Beihang University was founded on the merger of Tsinghua University Aviation Department, Sichuan University Aviation Department and Beijing Institute of Technology (now Beijing Institute of Technology). Among them, Tsinghua University Aviation Department was formed by the merger of Beiyang University (now Tianjin University), Tsinghua University, Northwestern Polytechnical University (now Northwestern Polytechnical University) and Xiamen University. The Aviation Department of Beijing University of Technology was formed by the merger of the Aviation Department of North China University Institute of Technology (predecessor of Beijing University of Technology) and the Aviation Department of Southwest Central University of Technology (former Central University of Technology, now chongqing jianzhu university). The Aviation Department of Sichuan University was formed by the merger of the former Sichuan University Aviation Department and Yunnan University Aviation Department.

The aviation departments of eight universities participating in the establishment of Beijing Institute of Aeronautics refer to the aviation departments of Tsinghua University, Beiyang University (now Tianjin University), Northwestern Polytechnic University (now Northwestern Polytechnical University), Xiamen University, North China University of Technology (now Beijing Institute of Technology), Southwest Institute of Technology (now chongqing jianzhu university), Sichuan University and Yunnan University.