To mark the occasion, the two planes with their distinctive humps at the top, took to the skies one after the other for their journeys into retirement. No passengers were onboard.
One went to the Kemble airfield in western
“Today was an emotional milestone in the retirement of our 747 fleet as it was our last chance to see the Queen of the Skies depart from our home at
BA announced in July that its 747s had flown their final commercial flights as a result of the pandemic, which has severely curtailed international travel and is expected to do so for years to come. Originally, BA, which was the world’s biggest operator of the 747-400 model, was planning to retire the fleet in 2024.
BA’s predecessor, BOAC, operated its first 747 London to
At one point, BA operated 57 jumbos but its days have been numbered, in light of new, modern, fuel-efficient aircraft such as Airbus’ A350 and Boeing’s 787.
More than 1,500 jumbos were produced by
BA senior first officer
“It was a very large airplane, of course, but it didn’t feel like it,” he said.
“It’s a beautiful design, a classic like Concorde, and I often think the upper deck made the 747 look more birdlike.”
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