British Airways is celebrating 75 years of service to Japan. The airline first flew to Japan with its fleet of flying boats just after World War II. British Airways became the first British airline to fly to Japan in 1948, back when it was known as British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The carrier's first destination was Iwakuni before it extended its network to Yokohama. Flights would take passengers seven days and stop off at seven destinations en route - Augusta, Alexandria, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Iwakuni.
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British Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Colm Lacy, commented, "It all started with a flying boat and now Tokyo is one of our longest-served and most valued destinations. We’re incredibly proud of our heritage – it’s been our pleasure to connect Japanese travelers with Britain since 1948 – and we look forward to serving them for the next 75 years and beyond as we continue our investment into new products, customer experience, and technology".
To commemorate this milestone, from September 1st, British Airways will reintroduce its first-class service on London-Tokyo. Following on from that, commencing October 31st, the Oneworld airline will launch its business Club Suite on flights between Tokyo Haneda and London’s Heathrow as it switches to the 777-300ER operating the daily BA5/BA6 rotation. The British Airways Club Suite offers direct-aisle access and a suite door for greater privacy in a 1-2-1 configuration. Boasting 40 percent more storage than its predecessor, including a vanity unit and mirror, Wi-Fi, and 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens.
Drawing on inspiration from heritage menus in the airline’s extensive archive, chefs have created celebratory dishes for all four cabins on Heathrow-Haneda from September 1st to October 31st. Customers will be able to enjoy popular dishes that were served on the route in 1969 – beef stroganoff and beef cheek okaribayaki – and the airline has also created a celebratory cherry meringue gateau, the signature dessert enjoyed by flyers on the London to Anchorage sector that same year. This anniversary is a significant milestone for British Airways and its relationship with Japan. It is a testament to the enduring connection between these two countries and their people. Here's to another 75 years of service.