British European Airways

British European Airways, or BEA was formed in 1946 by a Act of Parliment. The airline operated European and North African routes from a variety of airports around the United Kingdom. BEA was also the largest domestic airline within Britain at the time, operating flights to major British cities, including; Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Glasgow The airline was also the first customer for many British short and medium haul airliners of the 1950s and 1960s including the; Vickers Viscount, Vickers Vanguard, BAC 1-11 and the Hawker-Siddeley Trident. BEA ceased operations in 1971 when it was merged with British Overseas Airways Corporation to form British Airways.

BEA is also the abbreviation for Bureau Enquetes-Accidents, the French agency responsible for investigating aviation accidents and recommending remedies for safety deficiencies.