British Airways started flying 50 years ago this month. The state-owned airline was formed from an amalgamation of BEA, BOAC, Cambrian and Northeast. Its main base, then as now, was London Heathrow.

The 21st Century has been a tumultuous time for the United Kingdom. Long regarded as a bastion of stability amidst the turmoil of continental Europe, the past decades have shown that Britain is not ...