End of an era - BA to retire the 747 fleet 'with immediate effect'

[Natter]

I appreciate that the 747 is less efficient than modern airliners, and that it makes commercial sense to retire the 747 now rather than in 2024, but none the less it is alittle sad to see the 'Queen of the Skies' disappear from the BA fleet.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53426886

[Graeme H]

Same here in Australia, Qantas has the last one going this week to Marana, where one has been stripped of the GE Engines already, lost count of the number of times I have flown on a 747, only model I have not flown on is the -8

[Mr T]

I remember going to Heathrow on a trip organised by the our school physics club (I was not in it as I didn't do physics, but I was invited) in 1970. Part of the trip was a visit to BOAC's engineering base where they had the first couple of 747s that were being fitted out. We were allowed to look around inside one but the thing I chiefly remember is that there was only one engine between both aircraft, production of the engines was lagging behind airframes. It was a good trip as it was in school time and I had just finished my 'O' levels. 50 years gone in a flash and now I am a grumpy old sad dad according to my daughter. 

[busnproplinerfan]

I only got to see a few 747s, closest was a UTA cargo plane from across the airport. Always wanted to ride in one or at least go through one.

[Pin]

I flew on BA 747 a couple of times but never on the upper deck, such a shame 

[tomprobert]

It’s so sad to see them go, but they have served well and the younger upstarts in the form of more fuel efficient twins have sealed ‘The Queen’s’ fate. 
 

It’s such an iconic aircraft, and thankfully we’ll still see them plying their trade in the form or cargo-haulers for a good few years yet. 
 

I’m glad I got to fly on a few 747s and I still think they’re the best flights I’ve had. I had the pleasure of a couple of BA -400s, Thai -400s and Qantas -400s (including Wunala Dreaming) but the real highlight for me was a flight home from Australia on a Qantas -SP just before they were retired in 2001. It was a little noisier than it’s younger siblings but went like a rocket!

[Swamp Donkey]

Last ride (and suspect last 747 trip ever) on one of these beauties was G-CIVD January 2019....I will really miss these, just such iconic, fabulous beasts...

 

and vividly remember the National B747’s doing LHRMIA back in the ‘70’s low level over our school that was about 8 miles from the end of 28R, and probably no higher than 1500ft by the time they reached us....and like GH above, flew on every version (including freighters) except the -800

 

SD

[stevehnz]

1 hour ago, Pin said:

I flew on BA 747 a couple of times but never on the upper deck, such a shame 

Never rode on the upper deck but I did spend about 3 hours in the cockpit of one pretty much all the way across Aus on a flight from Auckland to Singapore, the 1st leg of my big OE, really memorable, though Aus is a bit flat dusty & boring looking. That was the 1st of three flights in Air NZ 747s I had, plus one in a BA one & one in a Qantas one, all series 200s I think.

52 minutes ago, tomprobert said:

It’s such an iconic aircraft, and thankfully we’ll still see them plying their trade in the form or cargo-haulers for a good few years yet. 

Maybe, but I'm guessing the freight haulers will be looking for efficiencies too, I'm thinking there will be quite a few 777-200s coming on the market as well.

Steve.

[71chally]

Virgin have also announced the retirement of all it's commercial 747s.

Boeing 747 -41R G-VAST Virgin Atlantic by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Sixteen of the BA ones are parked at Cardiff at the moment, we're confidently expecting to see many of these at St Athan in the near future.

Boeing 747 -436s G-CIVZ , G-BNLY & G-BYGC by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Boeing 777 -236 G-YMMU, 747 -436s G-CIVC, G-BYGG, G-CIVW, G-CIVF &  G-CIVO, G-CIVU & G-BYGE by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Boeing 747 -436s G-BYGB , G-BYGD , G-CIVZ , G-BNLY & G-BYGC by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Boeing 747 -436s G-BYGA & G-CIVV by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Cardiff Airport & 14 x Boeing 747s by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Will miss them, beautiful aircraft

 

 

[Sleepwalker]

I flew 747 once - over 13 years ago with Singapore Airlines from Frankfurt to Singapore. My first long haul flight ever. Unforgettable.

[Giorgio N]

So another of the main users of the type is goiung to retire the Jumbo Jet, sad but inevitable. The 747 has been one of the most important types in aviation history but technology has moved on and more than 50 years after the type first flight the global 747 fleet is shrinking every day.

I'll miss them when they are all gone as the 747 was the very first aircraft I flew in. And I also had the chance of flying on the upper deck, on a JAL flight to Sydney

 

[Max Headroom]

Last flew in a 747 out of Vegas with Virgin in 2016. Wangled a couple of seats in the hump. Bucket list item ticked off!

 

Trevor

[Pauly Block]

I suppose that this news was inevitable but it's still sad news for me, growing up as a kid all I ever wanted to do was fly on a "Jumbo" my dream finally came true in 2004 when my wife and I took a trip to Vegas on a Virgin Atlantic 747-400. Luckily for me, my current job has seen me take a more comfortable seat upstairs on some of the BA fleet over the last 5 years, with my last trip being a flight from JFK - LHR on board G-CIVU in June of last year...

[Ray_W]

Sad day. Flown 100,000's kms on 747's in 40 years of international travel - safely, comfortably. Great aircraft. Funny to say, A380, A350, 777, 787 never had the same feel. 

[BluesModeller]

Such a shame.

 

beautiful, iconic aircraft and will be missed.

[Ray_W]

If it comes to a Group Build, I'm in.

 

[Stephen]

As  BA cabin crew it hits even closer to home as I've operated many flights over sixteen years on this iconic aircraft. All the crew on my fleet love the 747 universally . My first trip on it was to Cairo in 2004 and my last to Lagos in March this year with plenty of other destinations round the world in between. It's at this point that I wish I had logged the registrations of the aircraft that I flew on but I'm sure I've been on every one of the 747 fleet at some point.   

[Blimpyboy]

An iconic jet, to be sure.

I'm still wondering which livery I liked best, BA's Negus or the old school Kuwait Airlines scheme (the latter is tempered somewhat, by my son being sick on one, on a leg of his first overseas flight...)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Blimpyboy

[desert falcon]

The 747 only bring back good memories from the days working with my old airline Scandinavian Airlines. 
 

When I joined SAS in 1985 there were still some 747-200 in operation, including the Combi version. It was operated along the DC-10, another great airplane of its time. 
 

We used to do line maintenance for all the airlines flying widebodies into CPH, which included 747-300 and -400 from operators like PIA, SIA, Thai, JAL and for some time even Tower Air which flew some charter to JFK. On one occasion there were even a Qantas diverting to CPH due a technical issue. 
 

Once the A380 will be gone as well, we will be left with boring composite aircrafts like the “Dreamliner” and the A350 ... 

[fatalbert]

I flew out to Australia in one not long after 9/11,business class out and back 3 months later,the journey back upstairs.Pretty amazing watching the sun chase us all the way home lol.Also spent a couple of years at Stansted working on some United Airlines ones.working on the upper deck with the floor up,looking down through the the cabin floor below,into the freight bay that had the cargo door open and the aircraft was on jacks.Thats a long way up 😬

Edited July 17, 2020 by fatalbert

[lasermonkey]

A true icon of the skies. Magnificent rather than beautiful, IMO, but a sad day nonetheless. I would say though that my most uncomfortable flights were the outward and return LHR-LAX as a passenger on a BA 747, with the landing at Heathrow so heavy that I wanted to ask the captain whether we landed or were shot down! The flight crew were noticably absent when everyone disembarked.

[stevehnz]

1 hour ago, Sleepwalker said:

I flew 747 once - over 13 years ago with Singapore Airlines from Frankfurt to Singapore. My first long haul flight ever. Unforgettable.

I forgot about them, repressed memory I reckon, it must have been a 100 series, even in 1981 it was pretty tired. A really awful flight. My mistake was not going & raising hell in SALs London office when I got there, a bit over whelmed by the big smoke I guess.

Steve.

[Des]

21 minutes ago, desert falcon said:

Once the A380 will be gone as well ... 

Air France retired its last A380 a couple of weeks ago although the writing was already on the wall and even without Corona Virus they would have gone in 2022 anyway  -  https://www.ifn.news/posts/air-france-bids-farewell-to-airbus-a380-fleet/    -   seems the majority of other operators have grounded theirs for the duration.

[desert falcon]

1 minute ago, Des said:

Air France retired its last A380 a couple of weeks ago although the writing was already on the wall and even without Corona Virus they would have gone in 2022 anyway  -  https://www.ifn.news/posts/air-france-bids-farewell-to-airbus-a380-fleet/    -   seems the majority of other operators have grounded theirs for the duration.

True, the current financial climate definitely isn't in favour of 4 engine airplanes. At least EK have started operating A380's on some routes again and is holding back a bit on facing out the fleet. 

[DaveJL]

Only flew on the 747 twice on my travels, KLM from JFK to Schiphol and Virgin from Florida to Gatwick.  Would love to have flown more, as has been said, one of the icons of aviation. I seem to have done many more journeys on the A330, 777 and 787.

 

Are Lufthansa still using the 747-8 or are they being hastily retired too?