British Airways and Chennai: a 30-year-old connection

Commemorating its operations to the city, the airline announces discounts

As an airline that can trace its origins back to the beginnings of civil aviation — in the pioneering days following World War I — British Airways (BA) can claim its spot to aviation fame.

And with a global route network that now touches over 200 destinations, the British flag carrier is focusing on airports and markets that have contributed to its ‘growth story’.

Chennai is one such station to which BA began flights 30 years ago, in November. Chennai-based aviation enthusiasts still remember the airline’s Lockheed L-1011 TriStar touching down at the Meenambakkam airport, on November 4, 1988, as an event that also marked the city’s first direct air-link with Europe.

‘Good wishes’

A newspaper report published in

The Hindu the next day described how Piper and a Town Crier of Lambeth, Alfie Howard, came down the step ladder, announcing “the greetings and good wishes from the people of U.K. and the Queen” and of passengers being greeted by two elephants.

Scheduled twice a week, it was operated with a stopover in Kuwait.

A note in the airline’s news magazine of 1988 says: “Latest addition this winter is Madras (November 3/4), gateway to the four States of southern India... Many South Indians have migrated to North America, so flight schedules connect closely with services to the U.S. and Canada.”

Range of aircraft

Since then, the airline has introduced almost every aircraft type in its widebody fleet on this route.

These are the mainstay Boeing 747-400 that operated nonstop to Chennai and flew onto Kuala Lumpur, in 1991, (this was later shifted to Singapore, in 1996); the Boeing 767 (via Dubai) in 1993; the Boeing 777, in 2013, and now the Boeing 787, since 2014.

There was even a Concorde charter flight (November 2, 1999) and a Boeing 747-8F cargo operation in 2012.

To commemorate its operations here, the airline has announced a “30th year” sale for the Chennai route, that is valid for booking till December 12, with a 10% discount on the base fare (fare excluding taxes, fees and carrier charges).

More information

The travel period for World Traveller and World Traveller Plus passengers is between January 28 to March 31, 2019 and for Club World between January 22 to March 31, 2019. The airline adds that more information is available on its website.