British Airways Announces Immediate Retirement of Boeing 747 Fleet

British Airway has announced that it will immediately retire its Boeing 747 fleet following the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The airline was forced to store all of its 28 747-400s due to reduced demand in the midst of the respiratory disease pandemic. Airline Geeks reports: In a letter sent out to all BA employees, the airline believes that the 747s are unsustainable for the new aviation industry post-pandemic and will look to accelerate the retirement of the twin-deckers. Most of the airline’s 747s were scheduled to be phased out progressively by early 2024. The interiors of its 747s had recently been refurbished as part of a billion-pound upgrade program to help extend the lifespan of the fleet. Yet, the ongoing aviation crisis forced the flag carrier to retire its twin-deckers immediately. “With much regret, we are proposing, subject to consultation, the immediate retirement of our Queen of the Skies, the 747-400. We know there is speculation on social media and aviation websites, so we wanted to make our position clear,” the airline told its staff in a letter seen by AirlineGeeks. This will mark a milestone for the airline as the era of jumbo will end when the affectionately-nicknamed ‘Queen of the Skies’ ceasing operations for British Airways after a 51-year long association. The airline had tremendous success with the Boeing 747 since it entered service, operating its 747s as the flagship aircraft of its long-haul fleet.