreal and new york on a regular basis, using airships to refuel during the flight.

Small airlines continue to exist, and most of them merged into British Airways Limited at 1935. 1939 After the outbreak of World War II, Britain * * * merged this airline with Imperial Airlines and established British Overseas Airlines (BOAC). The civil aviation industry was grounded because of the war, while Bojak was at war. It changed its route from crossing Europe to flying over Cairo, and put in various new aircraft to meet the needs of passenger flight in wartime. Due to the limited fuel capacity, these flying boats began to retire and the airports on land began to expand and develop. BOAC has been using them since other airlines stopped operating until 1950. At the end of the war, BOAC was looking for a fleet of various aircraft and facilities scattered around the world. It will take ten years to build Heathrow Airport and a more standardized fleet. When they started looking for a new plane, a dispute developed rapidly, which marked the decades-long relationship between the company and the trade union and * * *. Should they buy American planes or support British manufacturers? Due to the uncertainty of local suppliers and huge opposition, they persuaded a bankrupt * * * to spend precious dollars to buy six constellations and six state-of-the-art passenger planes of Lockheed, all of which were compression chamber. They continue to build a fleet by buying these planes from other airlines. They did "buy British goods" in the image of Handley Hermes, but they also added Douglas DC-7c.

The competition between the two airlines will last for many years. 1992, British Airways bought a 44% stake in American Airlines, and then sold it again in 1997. From 65438 to 0998, we joined the "One World" global alliance with other international airlines, with the goal of occupying the lucrative frequent flyer market.

BA merged with Iberia Airlines of Spain on 20 1 1 and entered the modern era. British Airways has become a major shareholder in this new company, which is called United Airlines International Group (S.A.) or IAG for short. Many airlines under the group, including airlish-Lingus and Spanish budget airline Vueling, and several subsidiaries of British Airways, such as OpenSkies and Scandinavian SUN-AIR, all operate in their own names. Qatar Airways is the major shareholder, holding 20% of the shares of International Aviation Group. As a symbol of British Airways' diversified business, visitors to London may be surprised to find that the London Eye Observation Wheel, which is popular along the Thames, was originally developed and owned by British Airways (BA) (now sponsored by another company). Recently, they sponsored the British Airways i360 observation tower which just opened in Brighton.

British Airways' Flash Tower is now Terminal 5, the hub of Heathrow Airport. Airlines rarely have their own dedicated terminal, but British Airways has a dedicated terminal at Heathrow Airport because of its large business scale. Heathrow Airport has a plane taking off every 45 seconds, nearly half of which are British Airways or international airlines. T5 is the largest construction project in Britain for many years, costing 4 billion pounds and taking 20 years from conception to completion. This is the largest independent building in Britain. When it opened in 2008, there were some problems at first, but now they have all been solved.

When I mentioned to some people that I like flying into Terminal 5, they all laughed. But this building is beautiful. This is a luminous glass box, which is very suitable for air travel. Very clean. Very airy. This is a better passenger experience than when you arrived at the old airport. Now Heathrow Airport Terminal has been demolished. This is a proper welcome to Britain.

On our recent trip, we were invited to the arrival hall of Terminal 5. This is a relaxing and warm space, where you can take a bath, have a hot breakfast and plan a day in London after the flight. If you are a business traveler, this is a good way to run in London. We had breakfast and caught up with the news and emails waiting for us. When we are ready, we walk to our taxi. It's a breath of fresh air to stop and recharge before going to work. Of course, you must be invited to enter the arrival lounge (by buying business class or first class tickets), so it is a pleasure.

Our trip in February this year began with our arrival at O'Hare Airport. We booked a flight to London in the late afternoon. When our checked baggage passed the security check, we were warmly welcomed by the staff of British Airways. Since most international flights take off in O'Hare at night, we have overcome the congestion and don't have to deal with the long security queue. We immediately went to the British Airways lounge, where we had the expected staff. They gave us a warm welcome. In the past few years, we went to many places and they began to know people from England. This is a well-known special treatment.

However, this time, we have unprecedented special treatment. We were invited into the first-class lounge. I should say that the lounge prepared by British Airways for World Club passengers is excellent. So, we attended a reception and were invited to the first lounge. This is a small restaurant, which is found in other parts of the lounge. You have your own waiter and independent menu, from the food provided to others in the lounge to the wonderful wine selection. Surprisingly, only we were there-we owned the whole first-class lounge ourselves! We enjoyed a wonderful plane meal-it was the best meal we had. When we finished, time passed quickly.

At dinner, we passed through the first-class lounge and waited for boarding. When we sit down, it's time to board the plane. The first lounge has its own boarding gate, so there is no need to queue up for boarding. Our plane that day was a Boeing 777-200ER, which was a relatively new large plane. All the interiors are refreshing. I've been on several old planes, so I know what it's like.

We have seats in the club world, which is why it is such an honor to use the first lounge. If there is an opportunity, our favorite way to travel is Club World or Business Class. The world of Pakistan Club has an important and key feature. The seat is almost flat. This means that on the night flight to London, you can sleep like a bed. So you can have a good rest and make full use of your first day in England. Ordinary economy class can't sleep. I can't sleep sitting down. So I usually go to London to have a bad rest and become a zombie on the first day. It feels like a waste to waste a whole day in London. So, if we have the chance to drive the club world, I can sleep on the plane and make full use of my schedule.

Except for the flat seats, we are in the middle aisle of the plane, so there are seats for the "King and Queen", just like in your own private cabin. You can watch British Airways' selected in-flight entertainment programs on the big screen. All seats have USB charging ports, so our mobile phones can be fully charged when they arrive. After taking off, Mrs. Anglo Topia fell asleep. I chose to eat again during the flight service, watched a movie and had a delicious chicken-stuffed rice. The food in the club world is always great, which is much more economical than what you usually eat. After dinner and watching movies, I put my seat flat and fell asleep. I hope to be refreshed and ready to explore England one hour before landing.

We arrived at Terminal 5 early-the sun hasn't risen yet! We even have a parking space in the main T5 building (most subsequent flights end in a satellite terminal). When I mentioned to some people that I like flying into Terminal 5, they snickered. But this building is beautiful. This is a luminous glass box, which is very suitable for air travel. Very clean. Very airy. This is a better passenger experience than when you arrived at the old airport. Now Heathrow Airport Terminal has been demolished. This is a proper welcome to Britain. On our recent trip, we were invited to the arrival hall of Terminal 5. This is a relaxing and warm space, where you can take a bath, have a hot breakfast and plan a day in London after the flight. If you are a business traveler, this is a good way to run in London. We had breakfast and caught up with the news and emails waiting for us. When we are ready, we walk to our taxi. It's a breath of fresh air to stop and recharge before going to work. Of course, you must be invited to enter the arrival lounge (by buying business class or first class tickets), so it is a pleasure.

Our flight returned from London more than a week after the whirlwind tour in London and Dorset. This time, our flight is very early, and it will take off at noon (we usually fly home in the late afternoon), so we arrived at the airport early. We checked in at the special registration office in business class and passed the security check. We received an invitation from the Gallery Lounge in Terminal 5, which is another special treatment for us. We like the lounge in Terminal 5. The terminal building is huge and bustling, so the gallery lounge is quiet and away from the noise. They have a lovely terrace where you can sit and watch beautiful planes take off and land on two runways at Heathrow Airport. They serve breakfast and lunch. There are many free newspapers and magazines.

Kind of like an airplane fan, always looking forward to flying. But I got special treatment that day. A Boeing 747 that we should have flown home is not special in itself. However, this time, our club's world seat is at the top of 747. I have never been there. In Pakistan's fleet, the upper deck is the club world. You are completely separated from the rest of the plane. Flying on the upper deck of the club world in Pakistan is like flying on your own private jet. There is plenty of space there-a little more than usual in the club. The staff are very helpful (I got airsick on my way home, and the staff are very concerned and helpful). We think our private jet is very fashionable. If we have a torrent home, it will be much smoother on the upper deck. I didn't feel it. You can hardly hear the roar of the four engines of the 747. As an AV geek, I am in heaven. We had a delicious meal; Eating steak at an altitude of 30 thousand feet is always a pleasure! "

BA's fleet of 747 aircraft was recently renovated, so all the interiors are new. We like the new LED emotional lighting. It feels like a brand-new plane. Flying is a pleasure, because 747 is sailing in the fleet of airlines all over the world. Compared with the new 777 and 787, they consume a lot of oil and are inefficient. British Airways is still flying about forty 747s, and they have all been refurbished. They plan to continue flying in the next few years-until the 1920 s, but I'm glad to have the opportunity to take the upper deck of the 747 before I lose my driving opportunity.

Airlines keep innovating. British Airways recently announced a large-scale investment in this airline. They plan to upgrade lounges around the world, including JFK Airport in new york. They will spend 65 million pounds at Kennedy Airport alone, where there are 20 flights to London every day, serving more than 654.38+million passengers every year. They also plan to spend 500 million pounds to renovate the club world of the whole team and add WiFi on long-haul flights.

"KDSP" tradition. This is the difference between British Airways and all other major airlines. They have a history of nearly 100 years. They are proud of it. They wear it on their sleeves. Their motto is: fly, serve. They do both things well. The pattern of the international aviation industry is constantly changing, and British Airways is also changing, but one thing has not changed: they respect their traditions and are eager to become the best airline in the world and a beacon for British people all over the world. I can't wait for the next flight. Further reading British Airways: A Historical Sketch of British Airways in paul jarvis: Designing a Route 15 History of British European Airlines in paul jarvis: 1946- 1972 Charles Woodley Airlines: Arthur Reed Concord's Internal Story of British Airways Christopher Orr visited British Airways at its waterside headquarters not far from Heathrow Airport. The museum is managed by volunteers of former British Airways employees, and it is only open by appointment for a limited time. We were arranged for a private trip on our last trip, which was really a pleasure. They collected a large number of souvenirs, including posters of Imperial Airlines, and many airplane models of old and new British Airways. There are also timetables, uniforms, menus and even laundry bags from different eras. There is also a small gift shop where you can buy BA posters, books and so on. The author of the book I bought just signed there! )。 The museum is not open to the public, but you can ask to visit it. You can go to Bamsum.

Apply for an appointment online, and all the previous Concorde planes of British Airways are now on display in museums around the world. You can see them at Manchester Airport, Edinburgh National Flight Museum, new york Fearless Air and Sea Museum, Barbados, Seattle Flight Museum and Bristol Aerospace Company, which opened on 20 17. British Airways Concorde is still owned by British Airways. It is located at Heathrow airport. After the plane takes off or lands, it can be seen occasionally. It's not on public display.

Thanks to British Airways, British Airways provided you with the opportunity to visit the British Airways Heritage Center and our flights, which made the whole article possible.