British Airways Callsigns
Thread Starter
British Airways Callsigns
Hi Guys
Please would sometime explain to me the difference between the various types of BA callsigns that i've noticed, ofcourse I understand the normal format e.g.Speedbird 987. However, why do someflights get a callsign of Shuttle 7 A & others get Speedbird 401R, why the shuttle instead of just Speedbird & why the Romeo after the flight number?
Mark
Please would sometime explain to me the difference between the various types of BA callsigns that i've noticed, ofcourse I understand the normal format e.g.Speedbird 987. However, why do someflights get a callsign of Shuttle 7 A & others get Speedbird 401R, why the shuttle instead of just Speedbird & why the Romeo after the flight number?
Mark
Shuttle is used for domestic flights and the service number is usually used as call sign for international flights unless there exists the possibility of confusion with another flight in which case an alphanumeric call sign is allocated.
The former BOAC (Speedbird c/s) and BEA (Bealine c/s) operations were merged in 1974 using Speedbird, and the following year the enhanced domestic operations of the no-reservations BA Shuttle were started. There were just too many chances of confusion in RT calls around London (and possibly some incidents) so the domestic flights were given a new callsign of Shuttle.
The Shuttle concept was eventually abandoned and the services reverted to a normal scheduled operation, but the callsign remains, and is employed on other domestic routes as well which were never part of the proper Shuttle operation.
The Shuttle concept was eventually abandoned and the services reverted to a normal scheduled operation, but the callsign remains, and is employed on other domestic routes as well which were never part of the proper Shuttle operation.
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: In the rain
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most airlines around Europe these days use alpha numeric call signs that bear no resemblance to the commercial flight number to reduce the chances of call sign confusion, so for example if XX5324 and XX5234 are scheduled to fly about the same time one might be 324F and the other 523Y or 52AQ or some other weird/whacky combination.
Some airlines are more keen on this than others, BA don't do it too often whereas easyjet or Lufthansa rarely use the commercial flight number.
S.
Some airlines are more keen on this than others, BA don't do it too often whereas easyjet or Lufthansa rarely use the commercial flight number.
S.
From memory, with an association from my Father’s employment in BEA/BA and mine from 1950 to 2001 and subsequent flying over the UK to 2010, the following callsigns were used.
Keyline – from the postwar BEA days until the early 50s, when the BEA livery incorporated a winged key. The HQ was at Keyline House. Route Information
Speedbird – BOAC/BA
Bealine – BEA/ BA shorthaul early 50s to late 70s
Shuttle – already explained
Albion – BA regional including the Channel Islands and Scottish divisions together with the ex BKS (Northeast) and Cambrian regional services.
And lastly apparently Santa, although I never used or heard it!
Additionally the franchise airlines and subsidiaries used their own callsigns, e.g. Bmed, GB, Cityflyer etc.
The only two survivors are Speedbird and Shuttle although Bealine was used by the tugs at Heathrow (still?) and Beeline, which has been adopted by Brussels Airlines.
Keyline – from the postwar BEA days until the early 50s, when the BEA livery incorporated a winged key. The HQ was at Keyline House. Route Information
Speedbird – BOAC/BA
Bealine – BEA/ BA shorthaul early 50s to late 70s
Shuttle – already explained
Albion – BA regional including the Channel Islands and Scottish divisions together with the ex BKS (Northeast) and Cambrian regional services.
And lastly apparently Santa, although I never used or heard it!
Additionally the franchise airlines and subsidiaries used their own callsigns, e.g. Bmed, GB, Cityflyer etc.
The only two survivors are Speedbird and Shuttle although Bealine was used by the tugs at Heathrow (still?) and Beeline, which has been adopted by Brussels Airlines.
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: southeast england
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
...For interest's sake, 'Bealine' is still used as the callsign for towing BA aircraft.
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Home away from home
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I spent an entire day in the VCR at EGLL and didn't notice that, I thought they were also called "Speedbird AM" etc. Guess I was focusing to much on keeping up with what everyone was actually doing to notice 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: That France
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Albion, eh? That'd bring a smile to the eyes of one ex-ATCA friend of mine...
My Dad was a BKS pilot, (DC3s, Viscounts and Tridents) ISTR that at some point the idea was floated for 'Norjet' as a callsign for the jets to distinguish them from the Viscounts and Elizabethans.
Anyone else remember that?
My Dad was a BKS pilot, (DC3s, Viscounts and Tridents) ISTR that at some point the idea was floated for 'Norjet' as a callsign for the jets to distinguish them from the Viscounts and Elizabethans.
Anyone else remember that?
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: EGSS
Posts: 943
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Global Supply Systems also use the Speedbird callsign on the 747-400F/-8F flying contract for BAWC. Normally a 4 number callsign starting with 3. For example "Speedbird 3571".
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
Posts: 2,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Certainly do Chev!
I remember watching the Northeast A/C going south on Amber One East, (POL-DTY), listening to them talking to Preston on 127.45. Easily spotted from Loughborough with that great yellow and grey livery. About the same time, I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg, on 208m, while doing 'O' Level homework. They had a commercial. "Northeast, the fast and friendly way". It used to punctuate music by Jethro Tull, Joni, Redbone and The Doors.
Magic Times.
I remember watching the Northeast A/C going south on Amber One East, (POL-DTY), listening to them talking to Preston on 127.45. Easily spotted from Loughborough with that great yellow and grey livery. About the same time, I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg, on 208m, while doing 'O' Level homework. They had a commercial. "Northeast, the fast and friendly way". It used to punctuate music by Jethro Tull, Joni, Redbone and The Doors.
Magic Times.
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: That France
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I remember that the time between POL and EGNT went very quickly when you were doing 400kts.
I was walking through LL Terminal One one day in the late 1980s and I saw a guy carrying a load of NE posters and stuff. He was moving from one office to another and I persuaded him to let me have a few items, which I still have.
(At this point the Chevy gets all dewey-eyed and incoherent - younger readers might want to skip to the next message)
Ah, Preston. Great place, great folks. Went back there with a few former inmates a year or so ago - its now an animal research centre of some kind but we found the remains of the bar in an outhouse.
I was walking through LL Terminal One one day in the late 1980s and I saw a guy carrying a load of NE posters and stuff. He was moving from one office to another and I persuaded him to let me have a few items, which I still have.
(At this point the Chevy gets all dewey-eyed and incoherent - younger readers might want to skip to the next message)
Ah, Preston. Great place, great folks. Went back there with a few former inmates a year or so ago - its now an animal research centre of some kind but we found the remains of the bar in an outhouse.
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 79
Posts: 8,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah Norjet... One Christmas Eve the Trident broke some sort of record flying into Heathrow. I was on GMC and invited the crew up ("and bring the crumpet!"). They duly arrived with the girls and a case of beer for us. Bet that doesn't happen nowadays...?
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: On the wireless...
Posts: 1,901
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Minesthechevy
ISTR that at some point the idea was floated for 'Norjet' as a callsign for the jets to distinguish them from the Viscounts
Originally Posted by Zooker
I remember watching the Northeast A/C going south on Amber One East, (POL-DTY), listening to them talking to Preston on 127.45. Easily spotted from Loughborough with that great yellow and grey livery. About the same time, I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg, on 208m, while doing 'O' Level homework. ......Magic Times.
The best 'wing-men' were usually spotters, they could spot duff gen a mile off before it got into the 9020...
Now the spotters can add scanners and SBS etc to the list so fudging metal dots at 30,000 feet must be really high tech these days...
Weren't the back-up shuttles aircraft reg rather than alpha-numeric?
