Our history

 British Virtual Airways has been around for over 10 years.

Read more about our history here, with a timeline tracing our main events from 1998.

  
2009
  • Brand new look website launched
  • Fleet review, and reduction of Boeing 757s flights
  • Boeing 757 and 747 models updated

 
2008
  • 10 year birthday of BVAir.com
  • Concorde retired
  • Recruitment suspended for website re-launch
  • Flight report facility updated with editing functions

 
2007
  • New FSX model release:
    A320, A330, A340, A380
    B744, B772, B773, B788
    E120, E170
    F50
  • Flight Project International closes
    BVAir adopts vRoute
  • Registration pricing now in UK Sterling
  • New flight plans for FSX

 

 
2006
  • Brand new servers, future-proof
  • New Boeing 777-300
    Updated Concorde installation
  • 150 free registrations giveaway
  • Microsoft FSX released
  • New Zulu times incorporated into timetables

 

 
2005
  • Website traffic up 27% on last year
    PayPal now accepted for registrations
  • New Airbus 340-300
    Airbus 320-200 update
    Reporting procedures return to GMT time zone
    New routes launched on all fleet
  • Website now Firefox compatible
    Version 6 Gold & Silver membership packages launched
    New Olympic liveries for A380, A319 and E170
  • All new flight plans available
    Recruitment on hold

 

 
2004
  • New models: B767 & B777/New planes: EMB120
    BVAir.com increases membership fee by 25% to compensate for falling US Dollar
  • New planes: Airbus 320-200 + retirement of B717
    Third Clearance wave of pilots: 54 new positions available
  • Major fleet update: B744/B772/B763/B752/B738/A320/F50
  • Forum re-launch
    New Embraer 170
    New World Cargo launch + new Boeing 744F Cargo
    A380 and B7E7 experimental join the fleet!
    Version 5 of Gold Membership package unveiled
  • New flying frequencies approved
    VATSIM/IFR guides online
    A319 joins Regional
    Flight Project International support, parallel to VATSIM

 

 
2003
  • Concorde recruitment re-open
    Start of the NG2 program (NextGen2)
    New Boeing 777-200ER released
  • Concorde available to all
    Summer Survey
    Reliability factor introduced
    New BAe146-200/New Boeing 747-400 model
  • Arrival of FS2004
    Following aircraft removed from service:
    ATR-72, ERJ-145, A320, DC10-30C, B747-200C
    Arrival of Fokker 50, Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 737-800
    WorldCargo suspended
  • New routes to: Cairo, Damascus, Auckland, St Marteen, Barbados, Bucharest, Stockholm, Madeira, Riga, Lyon, Shannon, Kirkwall.
    New B737-800
    New Splash Screens collection
    Emergency landing of Concorde

 

 
2002
  • World Cargo operations started
    Introduction of Boeing 747-200 Cargo
    Introduction of Boeing DC-10-30 Cargo
    Introduction of Aerospatiale ATR-72 for Regional
    Major server upgrade
    New WorldWide routes to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Washington, Boston, Toronto, San Francisco and Honolulu.
    Regional expansion with Birmingham as a new hub
  • Introduction of ERJ-145 to replace CRJ-200
    Introduction of Boeing 717-200
    Introduction of Airbus 320-200
    Release of first Splash Screens
    New flying frequency approved to 4 flights/day maximum
  • Introduction of Airbus 330-300
    Summer schedule sees new destinations including: Jersey, Moscow, Shannon, Larnaca...
  • Full compliance to VATSIM Online ATC
    New Boeing 767 model
    Release of A330 Special Edition
    Engine fire on BVA174 (19/08)
  • New promotion scheme
    Saab 340 retired
    Dornier 228 introduced for Regional
    Increased capacity on Belfast shuttle

 

 
2001
  • Inauguration of the new BVAir.com
    Continuation of testing through to February 2001
  • New orders for Airbus 330s
    New routes to Barcelona, Geneva and Milan
    Increased frequency to Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam
  • New look website launched
    Change of server accomplished
    NextGen Airbus 321-200 introduced to the fleet
  • New logo launched
    Chat room started
    NextGen Saab 340 unveiled
    Free recruitment drive of 100 new pilots
  • Flight Simulator 2002 is here
    Retirement of Airbus 330/340 and Dash-8
    Cross-Training of aircraft types
    First inactive staff redundancies

 

 
2000
  • Retirement of last Boeing 747 Classic
    Deliveries of three new Airbus 330s
    New flights to Miami, Dallas, Strasbourg and Oslo
    Increased frequency to Chicago
    Services to Lagos suspended
  • British Virtual Airways suspends all activities following difficulties in coping with growing workforce 
  • New BVAir website launched for beta testing with ASP Server support

 

 
1999
  • www.bvair.com domain acquired 
    Delivery of first Boeing 747-200
    First routes to North America
    New York, Chicago, Los Angeles
    Retirements of short haul Airbus fleet
    First regional Belfast-Glasgow flight operated by Dash-8
  • Worldwide network expansion 
    Creation of fleet divisions
    Delivery of four Boeing 747-200s
    Delivery of first Airbus 340-200
    Lease of six Boeing 747-400s
    Wet lease of two Boeing 777-200s
  • One hundred pilots
    Increased frequency throughout Europe 
    Delivery of six new 757-200s
    Inauguration flight of Concorde to New York JFK
    Delivery of three Concordes
  • Reorganisation of fleet
    End of 767 long haul routes
    Order for 5 new B777s, 5 new B747-400s, 4 Airbus 340-200s and 6 leased 757-200s
  • Four hundred pilots
    BVAir voted "most realistic virtual airline" by pilots

 

 
1998
  • British Virtual Airways first ideas and plans
  • Official launch of the website hosted at Tripod.co.uk
    Airline code set to BVA
    Fleet of Saab 340, Boeing 757/767, Airbus 320
  • First recruitment campaign on newsgroups
    Introduction of WINGS