BOAC was created in 1939 by merging Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd.
The British Overseas Airways Corporation, commonly abbreviated BOAC, began operations on 1 April 1940. Its creation followed the British Civil Aviation Act 1939, which reorganised the country’s major airline activities at the start of the Second World War.
Imperial Airways had focused heavily on long-distance routes linking Britain with the empire, while British Airways Ltd was a separate private carrier. Their combination created a state-owned airline responsible primarily for Britain’s overseas air services.
BOAC operated flying boats, propeller aircraft, and later jet aircraft, including the de Havilland Comet. In 1974, BOAC merged with British European Airways and several smaller organisations to form British Airways. BOAC is therefore a predecessor of British Airways, not the same legal airline under its modern name. The similarly named British Airways Ltd was one of the companies merged into BOAC.