British Airways and Iberia sign merger

1973: David Nicholson, first chairman of British Airways following the merger of a number of UK airlines, proudly displays a model of the Concorde in the company's livery Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/guardian.co.uk 1977: British Airways uniforms for air stewardesses designed by Baccarat Weatherall Photograph: Dennis Stone/Rex Features Photograph: Dennis Stone/guardian.co.uk 1992: Lord King, chairman of British Airways, with flight attendants Photograph: Times Newspapers/Rex Features Photograph: Times Newspapers/guardian.co.uk 1996: British Airways jumbo jets at Heathrow Photograph: Tim Ockenden/PA Photograph: Tim Ockenden/guardian.co.uk 1997: Roseann Kapes, British Airways' director of sales, tries out the sitting position of the flying bed in the First class cabin in a new long-range Boeing 777 Photograph: Dan Loh/AP Photograph: Dan Loh/guardian.co.uk 1998: Paula Coxall, a BA air stewardess, demonstrates how British Airways are throwing away prices on their air fares, at Heathrow Airport. A BA booking bonanza was expected with more than two million bargain seats for sale, with savings of up to £531 Photograph: Neil Munns/PA Photograph: Neil Munns/guardian.co.uk 2001: A worker cleans a window at the Iberia office at Mallorca airport Photograph: Dani Cardona/Reuters Photograph: Dani Cardona/guardian.co.uk 2001: A BA Boeing 747 flying over planespotters at London's Heathrow airport. In 2002, the airline's fortunes were turning around as it reported a sharp increase in profits over the last three months after aggressive cost-cutting measures fed through Photograph: Tim Ockenden/PA Photograph: Tim Ockenden/guardian.co.uk 2002: An Iberia Mcdonnell Douglas MD88 plane takes off from Palma De Mallorca airport, Spain Photograph: RG Williamson/Rex Features Photograph: RG Williamson/guardian.co.uk 2003: A British Airways Concorde lifts off from Heathrow airport on one of its last ever commercial flights. The world's only supersonic passenger aircraft, which has been flying commercial services for 27 years, was retired by BA after a fatal crash Photograph: Ian Waldie/Getty Images Photograph: Ian Waldie/guardian.co.uk 2006: Two Iberia pilots at Barajas airport, Madrid. In 2007, British Airways joined a consortium led by US private equity firm TPG Capital to make a bid for the Spanish airline Photograph: Bernat Armangue/AP Photograph: Bernat Armangue/guardian.co.uk 2008: Iberia's chairman, Fernando Conte, right, speaks with British Airways's chief executive, Willie Walsh, during a press conference in Madrid, Spain. Conte said both companies 'took a first step to reach a merger' but did not provide any definitive date Photograph: Manuel H. De Leon/EFE Photograph: Manuel H. De Leon/guardian.co.uk 2008: British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson boards a British Airways plane. Branson spoke out against a proposed merger between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters Photograph: Dylan Martinez/guardian.co.uk 2008: Iberia planes at Barajas airport in Madrid Photograph: Javier Lizon/EFE Photograph: Javier Lizon/guardian.co.uk 2010: A British Airways plane lands at Heathrow Airport as strikes by BA cabin crew went ahead as talks between the airline and the union Unite collapsed Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Photograph: Dan Kitwood/guardian.co.uk 2010: Antonio Vazquez Romero, chief executive of Iberia, left, poses with Rafael Sanchez, chief operating officer, at a press conference in Madrid. Iberia announced that fourth-quarter losses widened as the recession hurt demand for travel Photograph: Xabier Mikel Laburu/Bloomberg via Getty Photograph: Xabier Mikel Laburu/guardian.co.uk