British Mediterranean Airways

British Mediterranean Airways (BMED) was a United Kingdom-based regional airline that operated scheduled passenger services primarily between London Heathrow and destinations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. The airline functioned as a franchise partner of British Airways, operating under the BA brand and code-share arrangements while maintaining its own AOC. Founded in 1994, BMED carved a niche serving routes that were underserved by larger carriers, including destinations such as Beirut, Tbilisi, Almaty, Baku, and Dushanbe. Its operations allowed British Airways to extend its network to strategically important but lower-demand city pairs without deploying mainline aircraft. In 2007, British Mediterranean Airways was acquired by bmi (British Midland International), and its operations were subsequently absorbed and rebranded under the bmi regional structure. The airline ceased to operate independently following the acquisition, ending its roughly 13-year run as a distinct carrier.