Quiz: how good is your British Airways history knowledge?

Ten British Airways historical ‘firsts’

1.    World’s first daily international scheduled air service (1919)
British Airways’ forerunner, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T), launched the world’s first daily international scheduled commercial flight on 25 August 1919, flying London to Paris.

2.    World’s first pure jet passenger service (1952)
In 1952, BOAC (a British Airways predecessor) operated the world’s first pure jet services using the de Havilland Comet, marking the start of the jet age for commercial travel.

3.    World’s first transatlantic pure jet service (1958)
BOAC operated the first-ever transatlantic pure jet service in October 1958, again using the de Havilland Comet 4.

4.    World’s first fully automatic landing with commercial passengers (1965)
A BEA Trident completed the world’s first fully automatic touchdown carrying commercial passengers at Heathrow in 1965 – a milestone in aviation safety and technology.

5.    First airline to introduce fully lie-flat business class beds (2000)
British Airways became the first carrier to offer fully flat beds in business class with the launch of its Club World ‘yin-yang’ layout in 2000 – a major industry shift.

6.    One of only two airlines to operate supersonic passenger services (Concorde)
British Airways began operating Concorde in 1976, becoming one of only two airlines (with Air France) ever to operate supersonic commercial flights – a category of ‘first’ still unmatched today.

7.    First airline to introduce a Wi-Fi enabled inflight customer care solution (2024)
British Airways became the first airline to allow ground-based customer care teams to connect with cabin crew in flight via a bespoke Microsoft Connected Teams system, enabling real-time issue resolution at 35,000 feet.

8.    First-ever British Airways initiative to offer free on-board messaging for members of The British Airways Club (2024)
From 3 April 2024, British Airways introduced free messaging over in-flight Wi-Fi for members of what was then called the Executive Club – a connectivity enhancement embedded within its wider digital transformation.

9.    First British Airways deployment of major AI, automation and machine learning systems across operations (2024-2025)
As part of its £7bn transformation programme, British Airways committed £100m specifically to AI, automation and machine learning to optimise everything from bookings to baggage handling – the largest tech upgrade in its operational history.

10.    First British Airways lounge to debut a completely new global design concept (Miami, 2024)
British Airways’ newly opened Miami lounge is the first to showcase the airline’s entirely new design language, setting the blueprint for all future lounge refurbishments.