Yesterday was the last day British Airways shares could be bought and sold. Trading is now suspended and will recommence on Monday morning in the new holding company IAG, or to give it its full name International Consolidated Airlines Group.
IAG will own British Airways, Spanish carrier Iberia, and whichever airlines its chief executive Willie Walsh manages to snap up over the coming years from a stated long-list of around 12 targets.
It will also own a rather subdued grey logo that will not reference the individual airline brands, according to a BA press officer, and there will be no branding changes for either BA or Iberia.
This approach contrasts with last year's marriage between mobile networks Orange and T-Mobile, .
The name was a statement of the company's ambition to "propel itself beyond mobile communications", explore new markets and increase revenue streams in mobile advertising and mobile commerce.
Walsh is adopting a low-key approach to overall branding, perhaps because in the tougher economics of the airline industry a splashy new identity would be a luxury.
IAG will be headquartered at Heathrow in separate offices to British Airways.
It will have a combined fleet of 419 aircraft, carrying 54.8 million passengers a year, with annual revenue expected to total almost £12bn.
Iberia chief executive Antonio Vazquez will become chairman.
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