International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A. is a multinational airline holding company with a registered office in Madrid, Spain, and global headquarters in London, England. The company is the result of the 2011 merger of British Airways and Iberia, both flag carriers for their respective countries. Upon completion of the merger, British Airways shareholders owned 55% of the new company which is the 3rd largest carrier globally. The company’s primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange but it is also listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange as well. The company is a constituent of the FTSE 100 and the IBEX 35. Qatar Airways is a major holder of the company and controls more than 25% of the stock as of 2021.
The idea for British Airways was first floated in 1953. The idea was to merge the operations of the British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways which were having a standoff over rights to Cyprus. The idea finally took after the 1969 Edwards report which suggested the nationalization of several British airlines under the management of the British Airlines Board. The British Airways Board allowed the independent operation and branding of the original airlines for several years but soon consolidated the assets under a single brand of British Airways. The company came back to the public market in the early 1980s and has been a major player in the airline industry ever since.
Iberia, or Iberia Airlines, was first formed in 1927 from an investment by private and corporate money. The firm lasted about a year until it was nationalized and consolidated with other Spanish airlines. The brand was revived in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War and operated as a national air carrier until its privatization in 2001. Since then, the company has made aggressive investments in expansions and infrastructure that helped grow it to be Spain’s largest airline. It, along with its low-cost subsidiary Iberia Express, serves 24 domestic and 64 international destinations.
Today, IAG together provides domestic and international air travel across the EU and globally through a network of brands that include but are not limited to British Airways and Iberia. It provides passenger and cargo transportation services as well as tours and vacation packages. The company operates a fleet of 531 aircraft and utilizes a strategy of modernization to control costs. The company’s newest aircraft are up to 20% more efficient than older models. The fleet consists primarily of A320 and A350 as well as Boeing 787 and 777 models.