There are lots of awesome airlines for people to choose from when they are trying to decide which one to fly with when they need to travel. One of those airlines is British Airways, which is quite a popular airline in the United Kingdom.

According to seatmaestro.com, this airline has been in business since the early 1970s. To be more specific, the company got started in 1972. Since they have been around for such a long time, there are lots of interesting facts that many people do not know about this company.

The history of British Airways is actually fascinating for those who are interested in that sort of thing. Here are some of the most intriguing things that the company has been involved with.

20 Kate Middleton Did Something Surprising With Passengers On One Of Their Flights

Kate Middleton usually takes a private jet when she travels, but that is not the case every time. According to express.co.uk, the famous mother traveled on this airline with a bunch of very surprised passengers. This is not something she or her family members usually do, so people were surprised.

19 Someone Famous Has A Connection To This Airline

When Kate traveled on this airline, some people were shocked, but it is really not that surprising. According to express.co.uk, they actually have a fascinating connection with her, since her mother once worked as a flight attendant for that airline a long time ago, which is a very interesting fact.

18 They Started Expanding In The 1980s

Expanding is something that’s usually good for any company since it means that they are doing financially well. According to factfile.org, this company started to expand sometime time in the 1980s, which isn’t long after it was created in the first place. This happened a couple more times after that.

17 They’re One Of Many Founders Of Oneworld Airline Alliance

These days, this airline is very important in the world of aircraft. According to factfile.org, this airline, along with many others, are the founding members of something that is called Oneworld Airline Alliance, which is definitely cool. A couple of the other airlines in it are Canadian and American Airlines.

16 The Company Is Involved With Boeing

One of the most interesting things about this company is that they are connected to Boeing, since many of the aircraft that they own are made by that company, according to factfile.org. That is not necessarily good since Boeing has had its own issues.

15 They Fly To Approximately 160 Destinations

This airline is a very big one. In fact, they are able to fly to over 160 locations around the year, since they serve so many different destinations. The company is connected to lots of other companies, such as American Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Air Berlin, and Finnair, according to factfile.org.

14 The Company Has Helped A Lot Of Women Become Pilots

One of the many really cool things about this airline is the fact that they actually have a lot of very well-trained female pilots, according to gotravelyourway.com. There are over 230 women who fly their airplanes, and there are bound to be more in the future, which is really cool.

13 The Airline Serves Approximately 25 Million Cups Of Tea Each Year

There are a lot of airlines that serve people coffee and tea. According to gotravelyourway.com, this airline serves up a lot of tea every year. In fact, they serve their customers over 25 million delicious cups of tea every single year. That is definitely a lot of tea to serve.

12 British Airways Once Earned A Prestigious Award

There was one year when this airline was so impressive that it was considered to be the best one in the world that year. According to gotravelyourway.com, this airline won the airline of the year award in 2006, which is saying a lot. Asiana and Emirates have also achieved this.

11 They Are Now Offering Less Leg Room Than Other Airlines

There are lots of airplanes that do not offer their customers a lot of space for their legs, and now some of the planes that this airline uses will be the same way, according to gotravelyourway.com. They are doing this in order to make some extra room for more seats.

10 Every 90 Seconds, One Of Their Flights Takes Off

British Airlines has lots of flights all around the world, so that means that the company almost always has an airplane taking off somewhere. According to gotravelyourway.com, it is estimated that one of the planes takes off every minute and a half, which equals out to be about 90 seconds.

9 They Are The Biggest Airline In The United Kingdom

This might not come as a huge surprise, but this company is extremely popular in the United Kingdom. They are one of the most popular airlines in that area in general, according to gotravelyourway.com. Part of the reason for their popularity could be because Royal family members have used them.

8 Many Of Their Pilots Went On Strike

British Airways saw trouble recently when some of their pilots went on strike, according to theguardian.com. They did this so that they could settle a dispute that they were having with the company, but it interrupted a lot of flights, which affected many people. The strikes were probably very costly.

7 There Was Only One Passenger On The First British Airways Flight

According to jetlinemarvel.com, this airline is very historical. Their first flight carried only one passenger on it. Additionally, this event was what kickstarted daily international scheduled flights that took place between Paris and London, which is a very interesting fact. British Airways has really done a lot since its creation.

6 They Have A Theme Song

It doesn’t seem that there are many airlines that have theme songs, but that is just another thing that makes this airline so unique and memorable. British Airways does have a theme song, according to youtube.com. It is “Flower Duet” by Lakmé, and it plays when people board the plane.

5 One Of Their Pilots Has Written Some Books

One pilot that works for this company has many talents. According to mediacentre.britishairways.com, one of them has penned a series of books for children, and they are about a pilot. In every book, the two lead characters fly to a new location. These books sound very educational, and interesting as well.

4 One Of Their Flight Attendants Got In Some Trouble Over A Video

One of the flight attendants that worked for the company got in some trouble after filming a really odd video, according to dailymail.co.uk. The video showed her doing and saying lots of strange things, and it definitely is not good publicity for the airline. The woman was grounded for this.

3 The Company Was Accused Of Spying On Staff Members

This company might seem like they are very professional, but they have done some questionable things in the past. According to independent.co.uk, many of their employees were being spied on, which is not something that created a good buzz for the airline at all. It caused quite a big issue.

2 They’re Known For Burning Lots Of Fuel

This company is not known for saving fuel. According to dailymail.co.uk, the airline does tend to burn a lot of fuel, which can’t be good for the planet. But on the other hand, one airline that is very fuel-efficient is actually Norwegian Airlines. That airline burns 51% less fuel.

1 They Tweeted Something That Was Very Offensive

British Airways is definitely no stranger when it comes to controversy. According to mirror.co.uk, the company’s Twitter account tweeted some things that some of their followers found to be very offensive. The company ended up apologizing to anyone who was offended by the tweets, and the incident was investigated.