Never-before-seen photos released to mark British Airways' centenary

The Queen on Concorde, a BOAC DC-7C as well as airline posters and uniforms are among the never-before-seen images released by British Airways to mark the airline's centenary. A collection from the airline's archives is being hosted on a special website and includes photographs from key moments in its history from the launch of BA ancestor Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited on August 25, 1919. The digital collection includes images and videos of aircraft throughout the decades, including the De Havilland DH106 Comet 4, the Boeing 747-136  and the iconic Concorde. READ:  Status sold air travel to passengers. They join close-up photographs of uniforms worn by generations of cabin crew and pilots as well as behind-the-scenes memorabilia from Royal and Olympic flights as well as Concorde artifacts.

The airline says it will continue to develop and add to the site throughout its centenary year, including adding recollections written by current and retired staff and carefully preserved records, documents and images from its archives.

“Air travel has always been about connecting people around the world, and this website will share the stories, achievements and memories of 100 years of British Airways history,'' BA chief executive Alex Cruz said. “Since 1919, British Airways and its forerunners pioneered commercial air travel, and our Centenary Archive Collection will continue to evolve as we look forward to the next 100 years of aviation.”  

The British Airways Heritage Collection is managed by retired British Airways’ staff and is based at the airline’s head office near Heathrow. It comprises hundreds of thousands of documents and pieces of memorabilia from British Airways and its predecessor companies British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), British European Airways (BEA), British South American Airways (BSAA) and the pre-war Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. The archived webpage is among a range of events and activities the airline is holding throughout the year to mark its 100th birthday.

It earlier this year unveiled four aircraft re-painted in heritage liveries as part of its Centenary celebrations – a BOAC liveried Boeing 747, an Airbus A319 in BEA livery and two further Boeing 747 aircraft painted in the Negus and Landor livery designs.