British Airways has retired its fleet of Boeing 747 aircraft, effective immediately.
After nearly five decades of service and millions of miles flown around the globe, BA announced with “great sadness” the final scheduled commercial service of ‘The Queen of the Skies’ aircraft. BA, which has 31 747-400 aircraft remaining in its fleet, blamed the ongoing and devasting impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector, which is not predicted to recover to 2019 levels until 2023/24.
The fuel-hungry aircraft were already slowly being phased out as part of BA’s commitment to becoming carbon net zero by 2050. The airline is switching its long-haul fleet to six A350s and 32 787s, which are around 25 per cent more fuel-efficient than the 747.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “This is not how we wanted or expected to have to say goodbye to our incredible fleet of 747 aircraft. It is a heart-breaking decision to have to make. So many people, including many thousands of our colleagues past and present, have spent countless hours on and with these wonderful planes – they have been at the centre of so many memories, including my very first long-haul flight. They will always hold a special place in our hearts at British Airways.
“We have committed to making our fleet more environmentally friendly as we look to reduce the size of our business to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on aviation. As painful as it is, this is the most logical thing for us to propose. The retirement of the jumbo jet will be felt by many people across Britain, as well as by all of us at British Airways. It is sadly another difficult but necessary step as we prepare for a very different future.”
BOAC operated its first 747 London to New York service on 14th April 1971 and in July 1989 the first British Airways 747-400, the aircraft type the airline still flies today, took to the skies.
For the next decade the airline took delivery of 56 more of the aircraft. At one point British Airways operated 57 747-400 aircraft.
According to Cirium there is currently a total of 502 747s in service, in storage or on order with airlines. Some 30 passenger aircraft are in service and 132 in storage, while 308 cargo aircraft remain in service with 24 in storage and 15 on order.
The 747 fleet in airline service peaked in July 1998 with 986 aircraft actively flown.