BRITISH AIRWAYS
(United Kingdom)

Europe’s largest airline, British Airways, was formed out of BEA (which operated the European network) and BOAC (which had the overseas routes) in 1976. BOAC became an early 747 costumer and although Douglas visited the airline, BOACs executives came to the decision that an aircraft in the size of the DC-10 was not needed. Also BEA was visited by Mc Donnell - Douglas, but the airline preferred the A300 and was forced by the government to buy Lockheed’s L-1011 TriStar to help the struggling Rolls-Royce company. British Airways later not only influenced Cathay Pacific Airlines in its decision to buy the TriStar (although the DC-10 was first preferred), but took the chance to mark the DC-10 as the devil itself after the different accidents in cooperation with the British press when its rival British Caledonian was taking away parts of the African market with its DC-10 fleet.
In 1988, British Airways bought British Caledonian and inherited so a fleet of eight DC-10-30, becoming operator of all three first generation widebody aircraft: The L-1011, the 747 and the DC-10. The Douglas trijets (the first Douglas jets in BAs fleet!) served the routes to the Americas and the Caribbean Sea in a three-class layout for 229 passengers. It is a fact in favor of the DC-10 that the Lockheed L-1011, which was present in larger numbers than the DC-10, was phased out four years earlier than the Douglas trijet as this had a larger range - it was the only alternative to the larger 747 until the 777 was introduced. Although BA never ordered a DC-10, it became a DC-10 operator for almost eleven years and finally phased out its last DC-10 in spring of 1999. Unfortunately, BA’s DC-10 never received another paint scheme as the one introduce in the early eighties, so that the only DC-10 with world images flew for Air Liberté. Now, the 777 took over the DC-10 routes and flies together with a fleet of A320-family aircraft, 737-400, 757-200, 767-300ER and 747 for the "world's favorite airline".


Photos:
Right: British Airways DC-10 - BY MATHIAS HENIG
Left: Tail and nose of two British Airways DC-10s - BY THOMAS MILLARD

Drawing from Taxiways collection


Following aircraft were operated by or for British Airways:

RegistrationAircraftFleetnr./NameOperated from - toWhere is it now?
G-BEBL46949/ 179Forest of Dean14.04.1988 - 25.01.1999VarigLOG
G-BEBM46921/ 214Sherwood Forest14.04.1988 - 11.1998VarigLOG
G-BHDH47816/ 316Benmore Forest14.04.1988 - 28.04.1993 and
31.10.1995 - 21.03.1999
Centurion Air Cargo
G-BHDI47831/ 327Forest of Ae14.04.1988 - 12.07.1993 and
07.09.1993 - ????
Arrow Air
G-BHDJ47840/ 337Glencap Forest14.04.1988 - 28.03.1999Centurion Air Cargo
G-DCIO48277/ 354Epping Forest14.04.1988 - 28.03.1999WRITTEN OFF
G-MULL47888/ 291New Forest14.04.1988 - 27.03.1999Centurion Air Cargo
G-NIUK46932/ 158Cairn Edward Forest14.04.1988 - 04.05.1992,
14.10.1993 - 31.08.1994 and
1997 - 21.02.1999
Cielos del Perú


Previous airline: Birgenair Next airline: British Caledonian

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