BA host stylish 80 years of service bash
2012-06-15 07:55
Johannesburg - International model Georgia May Jagger and a host of English and South African sports stars helped British Airways ensure history didn’t repeat itself.
When the airline’s antecedent, Imperial Airways, opened the first air route from London down the length of Africa in 1932 years ago, it was criticised for keeping too quiet about the achievement.
This time it was different.
Rugby players including London Wasps Captain, Marco Wentzel, injured Springbok flanker Schalk Burger and former Springboks, Gcobani Bobo and Joel Stransky, celebrated alongside local celebrities and British Airways guests.
The high point of the evening was Georgia May – these days better known for her modelling than famous parents – taking to the stage in a stunning Alice Temperley dress, at the culmination of a fashion show of historic uniforms, celebrating British Airways’ 80-year heritage in South Africa.
The event also marked the launch of the South African version of British Airways’ new brand advertising campaign, which shows a succession of pilots through the ages, starting with the first aviators who pioneered air routes the length of Africa and finishing with the endline: To Fly. To Serve.
Georgia May Jagger along with the British Airways crew who modeled the historic uniforms
Frank van der Post, managing director for brands and customer experience said, “British Airways is a very strong global brand, with a proud heritage. We do not need to reinvent ourselves, what we need to do is tell our story a little louder.”
Eric Venter, Comair CEO, said: “This is our first brand advertising campaign in South Africa in over a decade and reflects a wonderful collaboration of the best of 80 years of British Airways’ heritage and service in South Africa with 16 years of Comair.”
As part of British Airways continued commitment to South Africa, it recently increased its services between London and Johannesburg from double-daily to 17 a week. It also announced that over this
South African summer it will provide overnight-double daily services to Cape Town, an increase of seven flights a week over the current daily schedule.
