British Airways has raised £2 million for Red Nose Day, which took place last night (March 15). This brings British Airways’ fundraising total for Comic Relief to £4.5 million, which it has raised through its Flying Start partnership since 2010.

Flying Start helps to transform the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the UK and around the world.

Over the past twelve months, British Airways has been doing something funny for money. This includes a special fundraising ‘Gig in the Sky’ which set two Guinness World Record titles for the ‘Highest Concert’ and ‘Highest Harlem Shake’, with Tony Hadley and Kim Wilde performing on board an aircraft at 43,000ft (March 10). A video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ZUCCALQuY

Supporting the Red Nose Day charity single, the airline hosted One Direction in Terminal 5 to film scenes for the One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) music video. The pop stars also contributed messages for charity eye masks, along with Olly Murs, Calvin Harris and Sarah Millican, given to hundreds of customers flying with British Airways on Red Nose Day.

Around the business, colleagues entered the sprit of Red Nose Day, by hosting sponsored events; from leg waxing to growing moustaches and cake baking fundraisers to sponsored silences. Even the airline’s graduates got involved, producing a song entitled ‘A Flying Start’, which raised £300 through CD sales.

Mary Barry, British Airways community investment manager, said: “We are delighted to have raised over £4.5 million for Flying Start, however none of this would be possible without the generosity of our customers and hard work of the fund-raising champions across the business, whom we would like to thank.”

As a year-round fundraising partner of Comic Relief, the airline continuously raises money through on-board collections, a donation page on ba.com/flyingstart, and offers customers the option to donate when purchasing flights and holidays at ba.com.

Over the past year, the airline’s team of ‘fun-raisers’, as well as its chief executive Keith Williams, have visited projects in Ghana and Uganda to see first hand how the money raised helps to improve the lives of children.