‘Iconic’ BA celebrates its 90th anniversary

BRITISH Airways, which has flown under a series of names in its history, celebrated its 90th anniversary yesterday.

The airline where Irishman Willie Walsh is chief executive can trace its origins back to the time Air Transport & Travel Ltd (AT&T) embarked on its first flight – from London to Paris – on August 25, 1919. An Airco DeHavilland 4A aircraft, powered by a single Rolls-Royce engine, flew from Hounslow Heath in west London to Le Bourget in Paris in two hours 30 minutes.

The fare for what was the world’s first daily international air service was 42 guineas (€50.84 in present-day money) which is the equivalent of around €1,960 today.