British Overseas Airways Corporation

The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd. Following a 1971 Act of Parliament, BOAC was merged in 1974 with British European Airways Corporation (BEA) to form British Airways. BOAC had its head office in the Speedbird House on the grounds of London Heathrow Airport in the London Borough of Hillingdon. During the 1930s and post-World War II 1940s until November 1950, Imperial Airways and then BOAC operated scheduled flying boat services to colonial possessions in Africa and Asia (until September 1939 they departed from Southampton,...