A highly competitive and influential airline, with routes covering most countries and popular destinations in the world, and the world's largest international airline

British Airways is one of the world's leading international airlines, with a global network of more than 150 destinations in 75 countries. It is the world's largest international airline, carrying about 36 million passengers annually. British Airways has been serving China since 1980. There are currently seven direct flights per week from Beijing to London (six per week in winter), six flights per week from Shanghai to London, and three direct flights per week from Chengdu to London from September 2013. British Airways' dedicated London Heathrow Terminal 5 opened on 27 March 2008. The terminal can handle 30 million passengers per year. All flights were completed in October 2008. Terminal 5 now handles around 510 flights per day.

Business Overview

British Airways is a well-known airline in Europe and the world, and it is also the oldest airline in the world. British Airways has a strong reputation for providing quality service.BA's two main hubs are Heathrow (one of the largest airports in the world) and Gatwick in London, UK. Based near London Heathrow Airport, British Airways has a fascinating name – Waterside.

British Airways offers a global route network through British Airways, British Mediterranean Airways, Comair, Loganair and Sun Air. British Airways flies to more than 200 destinations in more than 130 countries around the world.

China History

British Airways' predecessor, Imperial Airways, has a history in China dating back to 1936 when it launched its first flight to Hong Kong.

In 1980, British Airways launched flights from London to Beijing. In September 2004, in addition to passenger services, British Airways also launched British Airways Global Cargo (BAWC) to Shanghai. On 1 June 2005, Shanghai became the third city to be served by British Airways in China, following Hong Kong and Beijing.

Until 2004, British Airways flights to China were limited to six flights per week between London and Beijing. In February 2004, the British and Chinese governments signed a memorandum of understanding to significantly increase the frequency of flights between the two countries. In 2009, UK flights were available to Beijing, Shanghai and four other selected Chinese cities. On the issue of air traffic rights in Hong Kong, China and the UK have signed a separate air services agreement. In January 2005, the Approved Destination Status (ADS) agreement between China and the UK was signed, and the UK became the official destination country for citizens to travel abroad by the Chinese government. In March 2006, the air traffic rights between China and the UK were increased to 31 passenger flights and 7 freighter flights per week.

British Airways has dedicated counters at airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in China.

On 29 November 2010, British Airways shareholders approved the company's merger with Spain's Iberia SA. The deal will result in Europe's third-largest airline, with a market capitalization of approximately $7.5 billion. British Airways and Iberia are also planning to expand their oneworld alliance with American Airlines (AMR).

On December 19, 2012, British Airways held a press conference in Chengdu to announce that it would launch the Chengdu Shuangliu-London Heathrow route on September 22, 2013, with three flights per week, and it is expected to operate with Boeing 777-200ER.