Airlines / United Kingdom

Airline

British Airways

From

United Kingdom

Since

1974 source

Status

Flying

ICAO

BAW

Callsign

SPEEDBIRD

IATA

BA

British Airways is an airline from the United Kingdom, founded in 1974. Its codes are BA (IATA) and BAW (ICAO), and its radio callsign is “SPEEDBIRD”.

Lifeline

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1. British European Airways 1946–1974
2. British Midland International 1938–2012
3. British Overseas Airways Corporation 1939–1974
4. British Airways 1974–today

History

British Airways took the place of British European Airways (until 1974), British Midland International (until 2012), British Overseas Airways Corporation (until 1974).

Fleet

Aircraft families in British Airways’s current fleet as listed on Wikipedia in October 2025, cargo aircraft included:

• Boeing 777e.g. 777-300ER, 73.9 m
• Airbus A350e.g. A350-1000, 73.8 m
• Airbus A380e.g. A380, 72.7 m
• Boeing 787e.g. 787-10, 68.3 m
• Airbus A320 familye.g. A321neo, 44.5 m

Side views drawn to the same scale, one typical variant per family.

Fleet source: Wikipedia. Fleets change; this is a snapshot.

What the codes mean

The two-character IATA code is the one on tickets, boarding passes and flight numbers (BA 123). The three-letter ICAO code is used in flight plans and by air traffic control. The radio callsign is what pilots and controllers say on the radio: a flight filed as BAW123 is called “SPEEDBIRD one two three”.

Airports in the United Kingdom

More airlines from the United Kingdom

• EasyJet
• Virgin Atlantic
• British Midland International
• British Overseas Airways Corporation
• Flybe
• Imperial Airways
• Jet2.com
• Monarch Airlines
• Thomas Cook Airlines
• Aurigny
• BA CityFlyer
• Bmibaby

Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata. A fact is shown only when both agree, or a third source settles it (linked next to the fact). Spotted something wrong? Tell us.