I understand that the RAF got a really good deal for the first 6 TriStars from BA. BA were in a
tight spot at the time and needed cash fast.
John King's achievement at British Airways is part of the folklore of the Thatcher era. When he took on the chairmanship of the state-owned airline in February 1981 - against the advice of some of his friends - it was badly run, demoralised and over-manned. Its aircraft fleet and route network revealed chronic failures of business planning. It had been making heavy losses.
King set about his task in the rumbustious, sometimes bruising style which was his hallmark. The old guard of senior managers was abruptly replaced by newcomers such as Colin (now Sir Colin) Marshall, a brilliant marketing specialist who joined King as chief executive. Staff numbers were cut from 52,000 to 37,500 within two years. Surplus aircraft and other assets were sold off.