London (TAN): Queen Elizabeth II met with British Airways employees and visited British Airways’ museum, The Speedbird Centre, where she was shown artefacts and memorabilia relating to her many historic journeys with the airline throughout her reign.
The visit took place last week as part of the airline’s ongoing centenary celebrations. On August 25, 1919, British Airways’ forerunner company, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T), launched the world’s first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris.
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The Queen was shown images from 1951 when she, then a princess, and the Duke of Edinburgh, made their first transatlantic flight on a Boeing Stratocruiser from London to Montreal aboard British Airways’ predecessor, BOAC, as well as a photo from her first Commonwealth tour in 1953, after her coronation.
Aircraft models that the royal family have travelled on lined The Speedbird Centre route including De Havilland Comet 4s, Boeing 70s, Vickers VC-10s and Lockheed Tristars, along with items from Royal flights such as the royal book, which has been signed by members of the family including the Queen and her son, Prince Charles of Wales.
The Queen was then presented with a model BOAC Stratocruiser, which is a perfectly to scale representation of the aircraft she and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh flew on in 1951, as she had seen during the tour of The Speedbird Centre.
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Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and CEO, said: “We are so honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to visit us on this very special occasion to help to mark our centenary – a landmark in aviation.
“It was such a pleasure to show Her Majesty The Queen the artefacts and memorabilia we have kept and curated over the years, and to introduce her to our passionate teams from all across British Airways who’ve gone above and beyond for customers, to those who make British Airways the inclusive place it is to work, and those who help raise millions for young people in need.”
I am interested in getting information on Brithish airways flight to kenya in the 1915s and 1945 .I would like to write a peace of history on earlier air travel to kenya as well as recommend to government about the eation of airport museum.
I am interested in getting information on plane landing sites,photos of kisumu,nature of flights ,nunber of persons who travelled between 1919 and 1945 and any othe useful information.