British Airways to retire fleet of 747s immediately

The airline, which is part of IAG, had originally planned to retire its 747s in 2024 but has now brought the date forward.

“It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect,” said BA in a statement.

“It is unlikely our magnificent ‘queen of the skies’ will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic.”

The 747, known affectionately as the jumbo jet, has already been phased out of the fleets of other carriers including Air France, United Airlines and Delta.

BA currently has 32 747-400s in its fleet, each carrying up to 345 passengers, which represents around 10% of its total aircraft.

“While the aircraft will always have a special place in our heart, as we head into the future we will be operating more flights on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft such as our new A350s and 787s, to help us achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” added the airline.