United Kingdom · Company filings
How British Airways became part of International Airlines Group
British Airways and Iberia completed their merger in January 2011 under a Spanish holding company. Their airline brands continued, while the group combined cargo operations and added other carriers.
Sources checked
- 13 December 1983British Airways plc incorporated
UK Companies House records the legal company's incorporation. Source 1
- 17 December 2009IAG incorporated
The holding company was incorporated in Spain. Source 2
- 8 April 2010Merger agreement signed
British Airways and Iberia signed the merger agreement. Source 3
- 21 January 2011Merger completed
British Airways and Iberia became the group's first two airlines. Source 2
- April 2011Cargo businesses combined
British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo formed IAG Cargo. Source 4
- 2012bmi acquired
British Midland Airways was integrated into British Airways. Source 5
Show 2 more dates
British Airways plc and the IAG holding company have separate corporate records.
The corporate registration follows the airline's earlier history
The IAG prospectus traces the present-day British Airways business to the 1974 merger of predecessor airlines. Companies House records the incorporation of British Airways plc in December 1983. These dates describe the operating history and the legal entity respectively. Source 5 Source 1
The new parent was established before completion
IAG was incorporated in Spain in December 2009. The airlines signed the merger agreement in April 2010 and completed the transaction in January 2011. The holding company subsequently traded on the London Stock Exchange and Spanish stock exchanges. Source 3 Source 2
Cargo was combined within months
British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo combined to form IAG Cargo in April 2011. IAG describes a group model in which the airlines keep their own brands while certain functions and coordination sit at group level. Source 4
Later acquisitions followed different paths
IAG says bmi was integrated into British Airways after its 2012 acquisition. The group added Vueling in 2013 and Aer Lingus in 2015. Both remain identifiable operating brands in IAG's description of the group's businesses. Source 2 Source 5 Source 4